Ideas for Stage Dramas

Idea Number One:

Home From School
by Jeremiah Murphy

When arriving home from college, Anton, the son of a Russian Literature Professor, discovers that his mother has moved out of the house into a boarded up shack in the backyard. His father never makes any mention of the new situation and instead becomes consumed by composing 5 minute operas based on the aftermath of the Crimean War. The operas are beautiful, as well they should be, as the old man, Dr Scratch, who lives in the basement has been helping Anton's father compose them. Anton's high school sweetheart, Emily, stops by one day and offers Anton a handful of gold to marry her so she can carry on a relationship with a middle aged librarian, Theodore, who killed her brother in a car accident last fall. Anton's mother refuses to come out of her shed. The operas fill the house and interfere with Anton's leisure reading. Mr Scratch reveals to Anton that he is the devil and offers him eternal happiness in exchange for his soul. How can one have eternal happiness if his soul is sold to the Devil? What exactly is Dr Scratch offering? Emily hears Anton and Dr Scratch and offers to sell her soul to bring her brother back to life so that she can marry Theodore in good conscience. Dr. Scratch ponders the offer. Anton goes to the bank and asks for a loan for the mobile home he bought with the gold coins that Emily gave him (and has since taken back) to feign marriage so she could be with Theodore. At the bank office, Mr Crabbage, reviews Anton's loan application and informs him that it will take until the end of the play to process his loan. Anton could sell the mobile home back to make up his losses but he has already discussed going on a cross country spiritual pilgrammage to an ancient american relic in southern Canada with his high school second string sweetheart, Patty, whom he never gave love a chance because he always thought there was something better out there but has since thought about it and thinks if companionship is what he really wants on a journeys to the ancient American shrine, Patty may be the one. A literary agent, Hank Muntz, from an Off-Broadway house offers to buy 6 of Anton's father's 5 minute operas and even considers the play currently being performed in which he is a character. But what of Anton's mother? In the shack she has painted a self portrait so life like it has gained a soul of its own. Dr Scratch accepts Emily's offer and her brother comes back to life . He then claims Emily's soul and she is instantly killed. Theodore weeps and offers to sell his soul to bring Emily back to life. Dr Scratch considers the offer. Patty starts to cook a meal for Anton and then realizes she has had no interest in him for the past three years. What is she doing with her life? Anton's mother, a little creeped by the painting with the soul, leaves the shack and returns to the house, where Anton's father has begun auditioning directors alongside Hank Muntz. Anton's father breaks down crying that his wife has returned. Anton's mother explains that it was because of the painting with the soul in the shack. One of the directors at the director's audition remarks what a complex drama is in progress. Hank Muntz agrees and mentions again how he has been considering shopping the play around in which he is a character. The auditioning director delivers a monologue on fate which summons the painting into the house. Emily is raised from the dead as Dr Scratch has claimed both the soul of her and Theodore. Both feeling foolish they sit through a monologue by Dr Scratch as he explains how the divine creates and the "un-divine" destroys. Anton, feeling neglected as the main character, storms into his house and sees a flying painting, Hank Muntz, his mother, his father, an auditioning director as well as the whole audience. Anton leaps into the audience and apologizes for the lack of comedy, his favorite form of entertainment, and launches into a monologue about comedy and sadness. An usher approaches Anton and directs him to a seat. "Oh how tempting it is to watch instead of act," he says as he sits. Emily stops Dr Scratch's monologue and says that while the "un-divine" may destroy Dr Scratch has in fact created a stronger love between Emily and Theodore, a love which has been created anew because of their mutual sacrifices. Dr Scratch has been outwitted and Emily and Theodore reclaim their souls. Anton cheers in the audience! He attempts to re-enter the play but the usher stops him. Emily's brother raised from the dead sings a song about the beauty of heaven. Such sweet chords age Emily's brother into a full grown man. The spiritual bauty which now flushes from Emily's brother attracts the painting with a soul and gives the soul a new body which looks just like Anton's mother. At the end of the play there is a triple wedding with Emily's brother and the painting lady, Emily and Theodore, and Anton's mother and father (they give a brief monologue explaining their youthful preference for not getting married). We see Dr Scratch in the shack painting a portrait of his own. Is he creating? Hank Muntz and his director friend officiaite the wedding and during the proceedings invite Anton back into the play where Patty apologizes for leading him on. The bank officer interrupts the ceremony and says that Anton's loan has been denied. The play just stops and the cast freezes until the audience decides its the right time to leave.