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...
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:
    2 Oct. 2018
    “ 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
    Mid-late 30s,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    An ambitious astronaut with more mathematical skills than social ones. Always tries his hardest, but not necessarily for the right thing.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Robert Charles
    Mid-late 30s,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    An easygoing astronaut who gets along with everybody. Effortlessly charismatic. DOUBLE-CAST WITH ADMIRAL LAFAYETTE.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Adrienne Ellison
    Early-mid 30s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    A midlevel employee of a financial services corporation. Straightforward and pragmatic. PLAYED BY THE ACTOR WHO PLAYS ALIEN.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      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:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Enrico Fermi
    Any age,
    Any
    ,
    Any
    A physicist and a dancer. A sweetheart.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Emil Konopinski
    Any age,
    Any
    ,
    Any
    A nuclear scientist and dancer. An overachiever.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Herbert York
    Any age,
    Any
    ,
    Any
    A nuclear physicist and dancer. A whiner.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Edward Teller
    Any Age,
    Any
    ,
    Any
    A theoretical dancer and physicist. A buffoon.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Admiral Lafayette
    Any
    ,
    Male
    The Astraeus's contact on the ground. Heard, never seen. DOUBLE-CAST WITH ROBERT CHARLES.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

Awards

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