The Summer Of My Twentieth Year one act play script

ONE ACT PLAYS

THE SUMMER OF MY TWENTIETH YEAR
A compelling drama by Mark Rees for one man and two women.

Plot Summary
John is twenty years old and believes he has special powers of 'insight' after allegedly being visited by the Spirit of God. The visitation, he has convinced himself, was to prepare him for the Second Coming. A young newspaper reporter, Charlotte, comes to interview him, but her cynicism and failure to take him seriously have terrifying consequences for her.
ISBN 1 904930 74 3

CAST 1 MAN 2 WOMEN
John, 20
Grace, John’s girlfriend, twenties
Charlotte, reporter, twenties

SET - a garden
TIME - the present
DURATION - approx. 30 minutes

Script Sample - The Coming

Charlotte and Grace are onstage. At the back there is a ten-foot high white cross

Charlotte Hey, nice cross!
Grace John built it, to meditate on.
Charlotte Every garden should have one! Don’t you think it’s a bit odd, building your own cross ...
Grace No.
Charlotte Okay … tell me about this visitation then? How do you feel about it? Do you really believe the Spirit of God actually spoke to him?
Grace Absolutely!
Charlotte Without question?
Grace Without a shadow of a doubt.
Charlotte Youthful naivety or blind faith?
Grace Neither, a solid conviction that John has been chosen.
Charlotte So why do you think the “Spirit” picked him?
Grace I think you’d be better interviewing John, he’s the one with something to say.
Charlotte Just getting a little background information, the readers like to know.

John enters peeling an apple with a knife unseen by Grace and Charlotte. He puts them beside the cross and listens

GraceYou won’t need background information when you hear what John has to say.
Charlotte What do you mean?
Grace It’s not my place, John is the chosen one.
Charlotte Oh come on, give me a clue at least! Grace help me out here! Don’t go all mysterious on me.
John There is no mystery.
Grace This is Miss Green, she’s a reporter.
Charlotte Charlotte ...
John But everyone calls you Charlie.
Charlotte Yeah, that’s right! I’m from the Record and News Weekly.
John You are the first.
Charlotte Then I’m honoured.
John And that’s how it should be. Later sceptics will write that I am a liar. But soon they will know the truth. Only the enlightened few will understand. Are you a sceptic, Charlotte?
Charlotte A full-time paid up member! Unless you can convince me differently.
John Why should I try and convince you?
Charlotte I don’t want to be rude John, but you’re the one who claims to have been spoken to by the Spirit of God. So don’t you think an explanation is in order? And don’t let the fact that I write for the Record and News Weekly put you off. If this is good I can get this circulated to all the nationals, get you a good deal!
John I am not looking for a ‘good deal’. The world just needs to hear what I know.
Charlotte So, what do you know?
John Don’t be impatient, everything comes to she who waits!
Charlotte Don’t try and stall me with clichés John. If you’ve got something to say, say it! If not I can be on my way.
Grace Perhaps you made a mistake John, perhaps she’s not the one to tell the world.
John Perhaps not.

They turn to go

Charlotte Hang on. Don’t be hasty. Look, I’m sorry, we seem to have got off on the wrong footing, really I’m ready to listen.
John Without any hostility?
Charlotte What?
John You have a lot of hostility in you, Charlotte. I need you to listen with an open mind. An open mind to know of the coming of Armageddon ...

from The Summer of My Twentieth Year

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