NOTHING TO DIE FOR – A COMEDY! A WILL HE DO IT?
Tom, a writer, is facing the frustrations of writer’s block and career disappointments. His frustrations have intensified his OCD, and both, have strained Carla’s, Tom’s wife, patience. Carla, intolerant of Tom’s prolonged self-pity, has taken Brad, Tom’s old friend, as a lover. Brad, a quasi-professional actor, has been more than willing to play the part. When Tom’s writer’s block appears to give way with a burst of inspiration, Brad finds himself invited to dinner, so Tom can share his latest inspiration in this comedy A will he do it?
The lovers plan to steal some time for themselves, with the unwitting help Nancy Chapman, a new neighbor, who’s suffering a minor mental breakdown after her divorce. When Tom’s idea so closely mirrors the reality of Carla and Brad’s affair, the lovers begin a long night of oscillating back and forth between believing they been caught, and are in danger, and assuring themselves Tom’s idea is just coincidence. Brad and Carla’s histrionics swing to increasing extremes as they wrestle with wine, roll-playing, Nancy’s oblivious drunken behavior, and their growing uncertainties of what Tom’s is and isn’t capable of. The only thing they are certain of is that Tom would never get blood on the carpet.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
SMAHOO Change Clinic, AB, Canada – 2022
Author: Michael Miller
Type: Two-act play
Genre: A Comedy! A ‘Will he do it?’ whodunit
Cast: 2M, 2F
Ages of the actors: Adult
Suitable for: PG 12
Length: 120 minutes – 2 hours
Set: In an immaculate modest house there is a dining area adjacent to the front room. The dining is RS and the front room is LS. The front room extends past the upstage wall of the dining area. Implied beyond the dining area’s upstage wall is the front porch. The front door opens from this unseen porch into the front room. In the left stage wall is the hallway opening. In the same wall, upstage of the hallway entry, is a narrow window. In the dining area is a small table and four chairs. A kitchen hatch sits against the upstage wall of this area.
In the right stage wall is a door. In the front room there is a small couch or love seat, with two comfortable chairs on either end of a small coffee table; other furnishings, a small end table, with a drawer, and lamp.
Level of difficulty: 7/10 – building tension to the end of the play
Read a Sample of the Script
Cost is $6.50 for this performed digital play script. Just Click Shakespeare!
Contact Off the Wall Plays with any queries about Nothing to Die For
Copyright © May 2019 Michael Miller and Off The Wall Play Publishers
Like this play? Others like it:
The Play’s the thing – one act play about staging the perfect murder
Prelude to Murder. British Whodunit. Convicted of a crime that didn’t happen…
Crossword – a one act play about murder and not really knowing that nice boy who helps you out with your groceries
