A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Faculty Room

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  1w, 5m

Winner! Kesselring Prize for Playwriting

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 5m
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! Kesselring Prize for Playwriting

Details

Summary

In The Faculty Room, Bridget Carpenter explores the darker side of high school life from the inside of that mythic room, the teacher’s lounge. English teacher Adam, Drama teacher Zoe, and Ethics teacher Bill, along with mysterious new World History teacher Carver, are all taunted by the disembodied voice of Principal Dennis on the P.A. system. Dedicated yet desperate, inspired yet burnt out, hateful yet loving – the teachers of Madison Feury High are a bundle of contradictions in Carpenter’s rich portrait. A funny and caustic look at how truly f*cked up the relationships between teachers and students can get, The Faculty Room erupts with gunshots, desperate longing, and a growing wave of spiritual fanaticism. Our education system may never recover.

History

Actors Theatre of Louisville, 2003

ZOE BARTHOLEMHEW - about 30, teaches Theater
ADAM YOUNGER - about 40, teaches English
CARVER DURAND - about 30, teaches World History
BILL - somewhere between 40 and death, teaches Ethics
PRINCIPAL DENNIS - the voice on the P.A. System
A STUDENT - male, a freshman

Zoe, Adam, and Carver are attractive; not particularly healthy-looking, though.

  • Cautions
    • Gun Shots
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language

Media

"Lively black comedy [...] A rollercoaster course...Shalwitz gives the evening a snappy, agitated flair. The design supports the script intelligently." - City Paper

REVIEWS

"Lively black comedy...A rollercoaster course...Shalwitz gives the evening a snappy, agitated flair. The design supports the script intelligently." - City Paper

"The three lead actors [Bowen, Anderson & Russotto] bring a lot of humor to their roles. The dialogue is sharp." - Washingtonian

"A delightful madhouse [of] over-the-edge teachers...A riot" - Arlington Weekly News

"Witty dialogue & fine acting [in] this engaging play" - The Economist.com/Cities Guide

"Outrageous circumstances. Howard Shalwitz's good-looking production strikes the right tone. Underplayed pretty much to perfection by Michael Willis...Megan Anderson is an appealing presence." - Washington Post

"Cutthroat portrayals by Bowen & Anderson...Woolly should be commended for their unwavering commitment to new work" - Washington Times

"Clever one-liners abound... a biting, caustic vision" - DCist.com

"Woolly Mammoth's usual excellence characterizes the design team - refreshing & funny" - DC Theatre Reviews

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Bridget Carpenter

Bridget Carpenter has written many plays. Her work has been produced by Steppenwolf, Center Stage, Berkeley Repertory Company, Trinity Rep, Syracuse Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, among many others. Plays include Fall (Susan Smith Bl ...
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