F IS FOR
by Evan Baughfman
Sometime in the not-too-distant future, inside the headquarters of an American school district, District representative Dr. Quell meets with Katherine and Clarissa Clemons, the mother and older sister of troublemaking student, Abraham. The District is fed up with the boy’s misbehavior. No consequence they have ever given the boy has deterred or changed his mischievous ways. New policy adopted by the District dictates that rebellious students who do not respond well to traditional behavioral interventions must be publicly humiliated with the letter “F” “laserbranded” onto their faces. Clarissa argues with Dr. Quell that this is an unacceptable consequence for Abraham—it will ruin his self-esteem forever—but Katherine begins to side with the school district…
- Cast Size: 1M 2W 1GN
- Running Time: 90+ minutes
- Royalty Rate: $75 per performance
Order Digital Download (Will NOT download to phones, cannot be printed)
About the Playwright
A Southern California resident, Evan Baughfman is a playwriting member of PlayGround-L.A., and is a company member with Force of Nature Productions. A number of Evan’s plays are published, including Fear Pressure and The Dodo Challenge, also published by Next Stage Press. Additionally, Evan has found success writing horror fiction. Evan’s short story collection, The Emaciated Man and Other Terrifying Tales from Poe Middle School, is published through Thurston Howl Publications, and his novella, Vanishing of the 7th Grade, is available through D&T Publishing. D&T has published his novel, Bad for Your Teeth, as well. More info available at amazon.com/author/evanbaughfman
If you are dismayed at over-politicized American education today, just wait until you discover Baughfman’s vision for it in the “not-too-distant future” (but after the Second Civil War). The state has decreed that humiliation in the form of branding the letter “F” on the faces of students is an appropriate way to encourage chronic disciplinary problems to mend their ways. But in Abraham’s case, who is the real Failure–his mother, his sister, the school district, the $200,000 robotic instructor (whose ingenious, hilarious re-programming by Abraham was the disciplinary last straw)? Obviously inspired by “The Scarlet Letter,” this play is unforgettable soul-churning social commentary.
If twisted social satire has a name, it’s Evan Baughfman. Usually I go to his work for horror comedies (which he excels in), but here, the horror isn’t of the monstrous kind. Unless you consider the monstrous job our educational system has done. Evan sure has, as he presents a system where branding children is a Supreme Court approved mandate, and parents can have their wishes overruled. The comedy is there too, with a phallic-defaced robo-teacher, a clueless mother, a sister with a Scarlet Letter problem of her own, and an admin more laser-focused on scheduling Abraham’s mutilation. Twisted as all hell, funny as my last report card and very much ready for the stage, this is an educational play for the ages.
Review F is For.