The Superconductor

by August Hakvaag

In the Leon H. Cooper Theoretical Physics lab, three things are happening:
A team of physicists have been working doggedly for years towards proving the existence of room-temperature superconductivity,
One of their senior researchers is in the hospital after a serious workplace accident,
And today they’re voting on whether or not to unionize.
A real-time play about finding radical hope on the second-worst day of...

In the Leon H. Cooper Theoretical Physics lab, three things are happening:
A team of physicists have been working doggedly for years towards proving the existence of room-temperature superconductivity,
One of their senior researchers is in the hospital after a serious workplace accident,
And today they’re voting on whether or not to unionize.
A real-time play about finding radical hope on the second-worst day of your life, The Superconductor asks what work we’re willing to do for progress.

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The Superconductor

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  • Premiere Stages at Kean University: The Superconductor by August Hakvaag
    “

    Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre company in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize The Superconductor by August Hakvaag as a Semi-Finalist for the 2026 Premiere Play Festival. The play rose through a competitive selection process to become one of 65 Semi-Finalists out of 894 submissions. Within a dynamic setting and premise, the play explores provocative issues of science and labor through vivid characters. Our congratulations and thanks to August.

    Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre company in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize The Superconductor by August Hakvaag as a Semi-Finalist for the 2026 Premiere Play Festival. The play rose through a competitive selection process to become one of 65 Semi-Finalists out of 894 submissions. Within a dynamic setting and premise, the play explores provocative issues of science and labor through vivid characters. Our congratulations and thanks to August.

    ”

Character Information

The character Amy is never seen onstage.
  • Pete Fisher
    He/him, 60s, white. Principal Investigator. An impressive physicist in his own right, his job these days is dealing with donors, grants, and the University. Yaz’s mentor.
    50s-70s
    White
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Lindsey Williams
    she/her, 40-50s, nonwhite. Physicist, Lab Manager. Methodical. Tired. Process-oriented. Diamond in the rough. Brennan’s mentor.
    40s-60s
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Brennan
    he/him, late 20s, white. Clever, carefree. Legacy student. His confidence and bravado gets him far.
    Mid to late 20s
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Nico
    he/him or they/them, mid-late 20s, nonwhite. PhD student, top of his class. Tired, hungry, shaped like a friend. Nervous for a LOT of good reasons.
    Mid to late 20s
    BIPOC
    Male,
    Male presenting,
    Non-binary
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • Yaz
    Short for Yazmin. She/her or they/them, mid-late 20s, nonwhite. PhD student. Bright, lowest rung on the ladder. Tired but passionate.
    Mid to late 20s
    Female,
    Non-binary
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary,
      Woman
  • Jesse Yearley
    they/them, late 20s-late 30s, race nonspecific. Butch. UAWA organizer there to help them unionize. A long-term strategist who got so much more than they bargained for.
    Late 20s to late 30s
    race flexible
    Non-binary
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary

Development History