“Kudhu the Magnificent”

Micci, Ronald V. (American playwright, advertising proofreader-editor, 1948-____), “Kudhu the Magnificent,”

a 20-minute farce in English, set in a carnival sideshow, a Saturday afternoon, 1999,

3m1f (+ 1f speaking extra, other extras, voices in audience)

; © 1999 by Ronald V. Micci; • in Ronald V. Micci’s Family Ruins (Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.A.: The Author, 1999); • script/rights available from Ronald V. Micci, 75 Vreeland Avenue, Rutherford, New Jersey 07070, U.S.A., telephone (home) 201-438-3267, (work) 212-210-7549, e-mail RVMicci@comcast.net. • Cited by Ronald V. Micci, via ftp, September 10, 2003; Micci says,

  §  Dramatis Personae Kudhu (m), turbaned seer and all-knowing wiseman, who has come before us to part the veil of the mysteries; Master of Ceremonies (m), lead man for carnival sideshow; Ticket Hawker (m), barker for carnival sideshow; Young Lady (f), infatuated with Kudhu; Disgruntled Woman (f speaking extra), audience member.

  §  Synopsis “A Ticket Hawker tries to entice carnival-goers into the big tent to behold the main attraction—The Mighty Kudhu. It has been forty years since Kudhu has spoken and shared his wisdom with the world. But all of that is about to end. A skeptical woman tries to pooh-pooh Kudhu's act. But the show must go on, and an MC comes forth to introduce the mighty Kudhu, a turbaned prophet and seer who has been brought from the Orient to part the veil of the mysteries and share his prophecies of things to come. But try as he might, the MC cannot seem to get Kudhu to speak. Oh well, maybe he's just rusty. Finally, he recruits a Young Lady from the audience to try to exert her charms on Kudhu. When this fails, he tries strong-arm tactics, and Kudhu explodes, angrily rips up his union card, and leaves, with a new convert—the Young Lady—in tow.

  §  Comment “Simple set and minimal props—a tux for the Master of Ceremonies; robes, loincloth, turban for Kudhu.”

  §  Themes carnival, charlatan, conversion, mountebank, mysteries, Orient, prophet, sage, seduction, seer, sideshow, visionary.

See also Ronald V. Micci’s

• "Addie and Me," a melodrama, set in the bedroom of Melanie, a teenage girl, night, 2000, 1f
• "Attack of the Radar People," a 15-minute radio farce, set in an old-time radio broadcast studio, 1950s, 2m1f (or 3m1f)
• "Biff Bang, American Hero," a 10-minute comedy spoof of radio cliffhangers in English, set in the cockpit of Biff's fighter bomber, 1998, 2m1f
• "Breakers," a 45-minute melodrama in English in eight scenes, set in three venues, a rented room, the ocean, and an arid precipice on the New Jersey Shore, a summer day, 2002, 1m1f
• "Dark Snow," a 10-minute melodramatic monologue in English set in the parlor of Aunt Lida's home in the New York woods, 1997, 1f [see items below for 2f versions]
• "Dark Snow," a 5-minute melodrama in English set in the parlor of Aunt Lida's home in the New York woods, 1997, 2f [see above for 1f version]
• "Dark Snow, Evening," a 10-minute melodrama in English set in the parlor of Aunt Lida's home in the New York woods, 1997, 2f [see above for 1f version]
• "Dark Snow, Morning," a 10-minute melodrama in English set in the parlor of Aunt Lida's home in the New York woods, 1997, 2f [see above for 1f version]
• "Dark Snow," definitive version, a 20-minute melodrama in English set in the parlor of Aunt Lida's home in the New York woods, 1997, 2f [see above for 1f version]
• "Dink Fast, Harry!," a 10-minute detective comedy-melodrama in English, set in Harry Dinker's dumpy office, daytime, 1998, 2m1f
• "Director's Cut," a 7-minute film noir, set on a Hollywood set, 1940s, 2m
• ""Family Ruins," a 10-minute melodrama in English, set in the downstairs parlor of a spooky old house, an April evening of 2003, 1m
• ""Flo's Token Showbiz Woes," a15-minute farce, set in a Times Square walkup, 2m1f
"Kudhu the Magnificent," a 20-minute farce in English, set in a carnival sideshow, a Saturday afternoon, 1999, 3m1f (+ 1f speaking extra, other extras, voices in audience)
• "Flying Medusas," a 10-minute contemporary farce in English, set in the theater of the absurd, at no specified time, 1m1f
• "Good Tidings of Christmas Cheer," a 10-minute black comedy in English, set in London, Christmas Eve, in the time of Charles Dickens, 3m1f
• "The Grackle," a 10-minute radio melodrama-farce in English, set in a radio broadcast studio, 1930s, 2m1f (but could be played with any combo of m/f)
• "Happy Endings," a 15-minute comedy-fantasy in English, set in the living-room of Cornweevil homestead in Midwest, 1996, 2m1f
• "Harry Dinker, Private Eye," a 10-minute detective parody in English, set in Harry Dinker's office in the "downtown section of a grimy city nobody has any use for," afternoon, 1998,1m1f or 2m
• "Heat Lightning," a 15-minute comedy-melodrama in English, set in the

