All The World

Author's Note: Hello Fellow Prosers! This is a play that I'm going to submit to a creative writing program. I will list the program's criteria below. Please tell me what you think of it and give advice on how to improve. Thanks!

Criteria:

Writing Structure

The ability of a student to track character through setting(s) and the rise and fall of action. The skill to establish a point of view; and conflict or problem resolution based on theme or message. Sophisticated structure helps the reader to wonder what is next. A qualifying manuscript makes the conclusion uncertain until the end then reaches a level of resolution for the reader.

Language

The expertise in writing with descriptive language in service to the story where rhythm is consistent. A qualified manuscript is filled with a range of literary devices: e.g. figures of speech, elaboration, personification, dialogue for conversation, metaphors, parallelisms, etc.

Character Development

A qualified manuscript possesses developed characters through descriptive detail: appearance, relationships, ambitions, weaknesses/strengths. A character’s communication is developed through dialogue. The writer creates empathy for a character by revealing factors of relatability or humanization.

All The World

A Ten Minute Play

Anna: A young actress working in a regional theater.

Peter: A techie working with Anna.

This play fits best in a theater with raised seats and a tech booth at the back of the house. Much of the action does not take place on stage, but around the theater itself.

Our characters are rehearsing independently on a Monday. They have never been alone together before. At the top, the stage is empty and the theater is lighted un-theatrically. It looks as it does on an actual Monday rehearsal, bare and empty, except for the audience. Peter waits in the booth as Anna comes on stage.

Anna: Walks to front of stage. Hello, hello? A beat. Can you hear me?

Peter: Wait, wait, yeah I got you now.

Anna: You sure?

Peter: Course I’m sure.

Anna: Come out of the booth.

Peter: I’m sure.

Anna: Well I’m not.

Peter: The audience can hear you.

Anna: Yeah, but how well?

Peter: They can hear you.

Anna: I don’t think you understand. The tonality is extremely important for this piece. There’s a lot of subtext going on. The audience has to get what I’m saying and then what I’m really saying.

Peter: Sarcastically. Because there’s that big of a difference.

Anna: What?

Peter: Nothing!

Anna: What?

Peter: Nothing.

Anna: Sure about that?

Peter: As I’ll ever be.

Anna: Come down here.

Peter: I said I said nothing!

Anna: I heard that, just come down here!

Peter: Why?

Anna: So you can get the atmosphere.

Peter. I get a good atmosphere here. Nice breeze coming through the top rows.

Anna: Laughs. He beams. I still think you should come onstage. See it from my perspective.

Peter: Is there a problem?

Anna: They’re being so quiet. A beat.

Peter: There’s no one there.

Anna: There is from here.

Peter: But certainly not from here.

Anna: There’s always an audience.

Peter: We’re in rehearsal.

Anna: That changes nothing. The chairs are looking at me.

Peter: And they’re squeaking at me. Ancient as hell.

Anna: Hell is timeless.

Peter: So is theater.

Anna: Dianazi a me nonme non fuor cose create se non etterne, e io etterna duro. Does that mean something?

Peter: No things were before me not eternal; eternal I remain. Abandon hope all ye who enter here.

Anna: No, that you said theatre.

Peter: I don’t know, but it’s true. Besides, Dante was wrong. Hell is other people.

Anna: That certainly applies to you.

Peter: You wound me.

Anna: I didn’t mean that. I meant it would be true for you.

Peter: Would it now?

Anna: Yes. I never see you at cast parties.

Peter: I don’t fit in with theater people.

Anna: You’re one of us.

Peter: Not really.

Anna: A beat. Won’t you come down?

Peter: I have a better view up here.

Anna: Do you really?

Peter: Yes, I see what the audience sees.

Anna: And that is?

Peter: You. A beat. That sounded creepy didn’t it?

Anna: Actually, no.

Peter: Groans This is why I don’t do stuff like this. I always end up opening up more than I meant to.

Anna: We’re just running sound.

Peter: Alone.

Anna: This is a monologue.

Peter: But there’s always more people. Behind the scenes. People to depend on.

Anna: Don’t worry, I trust you. You’re the best. Cream of the crop. You’re the top.

