About the Play:

The Deal is a full-length drama by Matthew Witten. The story of a small-city alderman, two undercover agents, and a powerful political boss. Compelling and intriguing, The Deal turns and twists through political, moral, and social territory as it pits two undercover agents against two politicians in a government sting operation. It shows how hard it is these days to tell the good guys from the bad.

The Deal is about an FBI sting involving a political figure suspected of corruption. Concerned that he might be transferred to Alaska because of his failure to obtain a conviction in the past three years, Alex, an FBI supervisor temporarily assigned to the Philadelphia office, decides to quicken his pursuit of a local political boss (who is suspected to accepting bribes) by setting up a "sting" operation which involves the offering of an illegal payment to a lesser official. With the reluctant cooperation of Peter, another FBI agent who agrees to pose as the representative of a group of rich developers, a small-time politico, Jimmy, is approached with the promise of a cash payoff if he can provide access to Tommy O'Hara, a highly placed official who controls patronage throughout the state and is the "man to see" when the rules need bending. Essentially honest, but in need of funds to pay for his daughter's college expenses, Jimmy, after wrestling with his conscience, agrees to go along with the plan – thereby setting in motion a gripping series of disturbing events and suspenseful scenes in which questions of trust and betrayal are contrasted with those of greed and corruption. Ironically, it is "big fish" Tommy, the wily, cautious old pro, who wriggles off the hook, leaving the hapless "little fish" Jimmy to take the rap – despite the troubled Peter's last minute attempt to spare him, even at the risk of jeopardizing his own career and of upsetting the quest for "justice," which, it seems, must be pursued regardless of the price exacted. The Deal is a taut, hard-hitting drama which explores the moral questions raised when law enforcement authorities lure suspected wrongdoers into incriminating themselves.

The Deal premiered in 1987 at the Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and won the prestigious Clauder Playwriting Competition, helping Matthew Witten launch his career as a television writer. The play has been performed in regional and community theatre productions from New York to Los Angeles and as far away as Sydney, Australia.

Cast: 4 male

What people say:

"Matthew Witten's tough-as-nails drama The Deal is as current as today's headlines." — The Hollywood Reporter

"…trenchant, timely play … The Deal is an exciting political thriller." — Drama-Logue

"Playwright Matthew Witten has created a fascinating look into the ethics of greed and entrapment that begins to make the government pursuers look equally slimy as their prey." — Tolucan/Canyon Crier

"The revival of The Deal ... is a powerful reminder of what the playwright considers the unhealthy state of society and some law enforcement practices that purportedly help to keep things in line." — Los Angeles Times

About the Playwright:

Matthew Witten is an American producer, writer, and story editor who worked for Law & Order, House, and other TV shows. He has also written several mystery books and plays that have been produced throughout the US. He has co-produced new play festivals in Boston for Playwright's Platform and Touchstone Productions, and received playwriting grants from the Massachusetts Artists' Foundation, the Massachusetts Arts Lottery Council, and the New England Foundation for the Arts.