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T H E S T A R S E E K E R (first pages)
A short play
Leo Cappèl
© Leo Cappèl 2007
First produced at the Mansion House, Kawau Island, September 2007
CAST
EDITOR A middle-aged man or woman
IAN An apprentice reporter, early 20s
JANET A young reporter, about the same age as IAN or slightly older
TED An elderly sailor, inclined to ramble on.
MARY-ANN An elderly sailor
RADIO OPERATOR Voice "on the computer" only
SETS
LEFT STAGE: A desk. On the desk a computer with speakers. (Speakers hooked up with
a microphone in the wings.) Behind the desk a chair facing down-stage.
RIGHT STAGE: a couch facing left. On the wall: a large painting or photograph of a
seaworthy yacht.
Floods and spotlights to be used to indicate on which side of the stage the action takes place.
For the car scene, use the couch with a single spot. The driver holds a car steering wheel.
The run-about for scene 4 could be a cut-out or inflatable on a platform on castors, which is slowly pulled across downstage while the main area of the stage remains dark.
PROPS
A reporter’s note pad
Two plates of baked beans
A hand-held microphone (the type used with marine radios)
Two candles
A yacht steering wheel
A car steering wheel
Cell phone
Boathook
SCENE 1
IN EDITORS OFFICE.
LIGHTS LEFT STAGE ON, RIGHT STAGE OFF.
EDITOR IS SITTING AT HIS DESK, LOOKING AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN.
JANET STANDS IN FRONT OF HIM.
JANET Yes sir, I’ll find him. (SHE GOES LEFT.)
ENTER IAN, LEFT.
IAN Hi, Janet. The editor in?
JANET Oh, Ian, I was just looking for you. Of course he is, right at his desk. And he's fuming. He's been calling for you all morning.
IAN He'll kill me yet. Will you come to my funeral?
JANET Maybe, if you take me out afterwards.
IAN It's a date. How about lunch tomorrow, at the Yacht Club?
JANET I'll think about it. Better go and see the man first.
IAN Yeah.
IAN AND JANET GO BACK TO THE EDITOR.
IAN Morning sir.
EDITOR So there you are at last. What happened to that report about the yacht race you're supposed to write? That should have been in at least half an hour ago. Well? What are you standing there for? Show me your report.
IAN Sorry Sir, the race was called off. Cancelled.
JANET You wanted to see me again, Sir?
THE EDITOR WAVES HER AWAY.
EDITOR Cancelled? Whatever for? After all the publicity we gave them?
IAN Yeah, cancelled. They said there wasn't enough wind.
EDITOR So that's half a day wasted with nothing to show for it. And you want to become a reporter! All right, I want you to go to the Rugby Club now. They seem to have a big argument going on right this moment.
IAN Sorry Sir, but I did hear something you may be able to use. Someone at the Yacht Club told me that the Star Seeker is for sale.
EDITOR Ted Carlyle's Star Seeker? The yacht that made the headlines with that spectacular rescue?
IAN Yes sir, they did say the owner's name was Ted Carlyle.
EDITOR And now he wants to sell her. That's interesting.
IAN No sir, that yacht was sold already.
EDITOR Dammit man, make up your mind.
IAN Yes Sir, sorry. They said the yacht Ted used to sail was sold some years ago. He bought another one since, a wee schooner, and that's the one he wants to sell now.
EDITOR Why?
IAN Someone said that he does a different kind of sailing nowadays. I don't
know.
EDITOR For God's sake, man, are you a reporter? Ted Carlyle was famous. And if he is going to do something so different that he has to sell his yacht for it then that's news. News I said, and you don't know! Can't you smell a scoop?
IAN Sorry.
EDITOR Janet, you know where to find him?
IAN They say he lives somewhere right next to the Taieri River, not all that far from here.
EDITOR Right. Janet, go for it.
JANET Yes sir.
IAN But I - - -
EDITOR No Ian, now that you're back you go to the Rugby Club. I thought I had to send Janet there, but Rugby is more in your line.
EXIT IAN, LEFT.
EDITOR Ted Carlyle, yes, it all comes back now. He wanted to enter that single-handed race and we had a big fund raising campaign for him. We even had extra editions because halfway through the race he rescued another sailor from a sinking yacht!
JANET I was still at high school then.
EDITOR So now he is selling his yacht. All right, Janet, you heard Ian. Go see Ted and bring me a story. We still have a whole column to fill, and time is running out.
JANET What kind of story?
EDITOR How would I know? A scoop. If I knew I wouldn't need you to go there. I'm counting on you. And you better hurry, I need that copy.
JANET Yes Sir, I'll get you something.
EDITOR Something good.
JANET Yes Sir.
EXIT JANET, LEFT.
EDITOR, (EXASPERATED) Staff!
EDITOR PICKS UP THE PHONE. Sports room? Hold the sports page for another hour,
we may have one more story after all.
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