‘A Streetcar Named Delilah.’
Synopsis:
Norman and Delilah have found each other on a dating website and are meeting at a rented apartment. They are virgins in every aspect of the etiquette of life; in conversation, dating, relationships and naturally, AirBnB.
This is their first meeting. Their first everything in fact. Might awkwardness and naivety go some way to excusing their embarrassment? Allow them to find a common ground, even a glimmer of hope of something more? How do they know what to hope for, if it’s something they’ve never had?
But Norman and Delilah will be fine. After all, Norman has brought Garibaldi biscuits and Delilah has brought handcuffs. What’s more, she has also taken precautions. She has kept the receipt. And that can only mean one thing. Norman can keep his hat on.
Casting: (1M, 1F)
Norman: 30/40’s. Quite timid, plain, the epitome of ordinary. Eccentric. Socially awkward and as boring as sin. This couldn’t be more alien to him. He wants a woman. He wants Delilah. If only he knew what to do with her.
Delilah: 30/40’s. Straight-laced, naive, but has more about her than Norman. Socially awkward but her pent up frustration and yearning for passion is never far from the surface! Taking sexual frustration to a new level.
Both are self-conscious but equally, genuine, sincere, painfully honest, transparent ... and desperate for love! I can hear them with either very broad/local accents or equally, very well spoken ... nice but dim. Both scenarios provide so much opportunity for comedy.
Wardrobe: Norman wears an overcoat, flat cap and scarf. Beneath it, a very garish Hawaiian shirt. Delilah is wearing a coat, but beneath it, is dressed provocatively.
Use & Staging: Present day. Any location. A single set. A suburban lounge in an apartment block (AirBnB). The practicalities of staging necessitate a door as an entrance/exit and a furnished space with a (say) a sofa and armchair and a coffee table. There is reference to there being a bed but this was just to set the scene and is not essential for the action. The set could, therefore, easily double for a number of my other plays allowing for ease of pairing to make one complete evening. (i.e. ‘Beggars Can Be Choosers’ and ‘The Devil who came to Dinner.)
Running time: Approx 30+ minutes.
NB: Please don’t be fooled into allowing the silences marked to become ponderous breaks in the action or allow them to affect the pace, because that is not their purpose. They are simply to underline a moment, be a nuance, and nothing more.
The image used is licensed and purchased from CrushPixel
Artwork by Victoria Mironenko