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Background

A slice of life under canvas

  • Slice of life
  • Comedy
  • 12-character play
  • 6 women, 3 men, 3 either
  • 18 min
  • Beginner
PDF Word Free, no sign-up

Synopsis

Six in the morning, in the car park of a supermarket that has shut for good, a film shoot has pitched its tent. Eleven extras wait there for a four-second crowd scene, watched over by Clara, the second assistant director. When she announces that one of them will say a line, just one, the tent turns into a contest: alliances, spare jackets and rehearsals in every corner. And the sky is clouding over.

A white tent in the car park of a suburban supermarket, one Saturday in October, from six to nine in the morning.

Casting

229 lines
  • CLARA Female role, Young adult 26, second assistant director, in charge of the extras list and the walkie-talkie.
  • GLORIA Female role, Senior 76, an extra for fifty years, has never said a word on screen.
  • LINA Female role, Teen 16, Gloria’s granddaughter, here for the first time.
  • IRIS Female role, Adult 42, acts with an amateur company on Thursday nights.
  • SONIA Female role, Adult 34, a care assistant, just off a night shift.
  • PAULA Female role, Adult 55, came to do her shopping, as she does every Saturday at six.
  • FÉLIX Male role, Senior 71, worked thirty-two years in the fruit and veg aisle of this supermarket.
  • BRUNO Male role, Adult 47, once played a corpse in a TV series, two episodes.
  • OSCAR Male role, Young adult 21, a film student.
  • NOA No gender marker, Teen 15, has maths homework to hand in before eight.
  • ALEX No gender marker, Adult thirties, has brought a photo of the lead actor to get signed.
  • CHARLIE No gender marker, Adult forties, third day as an extra on this film.

Contents

  1. Scene 1: Six o’clock
  2. Scene 2: Ten past seven
  3. Scene 3: Twenty past eight
  4. Scene 4: Nine o’clock

Excerpt

Scene 1: Six o’clock

(A white tent in a car park, folding chairs, a table with a thermos. It is still dark. Clara holds a sheet of paper and a walkie-talkie. Around her, ten extras.)

CLARA

Yes. They’re here. I’m counting.

Morning, everyone. I’m Clara, second assistant. I’ll take the register. Gloria?

GLORIA

Present. Same as in 1976.

CLARA

Lina?

LINA

Yeah.

224 more lines, 4 scenes

The rest is waiting in the file.

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