As the economy slows down, more and more workers car pool from the suburbs, turning their commutes into corporate conversation. First time playwright Laura Hembree follows the histories of five men in an automobile as they struggle to survive their jobs in Car Pool, running March 14-April 8 at Houston's Stages Repertory Theatre.

Set in a time of corporate down-sizing (sound familiar?), Car Pool savages the ideal working world where a person signs on with a company, does a good job, works his or her way through the ranks and then retires thirty years later. Instead, the men of Car Pool from the cynical newcomer to the stoic survivor live constantly with the fear of losing their jobs even as they face personal and professional setbacks.

Peter Weber (Houston Grand Opera's Little Women) directs. The five men comprising the cast are David Born (Raymond), Bill Hardy (Arthur), Jim Lawrence (Willard), Manning Mott (Gene) and Timothy Wrobel (Carl).

Car Pool opens March 16. Tickets are $19-$42. Stages Repertory Theatre is located at 3201 Allen Parkway at Waugh Drive. For reservations, call (713) 527-8243.

— By Christine Ehren