Overview
WINNER of the 2021 Tennessee Williams One Act Play Contest
In the near future, a robot named Laura has joined a high school to see if it can learn as humans do. Two girls, Ruth and Teri, decide that the superiority of computers would make Laura the perfect class president. When Laura helps Madison, the school bully, with her math homework, she adopts Laura as her best (and perhaps only) friend, and joins the campaign. After a disastrous assembly ends their election dreams, Madison learns that loneliness can’t be answered by a machine.
Casting & Production
Casting
CAST OF CHARACTERS
(4W or 3W, 1NB)
MADISON — a high school freshman, 14, female, the school bully
TERI — a high school freshman, 14, female, serious and thoughtful
RUTH — a high school freshman, 14, female, a bit high strung
LAURA — a robot who presents as a high school freshman, 14, female or nonbinary
The girls wear school uniforms; Madison would wear the pants version.
Casting Note:
All characters can be any race or ethnicity. Laura can be female or nonbinary.
Place:
The yard outside of a private girls’ school.
Time:
The near future.
From the Playwright
The Author grants permission to schools producing Fourteen to soften the adult language if necessary.
Reviews
“It’s funny…it’s sweet…I laughed out loud…and it’s very moving.”
—Peter Hagan, Tennessee Williams One Act Play Contest
