STAGE 12
A COLLECTION OF SKETCHES AND ONE-ACT PLAYS
BY PETER D. WILSON
Copyright Peter D. Wilson 2011
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Copyright Peter D. Wilson 2011
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Disclaimer
Any resemblance to real persons in these scripts is coincidental.
Cover photograph: Roman theatre, Palmyra, Syria. Copyright Peter D. Wilson 2011.
CONTENTS
BRIEF SKETCHES (written for specific occasions)
Independence Day (mini-drama; 2m, 1f; 10 minutes)
A teenage son is at the stage of leaving home, but his parents too find advantages in independence.
Perils of Travel (conversation piece; 2f; 10 minutes)
Two young professional women, awaiting a flight to a meeting, discuss a missing passenger, security issues, and why not to travel in a business suit.
Crash (mini-drama; 2f; 8 minutes)
A teenage girl, who may or may not be dreaming, is visited by a friend who may or may not have stolen the first's boy-friend, and has been involved in a horrendous road accident.
Inn Memory (mini-drama; 2f; 8 minutes)
Why is the visitor alarmed by a completely peaceful rural scene?
ONE-ACT (mostly of competition length)
Good Intentions (comedy; 3m, 3f; 50 minutes)
George means well but lacks won't-power, and events conspire against his good intentions. Fortunately he is shunted off the road so paved before reaching its proverbial destination.
Danube Moon (comedy; 2m, 2f; 30 minutes)
A disagreeable divorcee unexpectedly encounters her ex-husband on a river cruise, and quite against her intentions helps him out of a desperate situation.
Whitefly (drama; 2m, 3f, 1 either; 40 minutes)
An unscrupulous journalist causes disaster to a small community in her determination not to let the truth get in the way of a good story about a local project.
(Adapted for the stage from an original written for television, given in the "Other fiction" section of the author's web site.)
Nemesis (dark-grey comedy; 1m, 2f; 30 minutes)
"Hell is other people" said Sartre, but Alan, his wife and mistress find otherwise; and who has murdered whom, or doesn't it matter?
In the author's opinion the best script of the set.
Coincidence (comedy; 3m, 3f; 30 minutes)
A series of outrageous coincidences reunites several old acquaintances.
Green Eyes (drama; 3m, 2f; 45 minutes)
Sally and Kevin are keen environmentalists. Kevin becomes unreasonably jealous of Sally's contacts with a specialist she has interviewed for the local newspaper and accidentally causes his death, with subsequent agonies of remorse. This drives them apart until his subsequent conduct enables him to forgive himself.
Fish out of Water (comedy mystery; 8m, 17f, 1 m or f; 60 minutes)
Among a mixed bunch of passengers on a river cruise, one is the object of particular interest for several others on covert business, but insists that he is not who they think; or is he?
Waiting (drama; 10m, 10f; 45 minutes)
A busload of passengers is left stranded and wondering why; the reason proves more drastic than they could have imagined, but to resolve some old problems.
About the author
**********
INDEPENDENCE DAY
A miniature domestic drama
Characters
Joan An over-solicitous Mum.
Eric Her husband, a harassed minor functionary, with a pedantic manner, inclined to clichés.
Bob Their teenage son, at the rebellious stage.
Set
A family sitting room, conventionally furnished with a settee roughly in the centre, otherwise at discretion.
Time
The present