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Micci, Ronald (American playwright, advertising proofreader-editor, 1948-____), “High Concept Harry,”

a 25-minute dark comedy-melodrama in English, set in Harry Fleck’s office in Beverly Hills, daytime, 1998,

2m1f,

© 1998 by Ronald Micci, scripts and rights available from Ronald Micci. Cited to present author by Ronald Micci via ftp, May 27, 1998; Ronald says,

  §  Dramatis Personae Harry Fleck (m), hotshot Hollywood agent; Doctor (m), institution staff member; Nurse (f), institution staff member.

  §  Synopsis “In an effort to pit one studio against another in a script bidding war, Harry Fleck, hotshot Hollywood agent, is working the phones, playing the angles. His generally ruthless tactics are evident in his various rantings—against his secretary, who has misplaced his contracts, one or two studio execs, a producer who owes him money, and one of his authors, a confirmed alcoholic. Just as his frustration seems to reach a crescendo, he is joined by a doctor and nurse, who have come to return him to the general inmate population of the mental institution of which he is a resident.

  §  Comment “This Twilight Zone ending was tagged on in order for the piece to fit the 15-20 minute requirement of Playwrights Express.  The play was subsequently extended to three acts, with the original ending scrapped and with Harry  worried that a love note sent to him by a development exec he’s been carrying on with has been intercepted by his wife.  At the end of Act I, his secretary joins him, with the revelation that his wife was snooping around, and how else could they explain the disappearance of the contracts. Act II is a meeting between Harry and his girlfriend in which Harry informs her that his wife has intercepted the letter.  But the shoulder he's come to cry on is anything but sympathetic, and as the second act closes, he’s ready to abandon his new love interest and go home and face the music.  After he and his paramour leave the bistro, his secretary appears with an urgent message—she’s found the contracts.  But he’s nowhere to be found. The third act is a confrontation between Harry and his wife, who has been waiting for him there. And just when it seems Harry is done for, in comes his secretary with the good news, and he slips off the hook, and off he goes with the secretary to pursue a love interest he has too long  neglected.”

  §  Themes agent, alcoholism, bidding war, Hollywood, mental institution, ruthlessness, script, studio, tactics.
 

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Page entered May 27, 1998, and updated November 15, 1998, April 2, 1999, July 8, 2000, by the site Webmaster.