Social Darwinism
by Angela Gant

Name: Social Darwinism
Brand: Angela Gant
SKU: 9780573700637
Rating: 4 (4 reviews)

Social Darwinism Book Cover — Social Darwinism Cover

Highlights

Medium Cast

Female

Male

90 mins Present Day Ensemble Cast Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes American Comedy

Why we like it

"'Social Darwinism' by Angela Gant critiques societal attitudes towards inequality and privilege, sparking dialogue about the ethics of survival in modern society."

From: Political Theatre & Social Justice Plays

Synopsis

Winner!

2006 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Student Playwriting Award Winner!

2006 Paula Vogel Award Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival From the author: "To anyone who has ever gotten a beat down for looking like a woman, being a woman, looking like a queer, being a queer, not being manly enough, being too manly, or having the audacity to be any race other than Caucasian, here's the last laugh!" Social Darwinism is a socio-political absurdist comedy that follows a familial group: an Alpha Male, Alpha Female, Second Banana (Subordinate Male), Subordinate Female, Adolescent Male, Adolescent Female, Outside Male, and Outside Female as they move through several different social classes as viewed by a Field Scientist and his Assistant:

Press Reviews

"Brilliant Social Darwinism inspires many laughs while making points... Gant finds new comedic ways to bare a number of societal sins... makes her statements in consistently entertaining fashion, and... form[s] a real-life evolutionary chart on stage [that] is a stroke of brilliance. There is no shortage of laugh-out-loud moments within playwright Angela Gant's original adult comedy Social Darwinism."
— Lubbock Avalanche Journal (click link for full review)

"Angela Gant’s writing is as keen as it is diverting."
— Gia on the Move Review

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
FIELD SCIENTIST a male scientist studying different classes of primates; a cross between Jane Goodall and Mutual of Omaha	male	—	a male scientist studying different classes of primates; a cross between Jane Goodall and Mutual of Omaha
ALPHA MALE (JASON) the strongest and oldest male; rules by fear, money, or stature; often cheats on his wife with the OUTSIDEFEMALE.	female	—	the strongest and oldest male; rules by fear, money, or stature; often cheats on his wife with the OUTSIDEFEMALE.
ALPHA FEMALE (ELIZABETH) the oldest and strongest female	female	—	the oldest and strongest female
SECOND BANANA (CHARLIE) the homosexual stepbrother of the ALPHA MALE, who is always striving to move up	male	—	the homosexual stepbrother of the ALPHA MALE, who is always striving to move up
SUBORDINATE FEMALE (KATE) the most headstrong and outspoken of the women	—	—	the most headstrong and outspoken of the women
ADOLESCENT MALE (ISAAC) an awkward teenager who has few social skills; often spurned by ALPHA MALE	male	—	an awkward teenager who has few social skills; often spurned by ALPHA MALE
ADOLESCENT FEMALE (JESSIE) a cheerleader-type of adolescent; is not very bright but is her father’s favorite	female	—	a cheerleader-type of adolescent; is not very bright but is her father’s favorite
OUTSIDE MALE (AUSTIN) the sometime lover of SECOND BANANA; an ethnicity other than Caucasian	—	—	the sometime lover of SECOND BANANA; an ethnicity other than Caucasian
OUTSIDE FEMALE (MARY) the other woman; is an ethnicity other than Caucasian	female	—	the other woman; is an ethnicity other than Caucasian
JANE Female assistant to the FIELD SCIENTIST who does the Field Scientist’s grunt work and the tagging of the animals; interacts with the subjects throughout the play, and is always on stage	female	—	Female assistant to the FIELD SCIENTIST who does the Field Scientist’s grunt work and the tagging of the animals; interacts with the subjects throughout the play, and is always on stage