I should have included a segment of the play... Here are the first 7 pages:
Please forgive that the formatting didn't carry over. This week's assignment can be found below it. Yes, it's long, but I don't have a link where I could have placed the content.
Mr. Smith
SEMI-DETACHED
a play in three acts
by D. Cooke
April 25, 2007
Copyright © 2007 by D. Cooke
XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XX
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
757.XXX.XXXX
WGA No. VLCA1D090EBD
CHARACTERS
JENNIFER MITCHELL, 45
THOMAS PAXTON, 59
JONATHAN PAXTON, 55, THOMAS' BROTHER
KATHRYN BELILES-PAXTON, 40-50, JONATHAN'S WIFE
ANNIE DALRYMPLE/FAN, 40, ESTATE AGENT
BRIAN BEARSDLEY/FAN, 40, JENNIFER'S FIANC…
IRENE WOLFORD/FAN, 70, A NEIGHBOR
CAMERON, 40s, A FAN WITH A CAMERA AND A WEBSITE
TIME
May 2002
PLACE
A Victorian semidetached home (aka duplex) in Egham, England.
The exterior is a standard middle-class English neighborhood.
SYNOPSIS OF SCENES
Act 1
Scene 1- front of duplex - late morning
Scene 2- Jennifer's kitchen - 4 hours later
Scene 3- Jennifer's living room - continuing
Scene 4- front of duplex - continuing
Scene 5- front of duplex - continuing
Scene 6- front of duplex - continuing
Scene 7- front of duplex - 2 hours later
Scene 8- Thomas' living room evening (6:30-ish) - continuing
Scene 9- Thomas' living room - (noonish) - the next day
Act 2
Scene 1- Thomas' living room- morning - a few days later
Scene 2- Front of duplex- Thomas' side - morning - a few days later
Scene 3- Jennifer's living room - morning - a few days later
Scene 4- Back of duplex - evening - later that day
Scene 5- Front of duplex - afternoon - one day later
Scene 6- Thomas' living room - continuing
Scene 7- Thomas' living room - a few days later
Scene 8- Park (Thomas) - 10 minutes later
Act 3
Scene 1- Thomas' living room- 10 minutes later
ACT ONE
SCENE 1
(Lights come up on a duplex [semidetached]. The two mirroring flats are built on a single platform which turns in the center stage. The front and back have exterior walls, the sides are open, revealing the interiors of both flats. The set starts with both front doors facing the audience. There is a low stone wall which can pull away from center stage as needed. CAMERON, a fan, holds a CAMERA and sits on the wall as THOMAS PAXTON shuffles to his flat with a couple of plastic GROCERY BAGS.
Thomas, in his 50's, is good looking, but is disheveled. His hands and old clothes have splatters of different colored paint on them. If he hadn't pulled out his keys, we might have mistaken him for a homeless man. He walks with difficulty. His flat has no number on it. The stage-left flat has a 34 on the door.
Cameron jumps up to take a picture. Fumbling with his keys, Thomas rushes up the stage-right walkway and into the house, dropping one of the bags midway up the walkway to his flat. Cameron hesitates. He decides to retrieve the bag. JENNIFER MITCHELL carries a ROLLING SUITCASE and a small piece of PAPER, obviously tired and looking for the right house. She shuffles up the path to the door of the other flat. Cameron stiffens and turns around to leave without the bag. Jennifer smiles at Cameron)
JENNIFER
(cheerfully)
Hello.
(Cameron doesn't acknowledge her and quickly leaves. Jennifer frowns and looks at her paper. She looks at the house and sees 34 on her door. She fumbles for her KEYS and notices the bag of groceries in Thomas' yard. She looks around and puts the suitcase down and cautiously approaches the divide of the yard. She deliberates what to do. Hesitantly and still with her keys in one hand, she goes and picks up the bag and looks at its contents. Thomas opens his door just as she's looking through it. Jennifer stops)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Oh, h-hi! I'm sorry to... I know this looks really bad.
(She stops looking and walks to him. Thomas comes out. Jennifer holds the bag to him, accidentally dropping her keys in the bag)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
I'm not being nosey, honest. I just saw the bag in your yard. I didn't know if someone forgot it or what.
(Thomas grabs the bag from her)
THOMAS
(slowly and cold)
You may get off my lawn.
JENNIFER
(nods)
Sorry.
(She walks back over to her side of the yard. Thomas makes a beeline for his door and slams it behind him)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
(sighs)
Great.
Jennifer picks up suitcase and fumbles for keys. They are nowhere)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Oh no.
(She sets the suitcase back down and feels through her purse, her pockets and looks around on the ground. No luck)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
I just had them!
(She retraces her steps in her mind to when she had the bag. She freezes and slowly looks up to Thomas' front door. She shakes her head and mumbles to herself as she approaches Thomas' door)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
(mumbling)
Great. Hi. I just gave you my keys!
(She pauses and taps on Thomas' door. Nothing happens)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Hello?
(She taps again)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Hello?!...
(She gets on her knees and speaks through the mail drop in the door)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Look I hate to trouble you, but... I'm afraid I can't leave as I've just given you my keys!...
(She looks into the mail drop and alternately talks)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Please check the bag I just handed you? I think they're in there. Please? Can you hear me?
(She gets up and walks over to a window next to his front door. Thomas quietly opens the door and stands silently in the doorway. His eyes are steel. Jennifer taps on the window)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Look, I just arrived in England and I have nowhere to go... without my keys!
(Jennifer turns back to Thomas' front door and gasps)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there. Were they in the bag?
THOMAS
Very clever...
(He reveals keys to her and throws them onto his front walk)
THOMAS (CONT'D)
(livid)
Get out!
(Thomas slams door. Jennifer hesitates and storms up to his door, stooping in front of his mail drop)
JENNIFER
(yells loudly into mail drop)
Nice to meet you too!
(She tries to slam the mail drop. She pinches her finger in the drop)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Ow! Dang it!
(She starts back to her door, stops, then remembers to go pick up the keys)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Off to a great start! I need food. And a shower. And a nap.
(She goes up to her front door. She puts key in lock and pulls and pulls. The door won't budge. Finally she pushes and it gracefully opens)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
(mumbles)
D'oh.
(She disappears inside. We hear her yell)
JENNIFER (CONT'D)
Brian Beardsley! You are so dead meat!
(She slams the door as the lights go out. The duplex turns clockwise to reveal her side of the structure)
End of Scene 1.
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