A world premiere written by Liza Birkenmeier and commissioned by Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.

“I expected you to share some sort of wish that the reason we are here and the reason for all of this scientific advancement and thought were for
the greater good.”

In a world suffocating with secrecy, the housewives and scientists of the Manhattan Project work for the war effort in stiflingly hot and dusty Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 1945. The first successful test of the atomic bomb forces them to grapple with the consequences of their actions and inactions. Where does the balance lie between personal and governmental responsibility? And what does this question mean in the context of today’s weapons technology? Written by School of Drama alumna Liza Birkenmeier, The Way out West is the first work commissioned by the School of Drama for its mainstage season.