|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
|
|
Two Spoons |
|
|
Steve and Larry, gay dads with a three-year-old son, are on the verge of getting married until a weekend getaway in the City of Brotherly Love changes everything. What starts as a quiet, relaxing vacation turns into a quest for redefining the rules of the relationship. “Old boys have their playthings as do young ones; the only difference is the price.” All they had planned on was a few days of rest and relaxation alone. No child. No tantrums. No toys or games to pick up. But on their last night in Philadelphia, when another hotel guest cruises them, Steve and Larry engage in a different kind of pick up game--one they had never played before. Afterward, they are surprised to be feeling exhilarated and revitalized rather than jealous or resentful. But the ride back home gets bumpy and complicated for Steve as the liberating high felt in Philadelphia crashes into the constraining responsibility of day-to-day life as a parent. He is unable to readapt and begins daydreaming about the guy they met. But even as Steve’s mind conjures up euphoric fantasies, he is also sobered by haunting premonitions from his “future” son. “We must hang together, or assuredly we shall hang separately.” With their marriage plans now hitting a snag, distance grows between Steve and Larry. Should they “hang together” to negotiate a Bill of Rights for themselves or “hang separately” and compromise the state of their union and family? TWO SPOONS explores the line between, and the boundaries of, independence and commitment, freedom and responsibility, fantasy and reality using the historical backdrop of Philadelphia and aphorisms of Ben Franklin to navigate the challenges of a “gay marriage.” CHARACTERS: 4 Male (3 mid 30s, 1 early 20s); 1 Female (Late 50s, early 60s) |
|
|
Andrew Reaches the Other Side |
|
|
Northern New Jersey. Autumn 1993. Football season. The Giants are on national television: Monday Night Football. And Andrew and John are in a comfortable routine, doing what they always do: Talking back to the TV, second-guessing play calls, and drinking beer. But this is no ordinary Monday night. By game’s end, John takes his motorcycle out for a quick spin. A ride that would be his last. After John’s fatal accident, Andrew’s mood spirals down as he withdraws from life. Worried that he may not recover, his friends and parents make efforts to help. But the pain is more intense than anyone realizes: Andrew was secretly sexually and romantically attracted to John. Alone in his feelings, Andrew now has to cope with loss while at the same time deal with desires left unexpressed and unfulfilled. Until, while attending a “party” to remember his deceased friend, Andrew meets a guy who is eerily similar to John. Danny not only looks like John, he shares many of his interests. Is this pure luck or divine intervention? It is not long before Andrew and Danny are engaged in a “familiar” discussion about football and Bruce Springsteen song lyrics. A bond develops as Andrew feels instantly connected to Danny. But now Andrew realizes that if he is ever going to find the love he desires, he would have to come out and reveal his true self. But how? Through flashback memories with John, fantasies with Danny, along with support from his parents and friends, Andrew finally embarks on his journey, a second chance at finding love. CHARACTERS: 4 Male (3 early 20s, 1 mid 40s); 2 Female (1 early 20s, 1 mid 40s) |
|
|
Red & Tan Line |
|
|
New York City. Tom and Rick, twentysomething, gay brothers—one living on the East Side, the other on the West Side—challenge each other to go beyond their comfort zones of "dating" and "mating" in a year-long sibling rivalry that takes them through a string of comical dates, fix-ups, and flings. On Thanksgiving, outside their childhood home in Northern New Jersey, Tom challenges Rick to have more lasting encounters rather than his usual one-night stands. In return, Rick dares Tom to have quick meaningless sex instead of always trying to find a long-term lover. A wager is made. With a handshake, the competition begins. Over the following year, they embark on a series of "dates" and “flings” with various guys ranging from guys who are still in the closet to out-and-proud gay activists. Guys they meet in bars, online, and through other friends. Guys who have eccentric sexual fetishes, unusually shaped genitals, and bizarre fixations with famous movie lines. Tom and Rick’s adventures take them from coffee houses, restaurants, bowling alleys, to country-western dance clubs. Periodically they return to their parent’s home in the suburbs via the Red and Tan Line bus where they spar with each other and compare notes on each other’s progress (or lack thereof). CHARACTERS: 4 Male (Twentysomethings) |
|
|
Yesterday's News |
|
|
YESTERDAY’S NEWS is a seriocom about two long-distance pen pals who grow up together communicating through handwritten letters, and how the repetitive exposure to sensationalized news programs and talk shows infiltrates their lives and turns their innocent relationship into a ratings-war casualty. CHARACTERS: 6 Roles—1 Male, 1 Female (both early 20s); 4 roles can be either male or female of any age |
|
|
|
|
Refreshments |
|
|
Champage and tempers bubble up when two men on a first date share their New Year's resolutions. CHARACTERS: |
|
|
September 1972. Madeline visits her childhood home in Kansas City to honor Wally, the last of her now deceased five brothers--and senses his presence through Lucas, a current resident of the house. CHARACTERS: |
|
|
Before The Last Call |
|
|
Mom and son are having a typical, routine morning preparing for their day when a telephone call changes their lives forever. CHARACTERS: 1 Female (Mid 40s), 1 Male (18- to 20-year-old) [10 minutes] |
|
|
Blowing Smoke |
|
|
Tom breaks out of his comfort zone and invites an online "acquaintance" over for fun with cigars. CHARACTERS: 2 Male (20s) [10 minutes] |
|
|
Blood or Roses |
|
|
Bobby and James argue about the right to marry. CHARACTERS: 2 Male (Mid 20s/early 30s) [10 minutes] |
|
|
Chatter |
|
|
Greg and Todd navigate their way through a "terrorizing" coffee "date". CHARACTERS: 2 Male (20s) [15 minutes] |
|
|
|
|
The MFA BS Cartel (Becoming Petra) |
|
|
On his/her way to "emerging" as Petra, the playwright formerly known as Pat Smith takes aim at the aggrandized value of MFA degrees, the insular world of academia, and the pimping-ways of Paula Vogel. CHARACTER: 1 Male or Female [15 minutes] |
|
|
Cattle Hymn Of The Republic |
|
|
While on vacation with his/her partner and their 7-year-old son, Alex discovers that there's much more to Walt Disney World than (s)he thought, including the number fat patrons riding motorized scooters. CHARACTER: 1 Male or Female [15-18 minutes] |
|
|
Grits With Brown Sugar |
|
|
Jamie, a weekly regular at the usually quiet Blue Saucer Cafe, daydreams lustfully about the waiter until a boisterous "possé" enters forcing Jamie to confront his prejudices. CHARACTER: 1 Male [10-15 minutes] |
|
|
|
|
On The Docket |
|
|
A judge's distracting thoughts come to light while hearing a case. CHARACTERS: 1 Female |
|
|
The Late Bus |
|
|
Andrew reveals his feelings of being invisible and helpless. CHARACTERS: 1 Male (Late teens/early 20s) |
|
|
|
|
© Copyright 2008 www.petermercurio.com |