Former federal worker turns decade of work into new play, production company

A D.C. woman who lost her job when the U.S. Agency for International Development shut down has rebooted her life by writing a play.

When Hannah Peterson found herself out of work in 2025 after 14 years in the field of international development, she pushed herself to write a play — something she had never done before.

The play, called “Vacate,” touches on timely themes of immigration and human connection, and will get its second staging Saturday night. It’s informed by her experiences...