Peter: The colosseum?

Anna: I knew you were paying attention.

Peter: How could I not? You were the lead. You’re always great in those sorts of roles.

Anna: What sort?

Peter: Spunky.

Anna: Spunky.

Peter: Yeah, spunky. Like you have something to prove, but not in a bad way. Just like, good naturedly.

Anna: God, I love the way you talk.

Peter: I try.

Anna: I want to hear you up close.

Peter: I have to fix this first.

Anna: What?

Peter: The lights.

Anna: We’re doing sound.

Peter: They’re still broken.

Anna: I’ll come up to you.

Peter: You don’t have to do that.

Anna: I want to.

Peter: You’ll just get in the way.

Anna: You’re wrong. When I was sixteen, my parents ordered a bunch of new furniture. My dad made me put it all together, said I should learn. I built three tv stands that summer. Three!

Peter: And that has what to do with electrics?

Anna: Tell me what to do and I’ll make it work. She climbs up.

Peter: Ok, well hold this.

Anna: Yeah.

Peter: And I’ll do this.

Anna: Alright.

Peter: Now hand me that.

Anna: Ok.

Peter: And I’ll twist this.

Anna: Peter?

Peter: What?

Anna: This light bulb isn’t even burned out.

Peter: Yes it is.

Anna: No, see. She screws it back in. It’s practically new.

Peter: Oh. Guess I didn’t know.

Anna: Peter.

Peter: Hmmm.

Anna: I saw you replace it last week.

Peter: Really. A beat. He suddenly bursts out. Look, I’m just not ready for any of this.

Anna: That doesn’t mean you should lie.

Peter: I’m not going on stage.

Anna: Why are you avoiding me?

Peter: I’m not.

Anna: Really? You won’t even pass me in the halls. You moved your lunch spot when I started sitting next to you. Is there something wrong with me?

Peter: Of course not. Look, I already told you I’m not ready for this.

Anna: What is this?

Peter: This. Frantically waves hand at theater around him.

Anna: You’ve worked here for three years.

Peter: Yes. Yes. And I did a good job. I’m good at that.

Anna: But you’re not good at this.

Peter: Exactly.

Anna: What is this?

Peter: This. Waves and between himself and Anna.

Anna: This. Points to herself, frowning.

Peter: No, not that. Never that. This. Points to his mouth.

Anna: Your teeth?

Peter: No, the talking!

Anna: You talk all the time. You always have a comeback.

Peter: Not like this.

Anna: What are you talking about.

Peter: I can’t fake it. That’s why I left. I realized I couldn’t fake it anymore. A beat. Acting… it’s supposed to be about the truth, right? Or at least I thought it was. And then one day I woke up and I realized I wasn’t doing that. I wasn’t just lying to myself, I was lying to everyone in the audience. A beat. I didn’t even like myself. I looked out back and realized they were nothing like me. They weren’t normal people. I thought I was telling the truth to normal people. I was really just reflecting what people wanted back to those rich enough to pay for it.

Anna: You were top of your class at DePaul. He looks confused. I stalked you online. Broadway was already trying to recruit you.

Peter: That was Sophomore year. I couldn’t leave, I couldn’t have. There was nothing for me outside of theater. I changed my major. My uncle was a mechanic, so I was good at that sort of stuff.

Anna: Is it hard? Staying?

Peter: The hardest thing I’ve ever done. But it would be much harder to leave. 

A beat. He clams up. Anna takes his hand.

Anna: Come with me.

She drags him to the stage. She then goes in front of it, to the director’s chair and looks into the bag lying on it. She pulls out some papers.

Anna: Read.

Peter: What?

Anna: We need a blue-collar, salt of the earth sort of a guy for our next production. Obviously, no one in our company fits that description. Read.

Peter: And I do.

Anna: Maybe. Read.

Peter: Looks out into the audience. Makes a startled face. You were right! There are people there.

Anna: Always are. Who cares. You just lost your job and your wife is trying to convince you to spend more time with the kids. Read.

Peter: Shaking voice that settles. This is destiny. I’m not sure I can do that, Mary...

Fin.