downstairs parlor of a broken-down Southern mansion, on a stormy night, May, 2001, 1m1f
• "Herman," a 10 minute comedy in English, a 10-minute comedy in English, set in a luncheonette, 1998, 1m3f
• "High Concept Harry," a 20-minute dark comedy in English, set in Harry Fleck's literary/talent office in Hollywood, afternoon, 2000, 2m
• "I, Dadius," a 15-minute comedy-drama in English, set in the living room of a cozy suburban home, winter, 2000, 1m
• "I Sing to You of Robin Hood," a 15-minute comedy in English, set in a tavern in Nottingham, 12th century, 3m1f
• "International Supreme Con Artists Group," a 10-minute comedy in English, set in the reception area of a Hollywood talent agency, late afternoon, 2001, 1m1f
• "Kid Valium," a 15-minute comedy in English, set in a big city gymnasium, the day of the big title fight, 2000, 3m1f
• "Love's Cousin in the Carolinas," a 13-minute romantic comedy in English, set at a park bench in the suburbanNortheast, U.S.A., a Saturday afternoon in late summer, 1998, 1m1f
• "Moonlight's Little Madness," a 40-minute drawing room farce in English set in the parlor of the Prescott country estate, England, a spring evening during the Victorian Era, 2m
• "Mr. Gilkey's Flagpole," a 15-minute comedy in English, set on the lawn of Mr. Gilkey's home in England, afternoon, 1998, 1m2f
• "Northernmost Freight," a 10-minute farce in English, set in a Chicago office, late morning, 2001, 2m
• "November," a 15-minute tragedy in English in two scenes, set (1) in the downstairs of a house on a lake in the Northeastern United States and (2) on the lake, a November afternoon, 2000, 1m1f
• "Parasites of Ol' Broadway," a 15-minute comedy/melodrama in English, set in an alleyway on Lower Broadway, October, 1997, 2m1f
• "A Public Service Announcement," a bare-stage 5-minute contemporary surrealist farce in English, set in an abstract area, daytime, 2001, 1m1f
• "Rough Cut," a 10-minute comedy/melodrama in English, set in a men's haircutting salon (barber shop) in Beverly Hills, October, 1997, 3m
• Sarah's Weekend Confidential," a 7-minute melodrama in English, set in Sarah's room, 2002, 1f
• "Tea Cozy," a 12-minute melodrama, in English, set in the living room of a suburban home, midday, 1998, 2f
• "Thank You, Charlie Chan," a 10-minute crime melodrama. set in a hotel room in midtown Manhattan, night, 1930s, 3m
• "Thebes Like Us," a 10-minute spy parody in English set in a cafe on the Nile, 1996, 2m1f
• "Thin Laughter in Heaven," a 10-minute bare-stage melodrama in English, set on a cliff overlooking a lake, May, 2001, 1m
• "Tragic & Trapped in Teaneck," a 13-minute comic melodrama in English, set in the parlor of a home in Teaneck,New Jersey, U.S.A., afternoon, turn of the last century, 2m1f
• "Two Views: A Crash Course in Life," a 15-minute melodrama in English, set in a bus stop, during morning commute, 2001, 1m1f
• "Wild About Harry!," a 15-minute detective farce in English, set in a sleazy gin joint; later, Harry's apartment, night, 2001, 2m1f

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