☞ playwriting ☜
STACY: So, this class is really just about sharing work in progress. We have ninety minutes, so–
MR. ZITSKY-WEIDERHOLD: Ninety minutes from now or from when we start?
STACY: We have started. The class goes until 8:30.
MR. ZITSKY-WEIDERHOLD: Mountain Standard Time?
STACY: Yes.
MR. ZITSKY-WEIDERHOLD: Continue.
STACY: We have ninety minutes, and since–
MR. ZITSKY-WEIDERHOLD: So it goes until 8:36?
Workshop
Four writers endure each other’s work over the course of a free, ninety-minute workshop at the public library.
75 minutes; 3W, 1M
The Prompt and Unintended Second Schooling of John the Horse
Loosely based on The Sudden and Accidental Re-Education of Horse Johnson by Douglas Taylor–which I have not read–The Prompt and Unintended Second Schooling of John the Horse is my best guess as to what the original play is about.
10 minutes; 3M, 2W
CLIFF: Sometimes I think “end it all right now”.
JOHN THE HORSE: No, that can’t be my line. He just said he was going to end it all.
THE STAGEHAND: Horse: “I’m afraid I’m not qualified to help you”.
CLIFF: Sometimes I think “end it all right now”.
JOHN THE HORSE: Are you doing Meisner?
THE STAGEHAND: Horse!
CLIFF: Sometimes I think “end it all right now”!!
The Woman in the wallpaper
Music by Dawson Atkin, Book & Lyrics by Maddy Noble
“That was the best adaptation of The Yellow Wallpaper we’ve seen”
- Faculty, amending their previous claim that “People need to stop trying to adapt The Yellow Wallpaper”
20 minutes; 2W, 1M
CHARLOTTE: John, have you given any more thought to changing this awful wallpaper?
JOHN: Yes.
CHARLOTTE: Really? Because I was thinking–
JOHN: Yes. I’ve decided it would be a waste of time, seeing as we’ve never once had guests in this room, and that is that. We’ve discussed this. Don’t you remember?
CHARLOTTE: Well yes, but–
John takes notes.
JOHN:Acute memory loss. Hyper-fixations. You simply must rest.
CHARLOTTE: But perhaps replacing it would–
JOHN: Darling, you are clearly suffering. Sit by the window; you need some air.
ERIN: She said she doesn’t know them. I believe her. They don’t even look like the same couple.
AÄRON: I don’t know where the other ones went! I can’t show up with no one!
ERIN: Look, they’re looking for an American, and you fit–
AÄRON: Deze Godverdomme deur! [this goddamn door!]
CHARLIE: You have to leave the key in for a sec.
JESS: Charlie?! What is happening?!
CHARLIE: Yeah! Jess! Hey! You can’t–You have to leave the key in for a sec and then pull it out quickly. Otherwise it doesn’t read.
He tries it. A distinctly negative beep.
CHARLIE: In, “one Mississippi,” out.
Beep: nope.
Room service
Jess is engaged to Charlie. Charlie’s been kidnapped by Aäron. Aäron is in love with Erin. Erin is the Dutch-English translator. She also has a gun. Aäron lost his. Henk is trying to order room service.
30 minutes; 3M, 2W
The spotlight expands to fit the NARRATOR. They pick up the fifty-dollar bill.
NARRATOR: There’s a big economic divide in the world. Some of you can’t see shit from back there!
The NARRATOR glares at the back of the audience as if staring into the sun, giving an exaggerated “over here” wave.
NARRATOR: Some of you, on the other hand, can see that this is a fifty-dollar bill, not a ten-dollar bill.
(To a patron in the front row)
Would you confirm? Louder. They can’t hear you in the back; they’re poor.
how very brecht of you
A business man, a poor man, and just a man sit in the park. They talk about trickle-down economics.
5 minutes; 4 actors
