Scenes from Life: a Short Playette "THE LINE UP"

THE LINE UP

©BY ELEANOR TYLBOR

 

 

SCENE: An apartment parking lot. A female stands in front of parking spots, hands on hips. Her expression is one of deep contemplation and thought. A car pulls up and parks beside her.

 

FEMALE DRIVER

Hi there! Car won't start?

 

FEMALE CAR WATCHER (FCW)

Y'know - it's really upsetting

 

FEMALE DRIVER

Know where you're coming from. So upsetting when your car won't start especially when you have somewhere to be

 

FCW 

My car is fine. It's about those lines

 

(FEMALE DRIVER gets out of car and stands next to FEMALE CAR WATCHER)

 

FEMALE DRIVER

Sorry?

 

FCW

The parking lines. It's just not right

 

FEMALE DRIVER

(staring and studying parking lines)

Are they crooked? I mean, sometimes it must be hard to get them 100% straight...

 

FCW

Not that. What's wrong with those lines?

 

FEMALE DRIVER

They look okay to me...nice and straight...evenly spaced and all...

 

FCW

It's the color

 

(silence for 10 seconds as they both stare at the empty parking space lines)

 

FEMALE DRIVER

Yellow

 

FCW

Yellow! That's the problem!

 

FEMALE DRIVER

Can't say I've given the color of parking lines much thought lately

 

FCW

Bright canary yellow! They just...stand out!

 

FEMALE DRIVER

Aren't they supposed to? I mean, they're there to show people where to park their car

 

FCW

Do they have to be so bright?

 

FEMALE DRIVER

They just painted them a couple of days ago. Give them time and they'll get lighter

 

FCW

Why couldn't they have used white? White is unobtrusive

 

FEMALE DRIVER

(smiling)

Well - um - I would guess that somebody probably had a deal with a street paint company or perhaps there was some left over from the last time the lines were painted...

 

FCW

...we all know where to park our cars! They didn't have to use that color! Did you also notice that they made the lines wider, too?

 

FEMALE DRIVER

(looking down at lines)

You're right. Then again, we all aren't getting any younger! Bigger can be better

 

FCW

Everywhere! Yellow...yellow...yellow and more yellow lines.

 

FEMALE DRIVER

To be honest, I'm kind of partial to yellow. Honestly? Doesn't bother me

 

FCW

Oh... I see... Well I guess you won't be signing my petition to get the lines re-painted white, then

 

FEMALE DRIVER

Seriously? I mean, if it bothers you that much...

 

FCW

...well - I'll be off then. Some of us take the color of our parking lines seriously

 

(FCW turns on her heel upon spotting a male parking his car, leaving FEMALE DRIVER smiling and shaking her head)

 

FCW

(aside to driver getting out of car)

'Hello there! That's some beautiful car you're driving. there! Jaguar isn't it? What do you think of the color of the parking lines? So tacky, don't you think?'

 

 

Playing around: sending out the word

As an aspiring playwright (insert deep sigh here) continually seeking out potential submission sites, it occurred to me that it would simplify the process by keeping track here of where the plays go and the end result. Sometimes the end result is made known with a rejection note while other times the fate of the submitted play is never known.

Not sure how many hopeful and striving playwrights read this blog but perhaps it would be helpful and somewhat cathartic for me, to share the names of the various theatres/groups/whoever and the end result (where applicable) when sending out one of my plays. I'll also add commentary (where applicable) and any commentary (when applicable) passed along by the contact person. In sharing, we all learn.

The most recent play submitted was my one-act, which also happens to be one of my favorites, "Retribution" sent to the Sundog Theatre in Staten Island on April 9. Came across this theatre while conducting my daily search and the theatre just stood out as I combed through the various sites. After querying them, did further checking with their mandate being: "Sundog Theatre is a performing arts organization in Staten Island that provides entertainment for adults and children in the form of contemporary and original theatre." Having visited New York but never Staten Island, this theater excites me quite a bit. Here is the coordinates of their web site: http://www.sundogtheatre.org/

The content is definitely not for young children and although I mentioned this in my communication with a theatre administrator, she mentioned that on occasion they do perform other types of plays and to pass along the play, anyway. At this point, I'm waiting to find out whether or not my "baby" has found a home and obviously hoping - really hoping - that it has. I've sent a follow-up query and patience isn't one of my strong points but I'm philosophical in that whatever happens - happens (profound Eleanor - profound!).

Additionally, I've also been querying some theatres that are presenting short play festivals. Having written quite a few, it might be a good fit.

Riff-Raff Productions in the UK sounds like an intriguing concept worthy of further thought and investigation.

There are a few other theatres I'm waiting to hear from as to whether they accept play submissions from outside their country of origin. Meanwhile, will provide updates here regarding the end result(s).

Scenes from Life: a Short Playette "THE MEETING"

THE MEETING

©by Eleanor Tylbor

 

 

 

SCENE: a busy suburban street. Lots of heavy equipment involved in repairing road surface

 

Two women (strangers) walking slowly, one behind the other, holding shopping bags. The one in front stops, turns around and faces other female

 

 

FEMALE 1

So much going on here and all that traffic!

 

FEMALE 2

They're in a fixing mode

 

FEMALE 1

Have you tried crossing the street?

 

FEMALE 2

Not today but I have on other occasions

 

FEMALE 1

You take your life in your hands!

