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The Adding Machine
Hardcover
ISBN13: 9781025398907
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 164
Weight: 0.90
Height: 0.44 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Adding Machine is a seminal work of American expressionist drama that offers a harrowing and satirical look at the dehumanizing effects of the machine age. The play follows the life and afterlife of Mr. Zero, a generic bookkeeper who, after twenty-five years of service, is suddenly replaced by a mechanical adding machine. Driven to a desperate act of violence by this cold displacement, Zero's journey continues through his trial and into a surreal version of the afterlife known as the Elysian Fields, where he remains trapped by his own narrow-mindedness and the soul-crushing constraints of his former existence.
Elmer Rice's masterpiece is celebrated for its innovative staging and its biting critique of industrial society's impact on the human spirit. By personifying the anxieties of the early 20th century, The Adding Machine explores profound themes of labor, morality, and the tragic loss of individuality in an increasingly automated world. As a landmark of modern theater, the work provides a timeless commentary on the struggle to maintain one's humanity within the confines of a rigid mechanical bureaucracy.
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