One Golden Moment
ONE GOLDEN MOMENT
A Romantic Comedy in Two Acts
By William S. E. Coleman
CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY
BIRGIT (Later called KEFI) - almost 30, a stunningly beautiful blonde.
TED MORRIS - early 40's, instantly likeable.
NIKOS - early 50's, a man with explosive energy and a great zest for life.
KATE HARRISON - mid-30's; tallish, elegant and poised.
TIME OF THE PLAY
Midsummer, the present day.
PLACE
A small, remote Greek island in the Cyclades.
A SINGLE SET
A flag-stoned terrace, looking out at an incredibly blue sky, is backed by a rustic shepherd's cottage and fronted by a low wall. At one point in the wall, up stage, is a large archway that opens to steps that lead down a steep hill to a small fishing village.
The terrace is simply furnished with pieces of furniture that are typical to Greek rural areas - a small square, blue table, wicker seated wooden chairs, a canvas reclining chair, stacks of paperback books, and not much else. Everything is painted pure white, but with a deep blue - and very Greek - trim.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS
At some point in our lives we all dream of running away to a tropical island paradise. Ted Morris does just that. Trapped in an emotionally arid affair and a dead end job as a New York book editor, Ted escapes to a remote Aegean island to reassemble his life. Once there, he meets his own personal Zorba in the form of his landlord, Nikos. A friendship blossoms as Nikos helps Ted find his “kefi” – a Greek word meaning an inner spirit of spontaneous joy.
The play opens as Birgit arrives at Ted's terrace. She is a free-spirited Austrian backpacker seeking a job that will support her summer in the sun. Birgit's English is delightfully fractured and her comprehension is much too literal. She and Ted are immediately tangled in charming language misunderstandings that puzzle and embarrass uptight Ted. Nikos, who has secretly orchestrated this meeting, arrives just in time to clarify what Birgit really wants. Much to his own amazement Ted hires Birgit “to küchen und clean” – and agrees to let her camp on his terrace.
That evening, during a moonlit dinner, Nikos admires Birgit’s independent spirit and joie de vivre. He nicknames her Kefi.
Ted is enchanted by Kefi’s piquant charm. He quickly abandons his solitary bachelor existence and plunges into a summer romance that becomes a giddy rollercoaster ride through cascading language and cultural differences. Now, thanks to Nikos, Ted is on the verge of finding his inner kefi with the help of a flesh and blood Kefi.
Just when life couldn’t get better, a serpent enters this Garden of Eden in the form of Kate Harrison, Ted’s ex-boss and former lover. She is intent on luring Ted back to her employ - and bed – by offering him the editing challenge of a lifetime.
Nikos outmaneuvers the predatory Kate and – amidst unexpected plot twists - forges a deal that gives Ted the best of two worlds. All ends happily, but not in the way you might expect.
PERFORMANCE HISTORY
On April 28, 2009 at 7pm, Stagewest, a professional theatre company in Des Moines, will present a staged reading of One Golden Moment at the First Unitarian Church in an evening titled Scriptease. Admission is free. An audience discussion will follow the performance.
In September, 2008, One Golden Moment won the Jennerstown Mountain Playhouse’s International Comedy Playwriting Competition and received an Equity reading. The April 28th reading will present a slightly revised version of the play. One Golden Moment remains under option by the Mountain Playhouse for their 2010 season.
For more information about these readings and any other readings or productions please see the articles in the “News” section of this website.
For script and production information please contact:
William S. E. Coleman 1137 – 37th Street Des Moines, Iowa 50311-3616 USA
Tel: (515) 277-8893 email: WilliamS.E.Coleman@att.net