Include detailed stage directions


KITCHEN. TABLE & TWO CHAIRS. ON THE TABLE ARE A SELECTION OF HERBS & SPICES – MARJORAM, THYME, CORIANDER, SAGE, BASIL – AND A METAL FORK, ONE PRONG OF WHICH IS SLIGHTLY BENT. ENTER KALI.

KALI: Hello?

SHE LOOKS AROUND, BUT THE KITCHEN IS EMPTY. SHE PICKS UP THE JAR OF THYME, THE LABEL OF WHICH IS TOO SMALL FOR THE AUDIENCE TO READ.

KALI: I guess I ran out of this and everyone left. (LAUGHS)

SHE PULLS HER PHONE OUT OF HER POCKET AND SILENTLY READS A TEXT MESSAGE – “BORED OF WAITING, SO LEFT. SUZ XX.” SHE TYPES A REPLY, AGAIN WITHOUT SPEAKING – “OK SEE YOU THERE HOPEFULLY LOL X.”

KALI: Right.

SHE LEAVES. MOMENTS LATER, A MOTE OF DUST FLOATS ACROSS THE STAGE AND SETTLES ON THE JAR OF BASIL, INDICATING TO THE AUDIENCE THAT KALI’S HUSBAND BASIL HAS DIED.

8 comments:

  1. As a script reader, I think I love you.

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  2. As an amateur trying to write screenplays, I think I love you too. You got a smile out of me with this. Very clever.

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  3. You forgot the parsley, sage, and rosemary. But you'll still be a true love of mine.

    See also Try to convey more in stage directions than is physically possible.

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  4. Oooh there be a Stickley love fest going on here!

    Me - I'll think I'm still waiting for Godot.

    :-)

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  5. Statement from Numington-Putsch Literary Agency

    After repeated attempts to contact Mr. Stockley directly have failed to effect any change in the incessant mockery of our agency and it’s staff, Numington-Putsch wishes to make the following statement available to the public. (link)

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  6. Wow. That Numington-Putsch site may be the strangest, funniest, most inexplicable thing that someone I've never met has done for me. "Dashaun Galaunt"? Wonderful.

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  7. For the benefit of fellow archive trawlers, Niles' URL seems to have changed to http://numingtonputsch.wordpress.com/ .

    ReplyDelete