Abandon All Hope by Peter Fenton

FULL-LENGTH DRAMEDY. When three college freshmen (a scrappy feminist, a naïve evangelical, and a cocky analyst) meet in Hell—which appears as a dorm room—they are forced to play a game with eternal stakes, which draws out each one's fatal flaws in their interactions with each other and a fun-loving demon. The winner will go to Heaven at the cost of the other two’s eternal torture. Inspired by THE GOOD...
FULL-LENGTH DRAMEDY. When three college freshmen (a scrappy feminist, a naïve evangelical, and a cocky analyst) meet in Hell—which appears as a dorm room—they are forced to play a game with eternal stakes, which draws out each one's fatal flaws in their interactions with each other and a fun-loving demon. The winner will go to Heaven at the cost of the other two’s eternal torture. Inspired by THE GOOD PLACE, KNIVES OUT, and NO EXIT, playwright Peter Fenton's Off-Broadway debut explores ethics, organized religion, identity, and redemption.
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Abandon All Hope

Recommended by

  • Morey Norkin:
    6 Aug. 2023
    “ Would you spend your afterlife in a stuffy college dorm room with two roommates and only two beds (sound like hell?) or do anything to win a ticket to heaven and leave the others behind to face God knows what? That’s the basic premise, but oh my there’s so much more to Peter Fenton’s amazing play! The soul-searching journey of the three recently deceased college students along with their demon guide is completely captivating and will likely leave readers/audiences doing their own soul searching. Brilliant! ”
  • Dana Hall:
    12 Jul. 2023
    “ Fenton expertly maintains a sense of high stakes, keeping the suspense alive from beginning to end. A homage to Sartre, in the skillfully intertwining of external conflicts with deep internal struggles. "Prisons of our own making." Flashbacks and games add depth and layers to understanding the characters. Deeply impressed by Fenton's ability to deftly balance the darkness of the themes with clever and sardonic humor. There were a few one-liners that made me spit out my coffee. The play is undeniably smart and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impression on the audience and even a little hope... ”
  • Tom Cocklin:
    12 Jun. 2023
    “ I'm not sure where to start? This piece is thick, iconoclastic, dripping with irony, and constantly motivates the reader to question every scene. To me, the mark of a good play is one that leaves questions and drives the audience/reader to think about it well after it's read. This is that play. I'm going to read it again. Good stuff! ”
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Character Information

For the cast of 4 as written,
TERESA doubles as AMY, BEGGAR WOMAN, KRISTA, and DANNI.
MELISSA doubles as RACHEL and SARAH.
SEAN doubles as ISAIAH and JUSTIN.
EVAN doubles as R.J. and ADAM.
...
For an expanded cast, remove doubling as seen fit. TERESA must double as AMY, BEGGAR WOMAN, and DANNI (she is not required to double as KRISTA if your production wants to use a larger cast). SEAN must be played by an East Asian actor, EVAN probably works best if he's white. All other roles are up to producer's discretion, diversity is encouraged.
...
RACHEL, R.J.*, KRISTA, and SARAH can be played by one or more actors. (F/20s/Any Ethnicity)
...
ISAIAH, JUSTIN, and ADAM can be played by one or more actors. (M/20s/Any Ethnicity)
...
*R.J. is written male but can be portrayed as any gender.

  • Teresa
    40s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    A fun-loving, strategic mastermind film noir femme fatale type assuming the role of a trickster demon. Despite her immortality, she has existential questions of her own. She was once human prior to working for the celestial bureaucracy. In life, she was a struggling actress in the golden age of Hollywood who never got her big break.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Melissa Jones
    19,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Clever, politically ambitious sorority pledge with a strong internal bullshit detector. Her brash exterior is a defense mechanism against her deep longing to belong—anywhere.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American, Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American, Latinx/o/a or Hispanic, Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American, South Asian or South Asian American, White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Sean Liu
    19,
    East Asian American
    ,
    Male
    Quick-witted, cocky Ivy League student, expert in game theory and debate. His bravado hides a scared, sweet gay boy wanting to step away from his famous family’s spotlight.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Evan Daigle
    19,
    probably white
    ,
    Male
    Clean-cut, naive evangelical out to prove he truly is a man after God's own heart. Earnest in beliefs and genuinely kind, but often cluelessly, brutally judgmental.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic, White
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    Ornithology Media
    ,
    2023
  • Reading
    ,
    Lambertville Hall
    ,
    2022
  • Workshop
    ,
    Ornithology Media
    ,
    2022
  • Reading
    ,
    Dewar-Fenton Group
    ,
    2021
  • Reading
    ,
    BraveMaker Media
    ,
    2020
  • Workshop
    ,
    byPeterFenton.com
    ,
    2020

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Rogue Theater Festival at Theatre Row (Off-Broadway)
    ,
    2023