In Atlanta, an unemployed man turned his job search into a one-man show
In Atlanta, United States, 45-year-old Tim Millard, after being laid off in July 2025, spent several months looking for work and wrote a one-man show, “After Careful Consideration,” about unemployment and job rejections. As CNBC reports, the production was staged at the Atlanta Fringe Festival in 2026.
Before being laid off, Millard worked for six years as a multimedia content producer at an Atlanta-based research and consumer reviews platform. At first, he expected to find a new job quickly, but later realized that the search would take longer. By his estimate, he submitted at least 300 applications after being laid off, while also completing freelance assignments to pay for housing and bills.
A show about unemployment
In November 2025, a longtime friend advised Millard to turn his job-search experience into a stage performance for the Atlanta Fringe Festival. In January 2026, he submitted a draft concept for the show to the organizers and, a few weeks later, learned that he had been selected for the program.
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Alongside applying for vacancies, Millard wrote a series of scenes about different aspects of the process: contacting the Georgia Department of Labor, mounting expenses, and typical rejection letters. In one scene, he humorously described the structure of such a letter: thanking the candidate, informing them of a rejection after reviewing the application, and suggesting that they follow the company’s job openings.
Searching through personal contacts
On May 28, Millard performed “After Careful Consideration” before an audience of about 25 people for the first time. In total, he staged the show five times. According to him, after the performances, audience members approached him who had experienced unemployment themselves or had loved ones in a similar situation.
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by CNBC, 27% of unemployed Americans, or nearly 2 million people, had been looking for work for more than six months. Millard continues his search and is trying to build personal connections: he set up a folding table near a popular walking trail in Atlanta, handing out free water and copies of his résumé. On a sign, he addressed passersby with an offer of mutual help.
