MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY by William Ivor Fowkes

FULL-LENGTH PLAY (1 HOUR, 50 MINUTES). Young faculty member Ned Jenkins arrives at bucolic Humbert College in upstate New York hoping to achieve his life’s ambition of becoming a tenured college professor. Quickly embraced by faculty and students alike, this “golden boy” can’t help making romantic and political missteps that not only threaten to sidetrack him from his goal but also divide the whole campus....
FULL-LENGTH PLAY (1 HOUR, 50 MINUTES). Young faculty member Ned Jenkins arrives at bucolic Humbert College in upstate New York hoping to achieve his life’s ambition of becoming a tenured college professor. Quickly embraced by faculty and students alike, this “golden boy” can’t help making romantic and political missteps that not only threaten to sidetrack him from his goal but also divide the whole campus. Through it all, he discovers that he may be an expert in philosophy and aesthetics, but he’s a rank amateur when it comes to self-knowledge.

MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY is a re-worked version of the play ALL IN THE FACULTY.
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MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY

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Character Information

  • Professor Ned Jenkins
    29,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Male
    Articulate and likeable. A bit naïve. Son of Norbert Jenkins, distinguished professor of Comp Lit at Yale. Doctoral thesis (Wisconsin): “Hegel’s Aesthetics and the End of Art.” Taught philosophy at several colleges before coming to Humbert. If he fails to get tenure, his academic career will be over.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Professor Marlene Bernstein
    32,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Female
    Funny, yet sensitive. Always dressed in black, with a rose pendant pinned over her heart. Tenured member of the French Department. Doctoral thesis (Tufts): “Passion in the Plays of Jean Giraudoux.” Never misses a new faculty reception—for good reason.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Professor William (“The Duke”) Duke
    63,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Male
    Clever, opinionated, and intimidating. Chair of the English Department. Doctoral thesis (Chicago): “The Bloom of Youth: Erotic Motifs in the World of Oscar Wilde.” Although a firebrand when riled up, he has been keeping a low profile since the death of his lover of many years, Coach Chad Mancini. Likes to drink. Likes you to drink.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Professor Jock Richardson
    35,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Male
    Imperious, preppy, and sarcastic. Ned’s rival for tenure and other things. His full name is Charles Standish Richardson. “Jock” is an ironic nickname imposed by his form mates at Hotchkiss, his prep school. A young George Sanders could play this role.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Professor Alfred Giulliano
    54,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Male
    Jocular and expressive. Everyone loves him—a teddy bear of a man, but a lion when roused. Doctoral thesis (Pittsburgh): “Cartesian Rationalism and the Rise of Doubt.” Twice married. Works overtime to keep his second wife happy.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Sarah Carter Giulliano
    34,
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    ,
    Female
    Cool and sexy. An experimental painter. Alfred’s second wife. They met in Greece one summer and were married by Labor Day. Always looking for something—or someone—to keep her occupied in Olmstead, NY.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female