Jessica, a young photographer fighting to save the building, has injured herself trying to take pictures of the crumbling skyscraper. She and her lawyer, Jane, are suing the demolisher, Raymond. Raymond has his own troubles: He has just been forced to fire his dreamy and unreliable brother, Joseph. Meanwhile, Louis, a 110-year-old man whose life is bound up with the building, tries to rescue Vivian, a distraught young woman determined to leap from the roof. Jessica inadvertently saves Raymond's life; Jane seduces Joseph; Louis struggles with Vivian and his failing memory; and all of their lives are changed as they uncover the threads that connect them to Chicago, this building, and each other.
David Auburn is an American playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director. He is best known for his 2000 play Proof, which won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama.