The Fermi Paradox

by Katherine Vondy

FULL-LENGTH PLAY.

Love. Betrayal. And a dance competition in outer space.

When his co-pilot dies during a maintenance spacewalk, astronaut Joseph Morgan suddenly finds himself orbiting Earth alone. Faced with the joint stresses of a failing mission and utter solitude, Joseph is soon lost in memories of his friendship with the now-deceased Pilot Robert Charles, as well as reflections on his deteriorating...

FULL-LENGTH PLAY.

Love. Betrayal. And a dance competition in outer space.

When his co-pilot dies during a maintenance spacewalk, astronaut Joseph Morgan suddenly finds himself orbiting Earth alone. Faced with the joint stresses of a failing mission and utter solitude, Joseph is soon lost in memories of his friendship with the now-deceased Pilot Robert Charles, as well as reflections on his deteriorating relationship with his girlfriend, Adrienne. But Joseph’s ruminations take a turn for the absurd when his ship is boarded by an alien life form, accompanied by a troupe of four dancing scientists from the 1950s.

Juxtaposing book clubs and reality television with the mysteries of the cosmos, THE FERMI PARADOX tells a universal--literally!--story about trying to understand the ways we hurt and are hurt by the people we love.

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The Fermi Paradox

Recommended by

  • Dayna Smith: The Fermi Paradox by Katherine Vondy
    “

    I had the pleasure of directing a reading of this play at Campfire Theatre Festival. This play is so funny and sharp and observant while also being complex and raw and looking the notion that we might not all find a true love right in the eye. It demands we question what it means to actively love someone and not just feel the feelings. FERMI PARADOX gets absolutely hilariously bonkers and piercingly poignant simultaneously in a really satisfying way.

    I had the pleasure of directing a reading of this play at Campfire Theatre Festival. This play is so funny and sharp and observant while also being complex and raw and looking the notion that we might not all find a true love right in the eye. It demands we question what it means to actively love someone and not just feel the feelings. FERMI PARADOX gets absolutely hilariously bonkers and piercingly poignant simultaneously in a really satisfying way.

    ”

Character Information

The same actor plays ADRIENNE ELLISON and ALIEN.

ROBERT CHARLES should be double-cast with ADMIRAL LAFAYETTE.

Diverse casting is encouraged.
  • Joseph Morgan
    An ambitious astronaut with more mathematical skills than social ones. Always tries his hardest, but not necessarily for the right thing.
    Mid-late 30s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Robert Charles
    An easygoing astronaut who gets along with everybody. Effortlessly charismatic. DOUBLE-CAST WITH ADMIRAL LAFAYETTE.
    Mid-late 30s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Adrienne Ellison
    A midlevel employee of a financial services corporation. Straightforward and pragmatic. PLAYED BY THE ACTOR WHO PLAYS ALIEN.
    Early-mid 30s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Alien
    The first extraterrestrial life form to make verified contact with a human. PLAYED BY THE ACTOR WHO PLAYS ADRIENNE.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Enrico Fermi
    A physicist and a dancer. A sweetheart.
    Any age
    Any
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Emil Konopinski
    A nuclear scientist and dancer. An overachiever.
    Any age
    Any
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Herbert York
    A nuclear physicist and dancer. A whiner.
    Any age
    Any
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Edward Teller
    A theoretical dancer and physicist. A buffoon.
    Any Age
    Any
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Admiral Lafayette
    The Astraeus's contact on the ground. Heard, never seen. DOUBLE-CAST WITH ROBERT CHARLES.
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male

Development History

  • Reading, The Script Readers, 2019
  • Reading, Campfire Theatre Festival, 2018

Awards

  • Davey Foundation Theater Grant
    The David Ross Fetzer Foundation for Emerging Artists
    Winner
    2015