Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street

A UNIQUE THEATRICAL EVENT! JUST SIX PERFORMANCES!

"The quintessential New York Story" - Hernan Diaz in The New York Times Book Review

BARTLEBY, THE SCRIVENER: A STORY OF WALL STREET by Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick
October 8-12, 2025, performed at the Tomayko Foundation Gallery, 5173 Liberty Avenue, in Bloomfield
Pittsburgh Premiere, directed by Andrew Paul, adapted by & starring Sam Tsoutsouvas

“In the summer of 1843, having an extraordinary quantity of deeds to copy, I engaged, temporarily, an extra copying clerk, who interested me considerably, in consequence of his modest, quiet, gentlemanly demeanor, and his intense application to his duties.”

An unnamed elderly lawyer works with legal documents and has an office on Wall Street in New York. He already employs two scriveners, Turkey and Nippers, to copy documents by hand, but an increase in business leads him to advertise for a third. He hires the forlorn-looking Bartleby in the hope that his calmness will soothe the other two, each of whom displays an irascible temperament. At first, Bartleby produces a large volume of high-quality work, but one day, when asked to help proofread a document, Bartleby answers with what soon becomes his perpetual response to every request: "I would prefer not to." To the dismay of the narrator and the irritation of the other employees, Bartleby begins to perform fewer and fewer tasks and eventually none. 

Though no great success at the time of publication, Bartleby, the Scrivener is now among the most influential American short stories ever written. Albert Camus cites its absurdist and existentialist themes as a key influence. 

This unique theatrical event is performed in the Tomayko Gallery among the artworks for their 2025 Fall Exhibition. Audiences are greeted with wine, cheese, and soft drinks. Kinetic Associate Artist Sam Tsoutsouvas (EMBERS) performs his intimate adaptation followed by a short discussion moderated by Kinetic Artistic Director Andrew Paul.