Stage 12

A collection of short sketches and one-act plays. The subjects vary - a son leaving home, a sense of menace in a rural scene, the mystery of a cruise passenger's identity, consequences of accidents, matrimonial complications, unscrupulous journalistic malpractice, a fatal jealousy - but the tone is mostly light-hearted and conflict usually ends in reconciliation.CONTENTSBRIEF SKETCHES (written for specific occasions).Independence Day (mini-drama; 2m, 1f; 10 minutes)A teenage son is at the stage of leaving home, but his parents too find advantages in independence.Perils of Travel (conversation piece; 2f; 10 minutes). Two young professional women, awaiting a flight to a meeting, discuss a missing passenger, security issues, and why not to travel in a business suit.Crash (mini-drama; 2f; 8 minutes). A teenage girl, who may or may not be dreaming, is visited by a friend who may or may not have stolen the first's boy-friend, and has been involved in a horrendous road accident.Inn Memory (mini-drama; 2f; 8 minutes). Why is the visitor alarmed by a completely peaceful rural scene?ONE-ACT (mostly of competition length)Good Intentions (comedy; 3m, 3f; 50 minutes). George means well but lacks won't-power, and events conspire against his good intentions. Fortunately he is shunted off the road so paved before reaching its proverbial destination. Danube Moon (comedy; 2m, 2f; 30 minutes)A disagreeable divorcee unexpectedly encounters her ex-husband on a river cruise, and quite against her intentions helps him out of a desperate situation.Whitefly (drama; 2m, 3f, 1 either; 40 minutes) An unscrupulous journalist causes disaster to a small community in her determination not to let the truth get in the way of a good story about a local project.Nemesis (dark-grey comedy; 1m, 2f; 30 minutes)"Hell is other people" said Sartre, but Alan, his wife and mistress find otherwise; and who has murdered whom, or doesn't it matter?Coincidence (comedy; 3m, 3f; 30 minutes)A series of outrageous coincidences reunites several old acquaintances.Green Eyes (drama; 3m, 2f; 45 minutes)Sally and Kevin are keen environmentalists. Kevin becomes unreasonably jealous of Sally's contacts with a specialist she has interviewed for the local newspaper and accidentally causes his death, with subsequent agonies of remorse. This drives them apart until his subsequent conduct enables him to forgive himself.Fish out of Water (comedy mystery; 8m, 17f, 1 m or f; 60 minutes. Written for a large group of mixed ability.)Among a mixed bunch of passengers on a river cruise, one is the object of particular interest for several others on covert business, but insists that he is not who they think; or is he? Waiting (drama; 10m, 10f; 45 minutes. Again written for a specific group.)A busload of passengers is left stranded and wondering why; the reason proves more drastic than they could have imagined, but to resolve some old problems.