Max Wolf Friedlich's 'Job' Heads to Gulfshore Playhouse's New Naples Venue, Directed by Neel Keller

Theater professionals in Florida and beyond should put Gulfshore Playhouse's upcoming production of "Job" on their radar now. The Naples-based company has announced that Max Wolf Friedlich's acclaimed play will be staged at the Struthers Studio Theatre, the intimate black box venue inside Gulfshore's brand-new $72 million Baker Theatre and Education Center, with performances scheduled to begin in March 2027. The production is currently in casting and pre-production, meaning the hiring window for key creative roles is open and moving.

The play comes from playwright Max Wolf Friedlich, whose darkly comic two-hander "Job" generated serious industry attention during its New York run, drawing strong critical notices for its taut psychological tension and its blisteringly efficient structure. Friedlich is one of the more closely watched emerging voices in American playwriting right now, and his work attracts the kind of focused, skilled productions that make for compelling professional environments. Helming the production is director Neel Keller, a theater veteran with deep roots in the American regional theater circuit. Keller has directed extensively at major institutional houses including Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, where he served as an associate artistic director for many years, developing a reputation for precise, actor-driven work on new and contemporary plays. His attachment here signals a production that takes the material seriously and values craft at every level of the creative team.

Casting for the production is being handled by Michael Cassara, one of the more active and well-regarded casting directors working in New York theater today. Cassara's office works across a wide range of institutional and commercial productions, and his involvement is a clear signal to agents and actors that this is a professional, properly resourced engagement. The production is overseen by Gulfshore Playhouse's Producing Artistic Director Kristen Coury and Managing Director Joel Markus. Coury has spent two decades building Gulfshore into one of the most respected regional theaters in the Southeast, and her producing instincts consistently attract quality talent and thoughtful creative teams. The production also carries the association of Playwrights Horizons, the celebrated New York developmental institution with a decades-long track record of shepherding major American plays from first readings to full production.

The venue itself is worth understanding for anyone considering this opportunity. The Baker Theatre and Education Center is a newly completed, $72 million state-of-the-art facility that represents one of the most significant investments in regional theater infrastructure in the country in recent years. The Struthers Studio Theatre, where "Job" will be staged, is the building's intimate black box space, purpose-built for exactly this kind of close-quarters, high-intensity drama. Naples, Florida is not a secondary market in the way it might once have been perceived. The city has a wealthy, culturally engaged audience base, and Gulfshore has steadily positioned itself as a destination theater rather than a community one. For designers and technicians, working in a brand-new facility means excellent production infrastructure, modern rigging and lighting systems, and none of the workarounds that come with aging buildings.

Given that "Job" is a compact, dialogue-driven play with a small cast, the crew footprint will be lean and selective. That means the people who do get hired will be working closely with the director and designers in a highly collaborative environment. Scenic and lighting designers in particular will find the Struthers Studio's flexible configuration an interesting design challenge, and the intimacy of the space puts a premium on sound design as well. The production is presented under Gulfshore's institutional banner, which means standard regional theater contracts and the working conditions that come with an Equity house of this profile.

With a March 2027 start and casting currently underway, there is time to make a move but not unlimited time. Designers and stage management professionals who want to be considered for this production should be engaging now rather than waiting. The full production listing for "Job" at Gulfshore Playhouse, including production contacts, the casting office, and scheduling details, is available on ProductionList.com. Bookmark it, check back as the creative team fills out, and use the contact information to get in front of the right people while the production is still building its roster.

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