 

FEMALE 2

Very busy for sure

 

FEMALE 1

I almost got killed before!

 

FEMALE 2

Seriously?

 

FEMALE 1

Seriously. Twice, y'know!

 

FEMALE 2

I believe you

 

FEMALE 1

I crossed over there (points with finger) and had to run for my life! My heart is still beating. Here - feel it

 

FEMALE 2

I'll take your word. Don't we know each other? Your face looks familiar

 

FEMALE 1

...the cars kept moving and if I didn't know better, I swear they were aiming for me..

 

FEMALE 2

(laughing)

Do you have a lot of enemies? You don't mind if I walk with you? We'll watch each other's back so to speak

 

FEMALE 1

...I was really, really scared, let me tell you! Saw my life flash in front of me!

 

FEMALE 2

Was it interesting? Sorry - just joking. So...like... where do we know each other?

 

FEMALE 1

What's your name?

 

FEMALE 2

Betty Ann Baker and you?

 

FEMALE 1

No...don't know anybody by that name. Lots of people say they know me but they don't. They only think they know me

 

FEMALE 2

As I mentioned, your face strikes me as familiar. Do you belong to the Ladies Study Group?

 

FEMALE 1

I do! Are you a member?

 

FEMALE 2

No but I know lots of people who are. It's none of my business but why don't you cross at the traffic lights?

 

FEMALE 1

'Cause it's closer to cross here

 

FEMALE 2

So is death. The traffic lights are a two minute walk. That's what I do

 

FEMALE 1

Did I mention that I almost got killed twice? The drivers just don't care! Insane!

 

FEMALE 2

You can't blame them. They have the right of way and you don't

 

FEMALE 1

What happened to respecting the pedestrian, huh? And human decency? Last week I almost got run over by a cyclist. A cyclist no less and he wasn't even wearing a helmet! I tell you - civility is a thing of the past

 

FEMALE 2

People are in a rush, I suppose. No time for each other.

 

FEMALE 1

I've been living in this area 25 years and it was never busy like this back then. Too commercialized now. Too many buildings

 

FEMALE 2

Can't stop progress

 

FEMALE 1

The weekly Study Group meets today. Are you going?

 

FEMALE 2

Like I said, I'm not a member. Once in a while I drop by as a guest if they have an interesting topic that strikes my fancy

 

FEMALE 1

Don't blame you. Meetings are boring. Used to be interesting but not anymore. A lot of blah-blah-blah about nothing but they serve decent refreshments at the end

 

FEMALE 2

Do tell

 

FEMALE 1

They do. Do you know Peggy...Peggy...somebody. She's tall and thin

 

FEMALE 2

Don't know any Peggys

 

FEMALE 1

Anyway, she's in charge of the telephone list. Calls all the members to tell them about the next meeting. She always asks everyone, "how are you?" I mean, why does she say that? She doesn't really care

 

FEMALE 2

Guess she was just being polite and friendly. Sometimes we say things out of habit when we don't know what else to say

 

FEMALE 1

People make these trivial comments that don't mean a thing. You know, things like, 'nice talking to you' or 'how's your arthritis' Why would I tell her about my physical conditions, anyway? I mean, she's a complete stranger. My doctor told me I need a new knee. Pains me terribly...

 

FEMALE 2

This is where we part. I go the other way

 

FEMALE 1

God I was so scared I was going to get hit...

 

FEMALE 2

But here you are alive and kicking. Bye! Maybe we'll see each other again

 

FEMALE 1

...I put my hand out to tell the car to stop...thank goodness it did...

 

FEMALE 2

Take care! See you around sometime! Don't forget to cross at the traffic lights! The life you save could be your own!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Old Soldiers - the short story - gets a reading

As anyone who has read this blog will attest, my quest to give my one-act play, "Old Soldiers" 'legs' so to speak, borders on the obsessive. There is something about the characters and the story line that has become part of my psyche and touched my soul. They have become as close to me like extended members of my family.

In the way of background information although I've probably shared this in a previous posting, the story line it is based on an interview with army veterans conducted a while back for my newspaper column, focusing on their Remembrance Day memories. Somehow, it caught my imagination and slowly developed into a short story, actually more towards a novelette.

Over the years it was tweaked and eventually put into cyber storage. The characters, though, wouldn't be forgotten, which led to the creation of the one-act play.

As a member of a small writer's group, we read our latest projects out loud for critique and comment, resulting in helpful feedback. Old Joe McKenna and his army buddies decided they wanted to come out of cyber storage and be heard. Who am I not to grant them the opportunity? The original story is dramatic with serious overtones, whereas in the play version the characters have been flushed out to make them individuals in their own right and to propel the story along.

In reading the story, it was so quiet you could have heard the proverbial pin drop. The characters were ready for their public debut and as line after line was recited, their story played out in my mind. Needless to say, Joe and his buddies were enthusiastically received and there were calls by everyone to extend it into a book. The listeners wanted more and there was a half-hour discussion and suggestions offered as to where the story line could go. In explaining that I was working on a play version, they also wanted to hear the play read out loud. I'm very superstitious in sharing in as far as my new plays are concerned although it is a valuable opportunity to gauge their reaction to the contents. We'll see.

Meanwhile, Joe and the guys have left the room, happy that they had a chance to be heard. It's the least I could do.