Love Lines Tangled
This ten-minute experimental satire focuses on the
challenges of dating in modern American society, comparing “service” in the
realm of dating to the jury service required of all citizens in good
standing. The play opens as the Judge
and Bailiff describes what is expected of jurors. Intermingled with this description of the
legal bureaucracy, the Man and Woman ask questions of their potential partners
in the same manner as the court makes inquiries of potential jurors.
The comparison continues with an exploration of the singles dating services – and the local laws concerning public romantic behavior – in several different cities. As the legal and romantic strategizing proceeds, the court personnel and the daters become more interchangeable, drawing upon the similarities of their goals and tasks. At the conclusion of participants’ “service,” the Judge thanks everyone for their willingness to serve.
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Play Structure: |
1
Act: 10-minute play |
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Cast size: |
4 |
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Gender: |
1
female, 1 male, 2 gender flexible |
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Period: |
The
present. |
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Location: |
Progressive
urban zones. |
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Set: |
A
mostly bare stage. The Judge stands on a platform upstage,
with a stand on which to strike a gavel.
The others are much more mobile. |