Twenty-Five Short Plays

Selected Works from the University of North Carolina Long Story Shorts Festival, 2011–2015

Dana Coen

• Publisher: UNC Writing for the Screen and Stage Program
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN:
  9781469635750
• eBook ISBN:
  9781469635767
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

In the fall of 2011, The Long Story Shorts One Act Festival was launched, featuring performances of short plays written by undergraduate students in the Writing for the Screen and Stage minor, an interdisciplinary, dramatic writing program housed in the Department of Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Marking the first five years of the festival, this anthology showcases works written to be performed in ten minutes with a small production budget. The festival gives students a unique opportunity to participate in a collaborative, developmental environment led by experienced faculty and professional actors and directors, and the plays included here rise to the occasion. Whether they are humorous, poignant, powerful, or provocative, they demonstrate why the short play form has become so popular; why this event has become one of the highlights of the university's cultural scene; and why the Writing for the Screen and Stage program has thrived.

The Way Out

BY COLE HAMMACK

Copyright © by Cole Hammack. All rights reserved. Published with permission from the author. Inquiries concerning rights should be addressed to Cole Hammack at [email protected].

The Way Out

Premiered October 6, 2011 | Swain Hall, Studio 6 Theatre, UNC Department of Communication | Directed by Dana Coen

CHARACTERS

Original cast members are in brackets.

DANA 25, female. Works for the local unemployment office. [Haley Scruggs].

KATHY 40s, female. Recently suffered trauma [Christine Rogers].

DR. PHILLIPS 40s, male. An appointed therapist [Richard Jameyfield ].

LINDA 20s, female. Kathy’s daughter [Liz Phillips].

TOM 40s, male. Kathy’s husband and Linda’s father [Estes Tarver].

TIME & SETTING

Present. A suburban community, including various suggested locales: a park, Dana’s apartment, a restaurant, Dr. Phillips’s office, Kathy’s living room.

SCENE ONE

LIGHTS UP

A DOOR upstage center SPLITS THE STAGE INTO TWO AREAS. Two women, ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE STAGE, sit, facing the audience.

AT STAGE LEFT, DANA sits in her apartment, fiddling with a SET OF KEYS.

AT STAGE RIGHT, KATHY sits on a park bench KNITTING A SWEATER.

After a few moments, THEIR CELL PHONES RING. They simultaneously pull them out. Kathy reads the screen on her phone, ignores the call, and places it back in her bag. Dana, anticipating her call, and despite her reluctance, ANSWERS.

DANA . . . . Hi. . . . My apartment. . . . Yeah, I know. . . . I was going to come. . . . I was. . . . Okay, okay. . . . Give me fifteen minutes. [Dana ENDS THE CALL, then slowly takes a deep breath.]

[KATHY’S phone RINGS again. Kathy pulls it out, checks the screen. This time she reluctantly answers. Kathy does not hide her emotions well.]

KATHY What is it, honey?. . . . In the park. . . . Sitting. . . . Yeah. . . . Okay, but Linda. . . . just lunch. . . . That’s fine. . . . I’ll see you then.

[Kathy ENDS THE CALL.]

END OF SCENE

SCENE TWO

STAGE RIGHT, Kathy sits in the waiting area of a restaurant, staring at a menu.

STAGE LEFT, Dana sits in silence with DR. PHILLIPS, a therapist. She continues to fiddle with the keys.

DR. PHILLIPS We don’t have to talk about it.

DANA Good.

DR. PHILLIPS Anything else you want to discuss?

DANA Nope.

DR. PHILLIPS Is there something you want to ask me?

DANA Yeah, can I smoke in here?

DR. PHILLIPS No.

DANA Really?

DR. PHILLIPS Really.

DANA It’s okay, I don’t smoke.

[Dana returns to silence.]

[STAGE RIGHT, Kathy’s daughter LINDA APPEARS and sits next to Kathy.]

LINDA It’s a twenty-minute wait, is that okay?

KATHY Uh, huh.

LINDA [opening her menu] What are you getting?

KATHY Don’t know. Nothing on here looks good.

LINDA You’re reading the wine list.

KATHY Yeah.

LINDA The Brie and apple sandwich is amazing.

KATHY I’ll probably get the club, on wheat.

LINDA [trying to lighten the mood] Oh come on, Mom. That’s so boring! Try the Brie.

KATHY I want the club.

LINDA Order the Brie. If you don’t like it, we can get the club.

[Silence from Kathy. The argument is over.]

LINDA Okay, you can have a bite of mine. You are so stubborn. [continued silence] Ever been here?

KATHY No, too far from home.

LINDA [carefully testing the waters] I can change that.

KATHY Linda, I don’t want to talk about the house.

[STAGE LEFT, Dana turns to Dr. Phillips.]

DANA Okay, I have a question.

DR. PHILLIPS Go ahead.

DANA What’s your name?

DR. PHILLIPS Dr. Phillips.

DANA Your full name.

DR. PHILLIPS Ronald Delaware Phillips.

DANA [mocking] Are you serious?

DR. PHILLIPS Yes.

DANA Are you from Delaware?

DR. PHILLIPS No, Michigan.

DANA Where did you go to college?

DR. PHILLIPS Michigan for undergrad, and I have my law degree from Penn.

DANA Are you married?

DR. PHILLIPS No.

DANA Girlfriend?

DR. PHILLIPS No.

DANA Really?

DR. PHILLIPS I had a fiancée at one time.

DANA What happened?

DR. PHILLIPS She asked too many questions.

[A slight smile from Dana. She’s been trumped.]

[STAGE RIGHT, Kathy and Linda. Kathy is now knitting her sweater.]

LINDA I’ve been running lately. John and I signed up for a half-marathon in May. Want to join us?

KATHY No thanks.

...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• About the Writing for the Screen and Stage Program
• Interred with Their Bones
• Chill Pill
• Bad Company
• When the Bell Rings You Shut the **** Up
• Crisco
• Out of the Woods
• Pegging Out
• The Split
• Hold Onto Me
• Knives Make It Personal
• The Way Out
• Seasoning
• A Failuretale
• Snowmen
• Against the Clock
• Death and Dignity
• Shot through the Heart
• The Rabbit
• Amendment
• The Sixth Chamber
• Bad Connection
• Vinegar Syndrome
• Foul
• Inside Out
• Jumpers and Anchors
• Acknowledgments
• Editor’s Biography