“I Ate Lunch Alone Today”

Barnes, David-Matthew (American playwright, director, writer, 1970-____), “I Ate Lunch Alone Today,”

a 25-minute comedy-drama in English, set in a modest one-bedroom apartment in New York City, April, 2002,

2m2f

;  •  © 2002 by David-Matthew Barnes;  •  in David-Matthew Barnes’ I Ate Lunch Alone Today (Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.: Author, 2002);  •  script/rights available from DNPAC Productions, Attention: Nick A. Moreno, Literary Manager, 2221 West Giddings Street, Chicago, Illinois 60625, U.S.A., telephone 773-784-0344, fax 773-784-4530, e-mail nmoreno@davidmatthewbarnes.com; contact David-Matthew Barnes at www.davidmatthewbarnes.com. • Cited by Nick A. Moreno via via ftp June 30, 2002; Moreno says,

  §  Dramatis Personae Anthony (m), 28, exceptionally handsome and charismatic, lacking sincerity and compassion,  frustrated by Margaret’s not fulfilling his high expectations; Daniel (m), 25, next door neighbor to Margaret and Anthony, firsthand witness to the slow demise of their relationship, his deep affinity for Margaret having evolved into love. Margaret (f), 30, drained of spirit and ambition by a three-year relationship with Anthony, having convinced everyone, including herself, that her horribly-dysfunctional relationship is perfect; Bridgette (f), a fashionable flight attendant, sardonic and quick witted, Margaret’s childhood friend, startled to discover that Margaret has drastically changed.

  §  Synopsis “Marjorie has convinced everyone—including herself—that her relationship with Anthony is perfect. But when Marjorie’s childhood friend, Bridgette, now a sardonic flight attendant, comes to town for a quick visit, Marjorie confesses that for the first time in two years she has eaten lunch alone, a moment that prompts the sudden realization that her life and her relationship are more damaged than she wants admit.

  §  Comment “Strong roles for women. A modern adaptation of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.  •  Inquiries sent via e-mail to nick@all-startalent.com will receive prompt responses.”

  §  Themes A Doll’s House, equality, female bonding, feminism, friendship, Ibsen (Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian poet and dramatist, termed “father of modern drama,” 1828-1906), independence, women’s rights.

See also David-Matthew Barnes’

• "Are You All Right in There?," a 23-minute teenage comedy-drama in English, set in the upstairs master bathroom of an American home, almost midnight, Friday, in spring, 1995, 1m2f
• "Baby in the Basement," a 15-minute drama in English, set in the basement of an old, abandoned warehouse in an unnamed American city, a night in March, present, 1m1f
• "Clean," a 15-minute comedy-drama in English, set at a bus stop in Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A., a Wednesday afternoon, 2002, 2f
• "False Hopes," a 20-minute drama in English, set in the break room of a corporate office, 2001, 3f
• "Hour Glass," a 20-minute drama in English, set in the formal dining room of the Caulwells' home, somewhere in Connecticut, U.S.A., Saturday evening, on the brink of spring, present, 1m1f
• "Number 76," a 10-minute teenage Latino drama in English, set on a bus stop on a city street in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., a Sunday night in the middle of October, 1999, 1m1f
• "Stronger Than This," a 20-minute drama in English, set in a modest apartment in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., a rainy night in March, present, 2m1f
• "Threnody," a 23-minute drama in English, set in a farm house in Central California, summer, 1989, 1m1f
• "Unrequited," a 15-minute comedy-drama in English, set in a high school supply room, during a high school dance, 2001, 1m1f
• "Wendy's Hurricane," a 15-minute drama in English, set in a studio apartment near a university in the city of Chicago, middle of January, present, 1m1f

 

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Page mounted July 3, 2002, and updated July 19, 2002, July 12, September 28, 2003, February 26, March 1, 2004, by the Webmaster.

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