In the Springs, Theatreworks two-hander pairs Jada Suzanne Dixon and Josh Robinson as two mismatched NYC sanitation workers.

Take a deep (dumpster) dive into the lives of two dissimilar sanitation workers in The Garbologists running through June 28 at Theatreworks in Colorado Springs. It’s an engaging, relevant evening of thoughtful theatre, with two actors who deliver emotional credibility and connection.

Written by Lindsay Joelle and premiering in Philadelphia in 2021, the two-hander puts a lens on Danny (Josh Robinson) a boisterous, white, know-it-all veteran sanitation worker. He’s paired against newbie Marlowe (Jada Suzanne Dixon) a Black, Ivy League-educated woman with a tragic backstory. The duo shares the cramped cab of a 19-ton garbage truck day in and day out — and it’s the dead of winter in the Big Apple.

And so the sparring begins in a familiar formula: Opposites find common ground in an odd-couple dramedy. What works is the chemistry between Dixon and Robinson, showcased by an impressive set. What doesn’t work is an incomplete backstory that distracts.

The impressive set in ‘The Garbologists’ works to firmly set the action in trash land. | Photo: Isaiah Downing

The mansplainer

Incessantly talking, mansplaining and complaining, Robinson lands the tone, pacing and aggressive Danny-speak with amusing hyperbole in a thick Staten Island accent. He manages to balance snarky with likability, endearing himself to the audience as an underdog. Upping his appeal, he humorously kicks fading machismo into overdrive.

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While we know Danny’s story early on, Marlowe’s is a mystery that is only partially solved. Why is a Columbia graduate tossing trash? We learn she has lost a young son to cancer, but has she simply stalled in deep grief, or is there another derailment that has her living with her parents? Danny is losing a son to divorce, he’s angry and won’t go down without a fight. Before long, the unlikely pair begin to bond in their shared heartbreak.

Character development through movement

Dixon excels in her use of body language, projecting unspoken superiority and disdain for Danny. Movement is carefully crafted to develop characters from very different walks of life. Robinson plays Danny as complacent and rote, tossing trash bags on autopilot while lamenting his lot in life. Marlowe hides in her cellphone, then becomes frantic with restlessness.

Stagecraft takes center stage in Garbologists. The truck, its cab and backend compactor are a tall order for a small stage, but Theatreworks pulls it off. Director GerRee Hinshaw and the creative team built a dynamic and believable environment that supports the action well. The actors pivot seamlessly between driving in the cab, tossing the bags and running the compactor.

Set design shares the spotlight with the play’s lighting. The lighting designer, Jennifer Fok, creatively shifts the focus with headlights and backup lights from sunrise to dusk and nightfall.

Completing the illusion, sound harmonizes perfectly with the set and its lighting: The audience feels a NYC soundscape with traffic in a cramped urban landscape. The actors move with the sounds of the truck’s accelerator, stopping and starting, leaning left and right as the truck roars down the narrow streets.

Dixon plays muted class against Robinson’s brash posturing. Well-paced dialogue speeds and then slows as the two navigate to center. The humor is lowkey but works as an undercurrent. With witty banter, Danny teaches Marlowe the art of “Mongo” — salvaging discarded treasures left on the curb. Funny finds turn up while two fine actors make the evolving chemistry plausible.

There are poignant moments in Garbologists that resonate beyond the stage: a messiness to life we’d rather not see. The play underscores the dignity of overlooked work that needs visibility, acknowledgment and respect. As Danny shares with Marlowe, “Just because we pick up garbage, doesn’t make us trash.”