Stiffs and Georges

By David McKee
Photo courtesy of Richard Brusky

“With the recession, the gap between the rich and poor grows ever greater, and Las Vegas is a microcosm of that right in front of us. the gambling and waste in this town confounds me — within feet of a craps table where someone can lay down a $500 chip, you can find someone who might not have eaten that day. But in this play you’ve got characters willing to gamble their own food money in a lottery with an undetermined prize, so they’re stuck in a strange cycle as well. Las Vegas has extreme wealth and yet one of the fastest-growing homeless populations. As Mr. Wig says, ‘If I had one lousy penny from every tourist that passed by, I’d be one of the “rich-ists” too!’” — playwright Erica Griffin, whose newest black comedy, Casa de Nada, is set in a Las Vegas homeless encampment. It premieres June 3 as part of Las Vegas Little Theatre’s Fringe Festival. More of my interview of Ms. Griffin will appear in the June 2 issue of Las Vegas CityLife.