CHARACTERS
JANET FOX - a notorious gossip blogger
LINDSEY MCQUEEN - a prominent actress and model
ANONYMOUS CALLER - the source of gossip
JASON FLINCH - a boxer and Lindsey’s boyfriend
SETTING
Office inside Janet’s home
LIGHTING: Pale Bastard Amber, R302
[Afternoon. JANET enters through the brown door on the right side.]
SOUND: OPENING AND CLOSING OF DOOR - ESTABLISH
SOUND: WALKING IN HIGH HEELS - LET IT FINISH
[JANET walks. She is holding a white mug of coffee in her left hand while her right hand is holding her forehead. She sits on the gray swivel chair that is on the left side and looks at the computer screen on the desk in front of her.]
JANET: [Frustrated] Ugh! I still don’t have anything to write about! I’m already running out of money, and I desperately need to buy that posh Birkin bag I saw in the mall. Aren’t there any new, hot gossips in town?
[JANET takes a sip of her creamy coffee and places the mug beside the keyboard on her desk. She takes a few scrolls on her computer.]
SOUND: TELEPHONE RINGING - FADE UNDER
[JANET’s face lights up and removes her right hand from her forehead.]
JANET: [Delighted] Ooh, a caller! I hope this one’s got a scorching tea for me.
[JANET reaches for the telephone.]
JANET: Hello?
ANONYMOUS CALLER: Hello! Is this Janet Fox of HotTea.com?
JANET: The one and only! What did you call for? Who is this, by the way?
ANONYMOUS CALLER: Oh, I don’t want to disclose my name, but I’m here to divulge a juicy secret about someone very famous. I hope this could make it to your blog.
[JANET straightens up in her seat and listens attentively to the caller.]
JANET: Well, it depends on how ‘juicy’ that secret really is like how you’re claiming it to be. So come on, spill the tea.
ANONYMOUS CALLER: [Whispering] Okay, so I work for Stone Entertainment. You know, the company that Lindsey McQueen works for as well. You’re aware of her and the company, right?
JANET: Of course! The so-called ‘Queen’ of dramas and modeling. How could I not be aware of her?
ANONYMOUS CALLER: Yeah! She’s like on the cover of a magazine every month, and in the news like every week - she’s literally like everywhere! Sorry for asking you that question earlier. Anyway, have you noticed that she’s been inactive on social media for several days already?
JANET: Oh, yeah. I just realized right now that I haven’t seen any recent posts from her on social media. What could be the reason?
ANONYMOUS CALLER: Well, the company, her family, friends, and boyfriend are actually trying to hide the reason. But, it’s already starting to circulate among the employees here and the bosses are trying to contain it. I’m actually one of the first few to discover the news.
JANET: And what is that news you’re talking about?
ANONYMOUS CALLER: You see, Lindsey is a very busy model and actress. She rarely gets a vacation. But, just 2 weeks ago, she and her boyfriend went to Paris to celebrate their 3rd anniversary as a couple based on what I have heard. However, a week later, it was only her boyfriend that came back to the country.
[JANET raises her left eyebrow.]
JANET: Why?
ANONYMOUS CALLER: That was the same question that we had as well. Also, we noticed that something’s kinda off with Jason’s behavior when he came back. It’s like he’s paranoid about everything.
JANET: That’s strange… What’s the reason?
ANONYMOUS CALLER: [Excited] I swear you won’t believe this at first! When we first heard about it, we actually had to process it for many hours before it finally sank into our minds. We felt shivers and goosebump—
JANET: [Irritated] Just say it! Tell me the reason now!
ANONYMOUS CALLER: [Slowly] Lindsey is actually already… dead.
[JANET immediately stands up from her seat and accidentally slams the table.]
JANET: [In disbelief] Dead?! Lindsey is already dead? Did I hear it right?
ANONYMOUS CALLER: Yes! Yes! Oh my gosh! We had the same reaction!
JANET: [Puzzled] Wait, I’m confused. Why is she dead? Who killed her?!
SOUND: OPENING OF DOOR ON THE CALLER’S LINE - FADE UNDER
ANONYMOUS CALLER: [Hastily] Oh my gosh! Someone’s coming. I have to end the call now. Thank you for listening, Janet. Bye.
SOUND: END CALL - LET IT FINISH
[JANET remains standing with her jaw dropped. She blinks a few times before she gets back to her senses. She puts the telephone back and sits down on the chair. A smile is slowly being formed on her face.]
JANET: [Triumphantly] Jackpot! Birkin bag and weeks of fame, here I come.
[JANET is about to type, but she stops when she realizes something.]
JANET: But wait— What cause of death am I going to say? Who will I point out as the killer?
[JANET looks around her office from left to right. Her eyes lay on the pile of boxes. She stands up and walks toward the boxes.]
SOUND: WALKING IN HIGH HEELS - LET IT FINISH
[JANET opens one of the boxes and rummages through the papers inside it. She stops when something catches her eye. She gets the paper and reads it.]
JANET: [Murmuring] Boxer Jason Flinch is rumored to be assaulting Lindsey McQueen whenever they argue… That’s it!
