Can a middle-aged, middle-class woman survive when she suddenly has to make beds all day in a hotel and live on $7 an hour? Maybe. But one $7-an-hour job won’t pay the rent; she’ll have to do back-to-back shifts as a chambermaid and a waitress. This isn’t the first surprise for acclaimed author Barbara Ehrenreich, who set out to research low-wage life firsthand. She is prepared for hard work but not, at 55, for double shifts and nonstop aches and pains, for having to share tiny rooms and beg from food pantries, for failing to make ends meet and constantly having to swallow humiliation. Joan Holden’s vivid, witty stage adaptation captures the epic humor and indelible characters who populate Ehrenreich’s best-selling book.

Nickel and Dimed is part of a month-long Beet Street program, Life on a Shoestring: Perspectives on Stepping Out of Poverty. Highlights of Life on a Shoestring include a keynote luncheon on February 23 featuring "Nickel and Dimed" author Barbara Ehrenreich; Bridges out of Poverty, a special presentation on March 5 featuring internationally acclaimed author Philip DeVol; and a special half-price performance of "Nickel and Dimed" sponsored by United Way on Thursday, February 28. For more information, event tickets and a complete schedule of events, visit www.beetstreet.org.

In addition, post-performance discussions, facilitated by Project Self-Sufficiency, will be held on Feb. 28, Mar. 8, 16 and 21.

“…undeniably provocative.” -Variety

“Daring … Ehrenreich’s irrepressible sense of humor admirably translated from page to stage.” –Los Angeles Times

“Penetrating clarity and sharp, illuminating humor.” –San Francisco Chronicle