Overview
BY THE NUMBERS is a fun and inventive collection of eight short plays inspired by mathematical theorems. But no math is required to enjoy them!
Collected Plays
Point of Intersection
by James Hindman
A watchmaker and a romantic find common ground, but can Sidney and Sydney synchronize their hearts?
CHARACTERS (1W, 1M)
MAN — Passionate, neurotic. Wound up but always one step behind.
WOMAN — A perfectionist. No-nonsense. Athletic.
Setting
Two boxes are set DSC. These can be used to create all the different locations. Sound effects and small props hidden in the boxes can be used to establish location. Present day.
Hedy Lamarr Makes a Movie
by Arlene Hutton
As Hedy Lamarr films a scene with an inexperienced young actor, the Hollywood star figures out the radio guidance systems and frequency-hopping technology that led to Bluetooth and GPS.
CHARACTERS (2W, 2M)
HEDY LAMARR — 26, female, a glamorous film star.
ACTOR — 20’s, male, an eager young actor.
DIRECTOR — 40’s, male, a film director who’s been doing it for a while.
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT — A no-nonsense stage-manager type, female.
Setting
A Hollywood sound stage. 1940.
The Transcendence of Pie
by Lynne Halliday
Jane’s blind date is a matter of life and death for Rosie—literally. In the future, the E-Life Pheromone Connector is never supposed to be wrong. But if Jane strikes out on one more date, then Rosie, Jane’s android life coach, will be re-purposed.
CHARACTERS (2W)
JANE — 20’s. A whirlwind. Colorful.
ROSIE — 20’s. Jane’s life coach. An android.
Setting
Jane’s kitchen. Some time in the future.
The Grand Hotel
by Craig Pospisil
Shirley doesn’t understand how Hilbert, the unflappable concierge of the Grand Hotel, keeps finding rooms for guests when the hotel is already full. But if a hotel has an infinite number of rooms and an infinite number of guests, is it booked or not? And how do you feed them all?
CHARACTERS (2W, 2M, 2 Any)
HILBERT — The concierge of the Grand Hotel.
SHIRLEY — A new clerk at the Grand Hotel.
MADAM — One of many very grand and elegant women.
BELL HOP — One of many at the hotel; French.
NASH & TURING — Doctors at the hotel.
Setting
The Grand Hotel—a very elegant and very European hotel. A bit of the present and the past.
Shrinking the Numbers
by Lynne Halliday
Grace is a doctoral candidate in mathematics with a problem: she’s developed a math anxiety. Can her therapist, Dr. Zamboni, cure her? Maybe, but which one of them needs psychiatric help more is up for grabs.
CHARACTERS (1W, 1M)
GRACE — Mid-20’s. Tightly wound. A grad student.
DR. ZAMBONI — Older. A psychiatrist. All-knowing.
Setting
A therapist’s office. Present day.
The Four Color Problem
by James Hindman
Is it worth invoking the Wrath of God to create a perfect world? Designers Tippy and Buzzy dare to color outside the lines.
CHARACTERS (3 Any)
TIPPY — Outgoing. Knows how to turn on the charm.
BUZZY — Quiet. Doesn’t like confrontation. Lacks confidence.
ASSISTANT TO GOD — V/O only. Sounds like a 40’s New York telephone operator.
Setting
A long time ago. Somewhere in heaven.
The Incompleteness Theorem
by Arlene Hutton
During a birthday picnic, an artist and her ex-boyfriend mathematician connect with nature and learn new ways to communicate.
CHARACTERS (1W, 1M)
SOPHIE — 20s.
KENNETH — 20s.
(Note: The play can also be performed by two women by changing KENNETH to KENNA.)
Setting
A park. The present.
The Big Shell: A Math Noir
by Craig Pospisil
In this “Math Noir,” private dick Philip Fibonacci is hired by a femme fatale to recover a priceless stolen nautilus. But the case takes an odd tangent and the variables multiply. Will Fibonacci’s theory add up?
CHARACTERS (3W, 3M)
PHILIP FIBONACCI — A private detective.
BROOKE TAYLOR — A damsel in distress. Or is she?
EMMY — Fibonacci’s loyal secretary.
DARK FIGURE — Not long for this world.
PAUL GUTTMANN — A very rotund owner of an illegal casino.
GUNSEL — Guttmann’s bodyguard, a gunsel.
HOBSON — A police detective (played by the same actor as Dark Figure)
Setting
The 1940s, of course. San Francisco, all in shadows and black & white.
Casting & Production
Casting
BY THE NUMBERS is written to be performed by an ensemble cast, but theaters are welcome to cast more actors and double (or not double) parts as they wish. In addition, we encourage casting the plays with a diverse group of actors from any and all races and ethnicities. In some plays, gender can be flexible as well.
