abandon all hope.
World Premiere TBD.
A Play in 2 Acts for 4 Actors (2 Women, 2 Men) — may be performed without intermission
Recommended for Professional, Community, and College Productions
An Absent Activist. A Stubborn Scientist. A Prejudiced Preacher. Three nineteen-year-olds who believe they know everything about life and what comes after have arrived in Brimstone Hall, Room 664 following their tragic, completely avoidable deaths. A fun-loving immortal being all-too-eager to take on the role of torturer has created the ultimate arena to drive each other insane — a tiny, messy college dorm room intended for two — and has challenged the three humans to a diabolical game. The winner will be granted instant admission to Heaven, in turn sentencing the others to an eternity of cold-blooded torture. Throughout the game, the guardian shows the competitors what their last day on earth was like — and why they may have ended up in Hell. A dark comedy for mature audiences inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, Abandon All Hope explores themes of evangelical Christianity, self-centered activism, and thoughtful vulnerability.
Abandon All Hope is dedicated to you, dear reader. In as many ways as I feel the play is a personal manifesto wrestling with my relationships with organized religion, secular humanism, and rigid rationality disguised as fiction, I hope you take a look inside yourself to see what it is you’re holding on too tightly. I pray you stop contorting reality to fit a watered-down version that you are comfortable with and you continuously are open to learning how it is you build Heaven or Hell around you. Much love, —Peter Fenton
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
SPOILERS BELOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
TERESA
Female, 40-49 Years Old, Any Ethnicity, Any Sexual Orientation
A former pageant queen/current fun wine mom type assuming the role of a trickster demon. She likes to think outside the box as she tortures the three who arrived in Brimstone Hall Room 664 on the night of October 11th. Her plan goes deeper than what meets the eye... there’s something else she’s doing with this haphazard psychological torture chamber. Teresa also plays Amy (a professor), Sue-Ellen (a homeless woman), Krista (a feminist scholar), and Joyce (a rural mom)
MELISSA JONES
Female, 19 Years Old, Any Ethnicity, Straight
Melissa is a clever, scrappy secular humanist and feminist who grew up in poverty in South Philly, who now studies political science. She says all the right things about equality, progress, inclusion and probably believes in them but when the power is in her hands to do right, she seems to care more about how she’s seen than actually doing the work. Melissa also plays Rachel (a newly out lesbian) and Danni (a county fair emcee).
SEAN LIU-OGDEN
Male, 19 Years Old, East Asian, Gay
Sean is the dry-humored, cocky son of a wealthy film executive and an A-list actress from China. In an effort to be different from his parents, he tries to control and quantify everything in his life — reading game theory, studying engineering. He is in the process of owning that he is gay when he arrives in the room. Sean also plays Isaiah (a wide-eyed freshman) and Andrew (a suave older boyfriend).
EVAN DAIGLE
Male, 19 Years Old, Any Ethnicity (but Likely White), Any Sexual Orientation
Evan is a naive and sheltered (though nonetheless earnest) conservative evangelical Christian insecure about his own masculinity. He believes everything there is to know about the world can all be pointed to in the Bible verse by verse at face value. As such, he has adopted rigid views on the roles of women and LGBTQ people. Evan also plays Jason (a woke do-gooder) and Adam (a dreamy twink).