(Lights up on a messy dorm room. JASON sits on the bed with a laptop. KATIE lounges on a beanbag with a magazine. They’re both college age, dressed casually, and seem at home in the chaos. JASON is visibly frustrated)
JASON
Goddamn it! Remind me why I thought taking playwriting was a good idea?
KATIE
(doesn’t look up)
Because you love it.
JASON
That’s a freaking lie. This is the worst class.
KATIE
Only because you keep procrastinating. Now, you’d better focus, or you won’t meet the deadline.
JASON
(grumbling)
Just because you’re the best in the class doesn’t mean you can lecture me.
KATIE
I’m not lecturing you. Yet.
JASON
Feels like a lecture.
KATIE
Then you probably deserve one. Now stop putting it off.
(They fall silent as JASON begins to type. After a couple of beats, he sighs)
JASON
Ok, so I have my main characters and my setting, but I need an objective. Care to help?
KATIE
Who are the characters?
JASON
One is an army captain, the other is a biologist. They’re at a coffee shop.
KATIE
Laser sharks.
JASON
What?
KATIE
Why else would a biologist meet with a high-ranking member of the army? They want to create Laser Sharks.
JASON
Brilliant! Too bad they’re in land-locked Oklahoma.
KATIE
Ok then, what about aliens? The biologist wants complete access to dissect whatever aliens get captured by the military.
JASON
That…might actually work. Thank you.
(Silence as he begins typing. KATIE switches to a different magazine)
JASON
Ok, here’s what I’ve got so far. Jim, the biologist, wants to dissect an alien to prove his theory on interspecies travel. He meets with Diana, a government agent who is trying to convince him that aliens aren’t real.
(pause)
What am I missing?
KATIE
Make Diana an alien.
JASON
No.
KATIE
Why not? It would be a nice twist and add some motivation to her character.
JASON
But then they can’t be together.
KATIE
Are you writing a play or a weird romance novel?
JASON
I’m just saying that it’s a possibility.
KATIE
Yeah, but it’s boring. Let her be the alien, and he can dissect her when he figures it out.
JASON
Damn, Katie, that’s brutal.
KATIE
And entertaining.
JASON
Still.
(pause)
Say, what was your play about?
KATIE
A grandma who believes she’s a superhero, so she keeps getting into impossible situations with her home-health aide. It’s pretty funny!
JASON
You know I hate how creative you are, right?
KATIE
(grins)
Oh, I know.
JASON
(cracks knuckles)
Ok, so aliens disguised as humans. I can work with this.
KATIE
Better hurry up. Deadline is an hour away.
JASON
I know that! Let me work on it.
(KATIE shrugs and retreats to her magazine. Silence falls as JASON works on his laptop for a few beats.)
JASON
Ok, I think I’ve got it. Jim, the biologist is meeting with Diana, a government agent, to discuss the possibility of aliens. Diana is adamant that they don’t exist, but Jim is insistent. Eventually, we learn that it’s Jim who is the alien, and he wants Diana to know that an attack is coming, but he can’t do so without blowing his cover.
(pause)
How does that sound?
KATIE
I like it! Jim being the alien is a nice twist, and an attack gives it some tension. Now, how’s the dialogue.
JASON
It’s…coming along.
KATIE
Better get on it. I’ll get us some coffee..
(KATIE exits stage right, leaving JASON alone. JASON begins pacing as he tests out some lines)
JASON
“You don’t get it, do you? Aliens are coming, and we need the government to step up!”
(pause)
No, too Independence Day. What about “Have you heard anything on the satellites?”
(pause)
No! Ugh.
(pause)
“Excuse me, mam, but do you have a moment to talk about our alien overlords?”
(laughs)
Hell no.
(JASON finally sits and begins typing as KATIE returns with two mugs full of coffee. She hands one to JASON and resumes her place in the beanbag.)
KATIE
How’s it going?
JASON
I think I’ve about got it. How do you feel about the phrase “Small humans with their small brains?”
KATIE
A bit on the nose.
JASON
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
(pause)
Hey Katie, what if this doesn’t work out?
KATIE
(looks up)
What do you mean?
JASON
I mean, what if I’m making a mistake? Writing doesn’t exactly bring in the big bucks. Maybe I should have been a lawyer like my dad.
(KATIE joins him on the bed)
KATIE
You can’t think like that. It’s true that you’ll probably make more money as a lawyer, but that’s not what you want. What happened to your dream of publishing your first novel at 27?
JASON
Yeah….
KATIE
Besides, you’d make a terrible lawyer. All those rules and regulations would just hold you back. Writing is much more lenient.
JASON
But what about the money? Being a novelist is difficult, and I want to make sure my degree is worth what we’ve paid for it.
KATIE
Let me ask you this. Do you enjoy writing?
JASON
You know I do.
KATIE
And are you willing to do whatever it takes to become published?
JASON
Yes!
KATIE
Then make it work. A degree is a neutral object; it’s up to the person receiving it to make it a success or failure. Just because you’re struggling now doesn’t mean you’ll always struggle.
JASON
Yeah, but it doesn’t feel that way. Besides, I’m already getting crap for it at home. Who wants to have a writer in the family when they can have lawyers and doctors? It just feels like I’m the outsider now.
KATIE
Screw what they think! You don’t need your family’s approval to do what you love. Unless you love to do things like…committing murder. If so, you’ve got bigger problems.
(JASON hits her with a pillow. They laugh.)
KATIE
Seriously, though, my point stands. You don’t need them. You’re a grown-ass adult and can become whatever you want to be. It’s up to you.
JASON
Yeah! I’ll do it. I’ll prove that creating worlds is as hard as defending someone in court. I’ll make them see how valuable my degree can be!
KATIE
That’s the spirit! Now, how about earning that degree? You’re running out of time.
JASON
I know! Hush and let me work.
(KATIE nudges him as she moves back to the beanbag. They go silent as JASON types for several beats.)
JASON
Ha! Finally, I’ve got three pages of a play ready to turn in. Do you want to read it over?
KATIE
Sure!
(JASON hands her the laptop and takes a sip of his coffee as KATIE reads his play. After a moment, she hands it back)
KATIE
This is good! Since I helped write it, am I getting partial credit?
JASON
Hmmm, I dunno. How does 10% of the profits sound?
KATIE
Let’s see…ten percent of zero is…Zero! You have a deal.
(JASON shakes KATIE’s hand as she hands him the laptop.)
KATIE
Now, there is one problem that should be addressed.
JASON
Yeah? What’s that?
KATIE
You know the assignment was ten pages, right?
JASON
(goes white)
Ten…pages? How the fuck am I supposed to write seven pages in twenty minutes?
KATIE
(grabs another magazine)
I guess you’d better get started.
(JASON groans and chugs his coffee as KATIE resumes her magazine. Lights fade to black)
The prompt for this play was to “create a ten-minute play with one setting, two characters, and a central object.”
This is my interpretation. What’s yours?
Can I simply say what a relief to find somebody who really is aware of what theyre talking about on the internet. You positively know find out how to carry a difficulty to mild and make it important. More people must read this and understand this aspect of the story. I cant believe youre not more widespread since you positively have the gift.
Thank you! Playwriting isn’t my forte, but I’m glad you enjoyed it!