SOUND: WALKING IN HIGH HEELS - LET IT FINISH
[JANET walks back to her desk while holding the paper. She sits on the swivel chair and starts typing. She smirks.]
SOUND: KEYBOARD TYPING - CUT ABRUPTLY
JANET: [Slowly] And voila! Publish!
[JANET swirls her chair and smiles victoriously. She grabs the mug and sips on her aromatic coffee.]
JANET: [Relishing] Mmm! This coffee has never smelled and tasted this sweeter before. It smells and tastes like… victory! [JANET laughs wickedly.]
[JANET puts down her mug and scrolls on her computer. Her eyes widen.]
JANET: [Ecstatic] Ooh! My article’s already trending in just a few minutes! I’m definitely going to earn gazillions of bucks from this news.
SOUND: KNOCKING ON THE DOOR - UNDER
[JANET furrows her eyebrows.]
JANET: [Confused and annoyed] Now, who could be this pest that’s interrupting my celebration?
SOUND: WALKING IN HIGH HEELS - ESTABLISH
[JANET stands up and walks toward the door with her eyebrows still furrowed.]
SOUND: OPENING OF DOOR - FADE IN/OUT
[JANET slowly opens the door. Her eyes slowly widen while her jaw drops.]
JANET: [Perplexed while struggling to catch her breath] L-L-Lindsey?!
LINDSEY: [Mockingly] The one and only! [LINDSEY smirks.]
JANET: [Hysterically] B-B-But I thought you were dead!
LINDSEY: Like what came out from your filthy mouth, you just ‘thought’. You didn’t even decide to verify the information first before proceeding to write your ‘news’. All you care about is to be the first to serve the hottest tea and thrive from tainting others’ reputations, including my boyfriend’s.
JANET: [Shocked] I-I-I…
LINDSEY: [Checking her nails] Anyway, my personal assistant did a pretty good job with her acting earlier. She was really believable, and I would also believe her if I were you. [LINDSEY stares at Janet.] However, unlike you, I would search for verified and reliable information first to prove her claim before telling it to others— Scratch that. I’d wait for the company or a loved one to break the news first because I know how to respect.
JANET: [Enraged] What?! That caller is your personal assistant?! How could you?! You tricked me!
LINDSEY: [Teasingly] It’s not a trick, hun. It’s called testing your wit, and clearly… [LINDSEY looks at Janet from head to toe.] You failed. [LINDSEY smirks and flips her blonde hair.]
[JANET is speechless.]
LINDSEY: Anyway, I did this not just for myself, but also for the other personalities whose names are constantly ruined because of the gossip you post. [With conviction] This is just the beginning, Janet Fox. Soon, justice will be served as we’ll see you in court next week.
JANET: [Nervous] W-What? C-Court? As in the legal court?
LINDSEY: [Sarcastic] Exactement! Prep yourself for the big day, okay? You know, you don’t want others to see a flaw about you and gossip about it, right? You know how terrible it’s going to be since… you’re a perpetrator of it yourself.
[JANET remains quiet and tears are streaming down her face.]
LINDSEY: Anyway, I still have a press conference to attend. Adieu!
SOUND: WALKING IN HIGH HEELS - LET IT FINISH
[LINDSEY leaves Janet dumbfounded.]
SOUND: JANET DROPS ON THE GROUND - LET IT FINISH
[Janet slowly goes down on her knees while staring at the ground. She sits down and sobs.]
JANET: [Panting] I-I-I’m… d-doomed…
[Slow fade to black.]
How I visualize the one-act play:
CHARACTERS
Lacey Chabert as Janet Fox
("That's why her hair is so big. It's full of secrets." Mean Girls, anyone?)
Gigi Hadid as Lindsey McQueen
(Yes, yes, I know Gigi is not an actress, but I can still imagine her playing the role of Lindsey. Perhaps, an actress who has similar features to hers would do.)
Ashley Park as Anonymous Caller / Personal Assistant of Lindsey
(I like her role in "Emily in Paris". Plus, she played the role of Gretchen Wieners in the Broadway musical version of Mean Girls!)
Liam Hemsworth as Jason Flinch
(I'm not really familiar with male actors, except for Filipino celebrities. Liam's quite the closest Hollywood actor I know to how I imagine Jason to look like. Sorry, Zayn Malik.)
SETTING
Office inside Janet's home
(It's kind of close to how I imagine Janet's cozy office in her home. Just insert the props and the specific details of her office that I wrote in the script of the play.)
LIGHTING: Pale Bastard Amber, R302
(According to Michael Chybowski, one of the people behind the production of 'A Clean House', this color works "brilliantly" on the varying skin tones of the cast in this play. I think it also fits the description of my one-act play's setting.)
I would search for verified and reliable information first to prove her claim before telling it to others.
Hello there! It's my first time to write a one-act play and I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. This is also part of my requirements in the subject "Creative Writing." What do you think of the plot? Who's your favorite character? Let me know your thoughts, feelings, and criticisms about the play by leaving some comments on this post. Thank you for your time in reading this. Padayon!
- Love, Aly ♥
Always practice the act of critical thinking.
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