The Jungle Fun Room
© 2006 by Brian Hampton
SYNOPSIS
“Ask me what my dream is. Go ahead.”
The struggling actors of “Jungle Fun Birthday Parties” are preparing for Maddie’s sixth birthday at the New York City Zoo. For Screg, Eve, and Shelly, it’s just another day at work. Until they find out just who Maddie’s mother is. Ambition, disappointment, honesty, and hilarity escalate—resulting in one of them having to face an overwhelming personal challenge. What do you do when your dreams change? How do you let go of a dream you can’t seem to fulfill? Where success is a state of mind … welcome to the Jungle Fun Room.
CAST OF CHARACTERS (2 Males, 3 Females)
SCREG: Safari Assistant, 30’s. A theatre actor.
EVE: Safari Director, 30’s. A community theatre actress from Long Island.
SHELLY: Captain Mammal, 30’s. A former Miss Virginia and accomplished musical theatre performer.
TREVOR: Newvester, 23. First day on the job and a new member of the musical theatre world.
HILLARY PARKER: Celebrity Mom, 30’s. Most recent Best Actress Oscar winner.
PLACE AND TIME
Unit Set. The Jungle Fun Room — a supply closet and changing area at the New York City Zoo, the home of “Jungle Fun Birthday Parties.” Present.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
Finalist: Long Beach Playhouse New Play Festival 2007.
Readings: City Center Studios, NYC; Spalding University with Adrien-Alice Hansel (Actors Theatre of Louisville).
EXCERPT
(SHELLY enters the Jungle Fun Room.)
SHELLY: I forgot my flowers. (She goes to her vanity.)
EVE: Come in. Come in. You’re not going to believe this. Screg knows Hillary Parker.
SHELLY: What?
EVE: They went to college together.
SHELLY: Eve.
EVE: I’m not making this up, Shelly.
SHELLY: How would we not know that?
EVE:I have no idea.
SHELLY: What the?
EVE: I know.
SHELLY: Friends.
EVE: Yep.
SHELLY: (Pause) Friends friends.
EVE: (Totally laughing) Yes! Well, I don’t know. What does that mean?
SHELLY: What do you mean?
EVE: Oh, my God. OK. Sorry, Shelly. I probably shouldn’t’ve told you, but I had to get it out.
SHELLY: What? Am I supposed to act as if I don’t know?
EVE: I don’t know.
SHELLY: You know, that’s rude. I mean, when I think about it, I would tell you all if I was friends with Hillary Parker. That’s weird. Don’t you think it’s weird?
EVE: Well, you’re friends with all those people.
SHELLY: From my Grease tour? Oh, please. I am not friends with Jasmine Guy and Sally Struthers. I mean, we’were friendly, but I’m not—(GASP) Oh, my God. Do you think Screg is a Fameriend (pronounced, fame-rend)?
EVE: What the hell is that?
SHELLY: It’s a person who was friendly with a star—in church choir, or a show, or whatever and claims they are, real friends. They talk about them as if they are they’re friends. But friends, they are not. They are fameriends.
EVE: Oh, shit.
SHELLY: Yeah, celebrities have a lot of them. Something to think about. (She exits.)
EVE: I’m thinking right now.
CONTACT
Visit www.brianhampton.net to contact Brian using an email link.
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