The play takes place in fictional Portsboro, a town inspired by Nicole Pandolfo's hometown of Paulsboro.
PAULSBORO -- Paulsboro residents are no stranger to the trains that run through town.
Some race the trains on their daily commutes, some jog along the tracks on a daily run, others get nervous when they see one, and recall how recent derailments have shaken the town.
One resident, has used the most recent derailment as inspiration. She didn't tiptoe around the tragedy, let fear and worry distract her. Instead, she used it to tell a story.
Nicole Pandolfo used the events of the 2012 Paulsboro train derailment to inspire "PUMP," a play about a journalist who is laid-off the same day a train derails, spilling toxic chemicals in his fictional hometown of Portsboro. (Photo Provided) "PUMP" by Nicole Pandolfo is a play inspired by the Paulsboro train derailment in 2012. A Philadelphia newspaper reporter loses his job during a round of layoffs on the same day that a train carrying toxic chemicals derails in his hometown of Portsboro, a fictional New Jersey town.
"'PUMP' isn't based on facts, it's inspired by them," Pandolfo said.
The play goes on to tell the jobless reporter's story, how he takes a job pumping gas at the station that his dad manages and how he learns that big oil interests and the health of people in his hometown collide in numerous, unexpected ways.
As Pandolfo puts it, the play examines the disenfranchisement of the working class, the role of press in society, corporate greed, and the continuing chemical and toxic waste incidents that threaten American communities today.
The project started as a thesis project back in 2013. Pandolfo spent hours writing and rewriting, eventually drafting this sixth edition of the "PUMP."
"I knew that as a thesis it was only the beginning," she said. "I hoped somebody would be interested in pushing it further."
Someone was.
In February 2014, "PUMP" made its way to a workshop at Hunter College at the MFA Playwrights Festival and was directed by Sherri Eden Barber. Then in February, at the Actors Studio in New York, "PUMP" was read again with Chazz Palminteri and was directed by Jim Booney.
"PUMP" is being brought to life again through a reading Saturday under the directive skills of Dan Swern.
"He's responsible for putting this reading together and I'm so grateful for his interest and effort to make this happen," said Pandolfo.
Following the reading there will be a reception for all guests and a community panel discussion moderated by Mike Rispoli from FreePress. It will include insight from other panelists including New Brunswick Today editor-in-chief Charlie Kratovoil, Home News Tribune and Courier News watchdog reporter Nick Muscavage, and reporter Rebecca Forand who wrote the original piece on the train derailment which Pandolfo accredits the inspiration for "PUMP".
Paulsboro still feeling effects of train derailment, toxic chemical spill
"It's going to be a nice community discussion," Pandolfo said. "It will dig into journalisms ties with the community, which I think is an important conversation to have."
Even more important for Pandolfo is how her story will be brought to life.
"It's fulfilling to bring a piece of Paulsboro to the American stage," she said. "My upbringing in Paulsboro has inspired me so much and to be able to tell a version of the story of my friends and neighbors and people in the community is so exciting and meaningful."
The free reading and panel discussion will be held Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at 9 Bayard St. in New Brunswick.
"It's taken a lot of time and a lot of drafts to get 'PUMP' to where it is, so I'm excited for the reading and excited to have this so close to home," she said.
Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.