Tom Hanks and James Glossman are working together on a play that's titled "This World of Tomorrow," which will run until December 21 at an off-Broadway theatre called The Shed located in New York City. The reason for this collaboration goes back to something that was originally written by Tom Hanks in his first collection of fictional stories called "Uncommon Type: Some Stories," and it was adapted to create a long-term relationship between Tom Hanks and James Glossman, who is a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University and involved in a lot of academic writing. Through a story involving time travel, we will be seeing the development of the themes of American ingenuity and nostalgia as people from different time periods come together at the World's Fair in 1939.
The Play’s Story and Production Journey
This depiction of what the future holds for us focuses on Bert Allenberry, a scientist living in the latter part of 21st century. He is played by Tom Hanks. The story involves time travel—Bert travels to 1939 to see his romantic partner, Carmen Perry. Carmen is a young, vibrant woman who works as a bookkeeper in the twentieth century, and she is played by Kelli O'Hara, winner of a Tony Award for her performance. Although Bert has to spend millions of dollars for each time-travel visit (which he has to return to his present world before 7 p.m.), he continues to go back to 1939 to be with Carmen in an attempt to connect with her. The play combines humorous elements with reflections about how technology affects human relationships and connectivity, which are recurring themes in Tom Hanks’ many films. While there were a number of traditional rehearsal formats and methods used, including typewritten scripts, the majority of the rehearsal for this production was conducted virtually using video conference systems like Zoom and Facetime.
Tom Hanks’ Insights and Career Reflections
During "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Tom Hanks explained that while he enjoyed being part of "A League of Their Own." He had to skip a particular dugout scene due to the time commitment it required as it would have taken several days of filming. He had a mix of happiness (for being part of creating something new) and fear as he was responsible for acting their written lines in "This World of Tomorrow." This was a perfect reflection of Hanks' love of stories, nostalgia, and technology coming together in one piece.
Is Tom Hanks in the locker room?? https://t.co/z8q3WSsBSD
— Joe Seiter (@JoeFromCincy) November 28, 2025
James Glossman’s Role and Creative Process
For many years, Glossman has focused on directing theater throughout the U.S. and across multiple states in partnership with Hanks at Johns Hopkins. Their collaboration has brought significant energy and enthusiasm, characterised by their continuous dialogue, which has resulted in an integration of both analog and digital creativity. For Glossman, working with Hanks has provided him with the greatest writing experience. He is eagerly anticipating directing a production of Shakespeare's Pericles in the spring of 2021.
