Fucking A

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Fucking A

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  4w, 5m

Suzan-Lori Parks' riff on The Scarlet Letter is an otherworldly tale involving a noble mother and her wayward son. In this wild-eyed blend of story and song, Hester’s branded letter A becomes a provocative emblem of vengeance, violence and sacrifice.

Image: 2017 Signature Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Fucking A is an otherworldly tale involving a noble mother, her wayward son and others. Hester Smith, the revered and reviled local abortionist, hatches a plan to buy her jailed son’s freedom—and nothing will deter Hester from her quest. In this violent and wild-eyed blend of story and song, which harkens to Brechtian and Jacobean structure, Hester’s branded letter A becomes a provocative emblem of vengeance, violence and sacrifice.

History
Fucking A was originally produced by DiverseWorks for Infernal Bridegroom Productions in Houston, Texas, on February 24, 2000. The play debuted off-Broadway at the Public Theater on February 25, 2003. In August 2017, Signature Theatre Company presented Fucking A, in conjunction with Parks' play In the Blood, at the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre.

HESTER SMITH – the Abortionist
CANARY MARY – a fried of Hester's and a kept woman
THE MAYOR
THE FIRST LADY
BUTCHER
MONSTER
FREEDOM FUND LADY
SCRIBE
FIRST HUNTER
SECOND HUNTER
THIRD HUNTER
JAILBAIT
GUARD
WAITING WOMAN #1
WAITING WOMAN #2
3 FRESHLY FREED PRISONERS

Casting Note: The play calls for 11 actors with some doubling.

  • Time Period Not Applicable
  • Setting A small town: Hester's home, a park bench, a tavern, Butcher's place.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Play with Music
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language
    • Smoking

Media

“Timeless and enduringly relevant.” – The New York Times

“Critics' Pick! Timeless and enduringly relevant. As harrowing as it is witty!” – Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“Four stars! Like Hester’s bloodily branded A, the play leaves an indelible mark.” – Raven Snook, Time Out New York

“A fiery, raw-throated shout in the face of hypocrisy, privilege and injustice.” – Sara Holdren, New York Magazine

“An expressionistic and politically charged exploration of class, family and violence, studded with jarring bursts of humor and song.” – Raven Snook, Time Out New York

Videos

  • Director Jo Bonney on Fucking A youtube thumbnail

    Director Jo Bonney on Fucking A

  • Christine Lahti on Fucking A youtube thumbnail

    Christine Lahti on Fucking A

  • Suzan-Lori Parks on Fucking A youtube thumbnail

    Suzan-Lori Parks on Fucking A

  • Suzan-Lori Parks on what inspired The Red Letter Plays youtube thumbnail

    Suzan-Lori Parks on what inspired The Red Letter Plays

Photos

  • Fucking A

    Image: 2017 Signature Theatre Company Production (Joan Marcus)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!

MUSICAL NUMBERS
"Working Woman's Song" – Hester & Canary
"My Little Army" – Mayor
"Hunter's Creed" – Hunters
"Gilded Cage" – Canary
"My Vengeance" – Hester
"My Little Enemy" – First Lady
"A Meat Man Is a Good Man to Marry" – Butcher
"Hard Times" – Prisoners
" The Making of a Monster" – Monster
"Working Woman's Song (Reprise)" – Hester

DIGITAL DELIVERY:
Piano-Vocal Score

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Suzan-Lori Parks

Named one of Time magazine’s “100 Innovators for the Next New Wave,” in 2002 Suzan-Lori Parks became the first African American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for her Broadway hit Topdog/Underdog.

A MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient, she has also been awarded gr ...

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