one act bizarre comedy Archives - Off The Wall Plays

one act for a cast of five

ON HOW TO ACCOMMODATE MARLO’S FRYING PAN – ONE ACT FOR A CAST OF 5.

Marlo has a problem with her frying pan. She can’t get rid of it. Worse, she never knows what to do with it or why she has it or how she even got it. Every day, it’s the same old, same old, and she feels like everyone else makes fun of her for it—her so-called friends—with all their ideas that also never work out. They have their issues, too! In fact, everyone has something they have to deal with on a daily basis. And in Marlo’s case, it’s a frying pan in this one act for a cast of 5.

Poor Marlo. She’s frustrated. She’s mad. And she can’t tell anymore if she needs to find out the How or the Why. All she can come up with is a lot of Maybes. Of course, maybe it’s never been about Why she is where she is, but about What she is while she’s there. (Right? Maybe). Sigh. Then again, maybe what matters is simply knowing that there’s safety in numbers—even if, and maybe especially if, those numbers are all…odd.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

Curro Rivonia, Sandton, South Africa – 2019
Sulphur Springs High School, TX, USA – 2021
Devenport Repertory Theatre, Tasmania, Australia – 2021

Read about award winning writer T.K. Lee.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

Curro Rivonia, Sandton, South Africa – 2019

Author: T.K. Lee

Type: One act play

Genre: Comedy

Cast: One act for a cast of 5 characters, Marlo and Seeda (F) and Riddy Pop, Boon and John (M)

Ages of the actors: Any age

Suitable for: All ages to watch and teens up to perform.

Length: Forty minutes

Set: A room. Though other things may be added for effect or staging, at director discretion, please make sure the following items are present on stage, at the beginning, as they’re referenced directly by the characters:
A hat rack
A trunk large enough to fit BOON
A potted plastic plant with coffee grounds
A large box, raised, (they all stand on it) – though it could be done with lighting

Level of difficulty: 7/10 – this play has a philosophical off the wall feel. Getting the feeling of the play right is important.

Read a Sample of the Script

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Contact Off The Wall Plays with any queries about On how to accomodate Marlo’s frying pan

Copyright © December 2018 T.K. Lee and Off The Wall Play Publishers

Like this play? Other plays with a similar feel:

A Puzzle for Two – a philosophical play
The Condition – one day in the loony bin
Taken to tusk – an off the wall comedy about believing in your elephant self

TAKEN TO TUSK – AN OFF THE WALL COMEDY

Rene McBean is a cantankerous, leaden-legged, old woman who fell out with her daughter Wanda some years back, which resulted in her granddaughter Sharon staying with her nan. At that time Sharon had an imaginary friend – Trunky The Elephant – which, unbeknownst to Wanda, has evolved since, to the point where she now thinks she is Trunky, made worse by the fact that Rene’s neighbours Ethel (computer savvy busybody) and Hector (amorous lothario) come around to watch her perform. There is no TV in the house and they like nothing better than to sit down and watch Sharon perform as Trunky in this off the wall comedy.

Wanda’s raison d’etre, however, is to try and ‘cure’ Sharon so that she leaves the home and Wanda can ‘inveigle her way back in’ so that Rene’s wealth will be re-distributed, she hopes, to help her and her new boyfriend – unfunny comedian Mikey Strange – set up a Comedy Club. To help her plan along, Mikey transforms into Dr Michael Strangue, an eminent doctor in the field of ‘curing people with imaginary friends etc’, using his ‘comic skills’ to ad lib to suit the ever-evolving situation. The plan, however, fails soon after it starts as Sharon’s own raison d’etre soon surfaces, which makes everyone face up to their own existences.

Ultimately it is Rene who is made to face just what has made her the mean-spirited woman she is today and how her relationship with Wanda was coloured by her own marriage breakdown and, come the end, all three McBean women realise what has happened to their lives because of either the way men have treated them, or how their personalities have been without men around, which leaves Mikey, in a way, the chance of becoming a husband, a step-father and a son-in-law all in one fell swoop.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

Sturminster Newton Amateur Dramatics Society, Dorset, United Kingdom – 2020

Other plays – Squawk by British playwright Troy Banyan.

Author: Troy Banyan

Type: One act play

Genre: Off the Wall Comedy

Cast: Six, 4F, 2M

Ages of the actors: Three older, two middle aged and one in their twenties

Length: Forty five minutes

Set: The whole play takes place in one set, the front lounge of Rene McBean, on one evening. Downstage right is a straw bedding area, behind which is a podium (on its side) and a long stick. The fireplace then runs up the right wall and on the mantelpiece are some framed photographs. Upstage Right is a hi-fi unit, under which are some jungle bongos. Along the back is a reclining lounger seat, next to which is a side table. Upstage left is the door through which all exits and entrances are made as it leads to not only the (unseen) front door but all other rooms in the house. Downstage left is a long sideboard, on which is an ornate howdah (elephant seat). Going vertical down centre right is a three- seater sofa and this is facing a cleared area in front on the bedding/fireplace. The décor is very jungle-like, with African markings on the walls, curtains etc and various artefacts dotted around the room. There is no TV in room.

Level of difficulty: 7/10 – characterization

Like this play? Other Off the Wall comedies you may enjoy:

Hossback – an Off The Wall Comedy about cowboys (and their ponies)
Repertory theatre – extremely funny comedy about trying to get a play staged
Thirty Deep – American comedy about a taxidermist and a most… unusual job