© 2022 Stacey Lane
The Naked People Play
Synopsis J on, a nervous if not neurotic, young man, arrives at his emotionally needy ex-girlfriend’s apartment to confront her about their recent break-up. He finds that Margaret is not alone but has a naked man and a naked woman with her. She provides a perfectly innocent explanation: the naked people are there to symbolize Jon and Margaret’s vulnerability in this crucial break-up scene. As Margaret and Jon attempt to discuss the future of their relationship, Margaret finds herself vying for Jon’s attention. He cannot seem to take his eyes off the silent and still nudes. Frustrated and hurt that not only her boyfriend, but also the entire audience, is paying more attention to the inactive naked people that they are to her, Margaret decides to strip in a desperate plea for attention. However, she soon realizes that she can’t do it. Dejected she exits, taking Jon with her, leaving the audience alone with the object of their interest.
Production History Run of the Mill Theatre Company Variations on Desire Baltimore, MD Insurrection Theater Company Taboo Who? A Forbidden Play Festival Mesa, AZ Toy Boat Productions Hot Summer Shorts Portland, OR Hostile Takeover Theatre Communication Breakdown Pittsburg, PA Endtimes Productions Naked Holidays 2009 New York, NY Paloma Valley High School Production Menifee, CA Rogue Machine Theatre Shorts & Sweets Los Angeles, CA Endtimes Productions Naked Holidays 2010 New York, NY E.M.U. Theatre Ten-Minute Play Festival Lawrence, KS EndTimes Productions Naked Holidays 2011 New York, NY Erotic Shorts Short Listed Seattle, WA EndTimes Productions Naked Holidays 2012 New York, NY EndTimes Productions Naked Holidays 2013 New York, NY Studio4Seattle Short Listed Seattle, WA iDiOM Theater Brass Monkey Theater Club Bellingham, WA Actors Theatre Playhouse Production West Chesterfield, NH and Brattleboro, VT 20% Theatre Company 10th Annual Snapshots Play Festival Chicago, IL Pensacola Little Theatre's Studio 400 Short Attention Span Table Read Pensacola, FL Pensacola Little Theatre’s Studio 400 Short Attention Span Performance Pensacola, FL The Annoyance Naked Angels’ Tuesdays at 9 Chicago, IL The Frontier Sparks with NoMads Art Collective Chicago, IL
Amanda Mauer, Tania Verafield, and David Mauer in The Naked People Play at Rogue Machine Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Directed by Rachel Avery. Photographer: John P. Flynn.
Character Descriptions Margaret a self-assured, but secretly fragile, woman in her mid-20s Jon an awkward and high-strung man with good intentions in his mid-20s Naked Man a silent man in his mid-20s Naked Woman a silent woman in her mid-20s
Running Time: 10 minutes Set: apartment or a bare stage with 3 chairs (interior unit) Cast: 2 M, 2 F Published by Smith and Kraus
To preview The Naked People Play or obtain production rights, please contact Stacey@StaceyLaneInk.com. To purchase a copy of The Naked People Play in The Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2007: 3 or More Actors, go to Amazon or Smith and Kraus.