A
Quintessential Evening: Five Short Plays
by Felix Racelis
#2007-0002
ISBN #1-933159-84-7
Have you seen Racelis' Forever
Fog?
WOOF: Chet is an eccentric retired widower whose
closest companion is a dog hand puppet. Lack of work has forced his grown daughter,
Lainie, to move back home and regroup. But today, with the help of his puppet, Chet
musters the courage to confront his daughter about her dubious web based sex surrogate
business ...Page 5
Characters
 | CHET: Late ‘70s, retired widower, daft,
withdrawn. He wears pajamas, an old bathrobe and slippers.
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| LAINIE: ‘40s, neurotic live-at-home daughter of
Chet. She is dressed comfortably, but smartly.
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Setting
The kitchen of Chet’s suburban home. A small kitchen
table with two chairs sits center.
Time
Morning. The present.
Properties List
| Plates Pill box with several compartments & pills
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| Flatware Coffee pot with coffee
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| Bowl Box of dog biscuits
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| Oatmeal Two fried eggs
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| Mug Dog hand puppet
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Please inquire about
individual play performance rights & royalties. |
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UNCOMMON THREADS: Wary of a snobbish museum staffer’s motives, an
African-American retiree withdraws her quilt submission until she discovers they have more
in common than just their ethnicity….Page 13
Characters
| FELICIA SIMPSON: Articulate, well-educated African-American woman in her
40s. She is smartly dressed in a two-piece designer suit. |
| GRACE JOHNSON: Warm hearted African-American woman in her 70s. She is
attired like a grandmother—simple dress, large overcoat and a handbag. |
Setting
The gallery of a museum in a large Southern city. If budget permits, several
pedestals with objects d’art, one of which is a small statue of the baby Jesus.
Otherwise, a pedestal or two, or hanging artwork, can suggest the museum
setting.
Time
Morning. The present.
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| POST-MATINEE TRISTESSE:
A flamboyant academic pulls out all the stops attempting to hold on to a young waiter with
a mind of his own… Page 29 Characters
| JON: Gay male intellectual, late ‘40s/early ‘50s, articulate,
flamboyant. He dresses conservatively, shirt and slacks. He looks the part of a slumming
academic. |
| EDWARD: Bisexual male, 20s, intense, self-righteous. Works as Café
waiter. He is dressed in a white shirt, waiter’s apron—not too formal. |
Setting
A sidewalk café with several small tables and chairs.
Time
Mid-afternoon. The present.
Properties
| Menu |
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| Waiter’s order pad |
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| Pen |
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| Table setting |
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| Waiter’s tray |
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| Glass with ice |
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| Can of Diet Coke |
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| Parking validation stickers or pad |
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| HOME AGAIN: The
sad story of the effects of alcoholism written in 3 remarkably short, telling scenes.
Moving backward in time, we relive critical moments in the life of a young family that
planned poorly. A very short play with a very long rippling message, and the audience
fills in the blanks… Page 37 Characters
| AMY: Woman who transitions from her ‘40s back to her ‘20s |
| FRANK: Man who transitions from his ‘30s to his ‘20s |
| JIMMY: Boy who transitions from a teenager back to a young boy. |
Setting
Exterior of a typical California bungalow, the standard home of millions of transplants
seeking the California dream. The house opens onto a wide, inviting porch.
Time
Three short scenes take place in 2006, then 1999, then 1991, or through a
similar range of dates, i.e., the present year, seven years prior, fifteen years prior.
(NOTE: Slight, unobtrusive set changes or additions can be made, along with costume
alterations to indicate different years matching the scenes.)
Properties List
| Skateboard |
| SOLD sign |
| Bandana |
| Optional: Three small signs, each indicating the year, i.e., 2006, 1999
(seven years earlier than scene 1), 1991 (15 years earlier than scene 1). |
Costume Plot
Following are costume and make-up suggestions to help indicate the passage of time
between the scenes.
Amy: Scene 1 – hair up
Scene 2 - apron
Scene 3 – hair worn down, sweater
Frank: Scene 2 – shirt untucked, disheveled
Scene 3 – shirt tucked in, neat appearance
Jimmy: Scene 1 – baseball cap worn backwards
Scene 2 – beanie cap
Music
Haunting, melancholy music bridging the short scenes.
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| SHHH!: Neurotic
library clerk Barry has a crush on co-worker Leslie, who, in turn, is enamored of a macho
biker. Barry tries to entice Leslie into a date, with hilarious results… Page 21 Characters
| BARRY: Neurotic library clerk/graduate student in his early ‘30s. He
wears a long-sleeved shirt (top 2 buttons unbuttoned) and casual slacks. |
| LESLIE: Library clerk in her early 30s; alternately forceful and grossly
insecure. She wears a sexy blouse or top that reveals her neck and shoulders. She sports a
tattoo on her shoulder. |
Setting
A narrow aisle in a library lined by two tall bookshelves. A large, old-fashioned desk fan
sits on one of the shelves at shoulder level. At minimum, bookshelves lined with books; if
possible, a circulation counter decorated with literacy posters.
Time
Late Friday afternoon. The present.
Properties List
| A book truck |
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| Books, in various piles |
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| Book Stamp |
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| A noisy, old-fashioned desk fan |
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| Broom or pole |
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| Literacy posters |
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Sound Effects/Music
| Leaf-blowing machine. |
| Motorcycle revving. |
| Snippet of romantic muzak
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 Author Biography
Felix Racelis is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter residing
in Los Angeles. Ten of his one-act plays have been produced in Los Angeles, New York, and
San Francisco. His play, Uncommon Threads, won First Place in Fire Rose
Productions’ First Ten-Minute Play Festival and his one-act Forever Fog
was a finalist in Theatre Forty’s One-Act Play Contest. He is an M.F.A. graduate of
UCLA’s Film & TV Department and a Nicholl Screenwriting Competition
Quarter-Finalist for his script, The Good Life. Felix co-wrote and
co-produced Giovanni, a short film, which was a finalist in the 2005 Hollywood DV
Festival.
Felix was one of the writers and producers of the evening of short
plays, "Tales from Hollywood Boulevard," which was favorably reviewed and
enjoyed a successful May 2005 run at the Actor’s Playpen in Los Angeles.
Felix has written plays which explore the Filipino-American and
Asian-American experience. He is a member of the Playwrights Connection, Los Angeles, a
former member of East West Players’ Literary Committee and an alumnus of East
West’s David Henry Hwang Writers Institute. Felix is currently working on Manimal
Crackers, a one-act which will be produced at Theatre-Studio, Inc. in New York
City. |
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