Four Dogs And A Bone
by John Patrick Shanley

Four Dogs And A Bone Book Cover
Four Dogs And A Bone Cover

Highlights

One Act 90 mins Unit Set/Multiple Settings American Comedy

Synopsis

FOUR DOGS AND A BONE.

Brenda, a seemingly guileless young actress, takes a meeting with Bradley, a troubled, middle-aged producer, to discuss the film on which they are working.

Brenda wants to be a star, she even chants for it!

But Collette, the other actress in the film, is in her way, so Brenda must convince Bradley that the film is in serious trouble unless he makes certain changes, one of which is taking out Collette's part.

Bradley, knowing full well that the film is seriously over budget, intimates that he will effect Brenda's suggestions if she can convince her stepbrother, a giant movie star, to make a cameo appearance in the film, guaranteeing more capitalization and the cachet of success.

Meanwhile, Collette has her own agenda: She knows she's not as young as she once was.

She tries to convince Victor, the writer, to alter the film so she can be the heroine, or else, this, his first film, is destined to be lost in art houses or, worse, go directly to video.

Victor, a na锟絭e young writer from Off-Off Broadway, doesn't know how to handle any of this, and his mother just died.

He needs to mourn and to drink himself into a stupor before he changes his screenplay.

Later, in the make-up trailer, Brenda and Collette find out they've been trying to stab the other in the back which leads to the kind of cat fight only actresses do and culminates in a mock-bonding.

All hell breaks loose in the final scene when Bradley and Victor confront one another over the state of the film and are interrupted by Brenda and Collette, and all the lies and backbiting are exposed as these four dogs go after their bone.

(2 men, 2 women.) THE WILD GOOSE.

When the story opens, we find Jameson and Renaldoamongst table and chairs, deciding if they can live together in the world or not.

They share their water and peanuts as they tear each other down to gain the upper hand.

Jameson shoots Renaldo dead.

Just in time, for Ramona comes in and now Jameson can have her all to himself.

But Ramona misses Renaldo and nothing is settled until Renaldo jumps up!

Alive again!

Aha, now Ramona must choose between them.

This presents a problem since Ramona was just about to hang herself.

Jameson shoots her instead to forego the grief of a suicide.

Soon the wild goose hovers over the scene with its majestic sound and beauty.

Ramona jumps up just after Jameson shoots the bird, and it falls at their feet.

Can anything survive in this world?

They wonder as they all sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and prod the goose to come alive again, which, in time he does, to join the living.

(2 men, 1 woman.)"

Publication

Year 1995
Binding Paperback
Edition Copyright 1995
Pages 72
Place New York
Language English
ISBN-13 9780822214007
ISBN-10 0822214008
LCCN 95166409
LCC PS3569.H3337 F68 1995
DCC 812/.54

Four Dogs And A Bone is a American comedy play written by John Patrick Shanley and published by Dramatists Play Service in New York (1995).

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