The Boomerang Effect
by Matthew Leavitt

The Boomerang Effect Book Cover — The Boomerang Effect Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

90 mins Present Day Ensemble Cast Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Synopsis

The Boomerang Effect is a comedy consisting of five interrelated short plays that peeks into the sex lives of five different couples in various bedroom scenarios.

It explores the many universals that occur in every relationship, while examining the trickier issues that can test a couple’s durability such as secrecy, infidelity, power struggles, miscommunication, and sexual incompatibility.

While wrestling with their individual predicaments, each couple also unknowingly ends up exacerbating the tensions of the other relationships, until their seemingly innocuous interferences come back to smack them in the face.

As one of our characters puts it, "Every decision we make becomes just another link in this endless chain of well-intentioned disasters we call life."

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
PAUL mid 20s. A bag-boy at Trader Joe’s, he’s a lazy, emotionally stunted, underachieving slacker. Fortunately, he has a playful, ingratiating charm that has allowed him to float through life unscathed thus far. He is the boyfriend of Stephanie.	male	20s	mid 20s. A bag-boy at Trader Joe’s, he’s a lazy, emotionally stunted, underachieving slacker. Fortunately, he has a playful, ingratiating charm that has allowed him to float through life unscathed thus far. He is the boyfriend of Stephanie.
STEPHANIE mid 20s. Slightly uptight and easily annoyed, she possesses a pragmatic intelligence that enables her to readily find fault with everyone she meets, making her, at times, unpopular. Her good intentions are often obscured by her blunt and candid nature. She is Paul’s girlfriend and a close friend of Renee’s.	female	20s	mid 20s. Slightly uptight and easily annoyed, she possesses a pragmatic intelligence that enables her to readily find fault with everyone she meets, making her, at times, unpopular. Her good intentions are often obscured by her blunt and candid nature. She is Paul’s girlfriend and a close friend of Renee’s.
RENEE mid 20s. A graduate student. Although she is not naturally bright or talented, she compensates with a strong desire to better herself. Her lack of self-awareness is actually part of her charm, along with her youthful innocence and generally optimistic outlook. She is dating and living with Andrew, and is old friends with David.	female	20s	mid 20s. A graduate student. Although she is not naturally bright or talented, she compensates with a strong desire to better herself. Her lack of self-awareness is actually part of her charm, along with her youthful innocence and generally optimistic outlook. She is dating and living with Andrew, and is old friends with David.
ANDREW mid 20s. A bit high-strung and neurotic, often irritated with the various inconveniences of modern life, he works to support himself and Renee while she finishes graduate school. He can be whiny and argumentative, and once a particularly aggravating topic piques him up, rarely will he ever let it go.	female	20s	mid 20s. A bit high-strung and neurotic, often irritated with the various inconveniences of modern life, he works to support himself and Renee while she finishes graduate school. He can be whiny and argumentative, and once a particularly aggravating topic piques him up, rarely will he ever let it go.
NICK early 30s. Reasonable, reserved and even-keeled by nature, he has a difficult time initiating uncomfortable conversations, and instead, tends to internalize everything. He is rarely in touch with his real feelings, which often times prevents him from understanding the motivations behind his behavior. He is married to David.	male	30s	early 30s. Reasonable, reserved and even-keeled by nature, he has a difficult time initiating uncomfortable conversations, and instead, tends to internalize everything. He is rarely in touch with his real feelings, which often times prevents him from understanding the motivations behind his behavior. He is married to David.
DAVID early 30s. Recently unemployed, he’s since fallen into a lazy, sedentary lifestyle. He is witty, playful, and constantly dreams up fantastical and unrealistic solutions to his problems. He is married to Nick and is the son of Alexander.	male	30s	early 30s. Recently unemployed, he’s since fallen into a lazy, sedentary lifestyle. He is witty, playful, and constantly dreams up fantastical and unrealistic solutions to his problems. He is married to Nick and is the son of Alexander.
ALEXANDER late 50s. A finance executive at the end of a long career, he’s knowledgeable, worldly and clever. A true salesman at heart, he can also be remarkably calculating and manipulative. He is the father of David.	male	50s	late 50s. A finance executive at the end of a long career, he’s knowledgeable, worldly and clever. A true salesman at heart, he can also be remarkably calculating and manipulative. He is the father of David.
JULIE mid 20s. A new assistant at the company Alexander works for, she’s a youthful, lascivious party girl whose lack of classic intelligence is compensated by her fiery ambition. For better or worse, she lives by instinct and is entirely driven by her emotions. She is the younger sister of Janetta.	female	20s	mid 20s. A new assistant at the company Alexander works for, she’s a youthful, lascivious party girl whose lack of classic intelligence is compensated by her fiery ambition. For better or worse, she lives by instinct and is entirely driven by her emotions. She is the younger sister of Janetta.
JANETTA early 30s. A single woman who invests all her time into her work and has no personal life to speak of. She lives alone and leads a very ordinary but honorable life, partly due to her strong moral fiber and partly out of a great fear of rejection. She has always played it safe, yet is secretly envious of people like her sister Julie who are able to throw caution to the wind and live a wild, carefree existence.	female	30s	early 30s. A single woman who invests all her time into her work and has no personal life to speak of. She lives alone and leads a very ordinary but honorable life, partly due to her strong moral fiber and partly out of a great fear of rejection. She has always played it safe, yet is secretly envious of people like her sister Julie who are able to throw caution to the wind and live a wild, carefree existence.
MARCUS mid 30s. A co-worker of Janetta’s, he’s a selfish egomaniac whose deep unhappiness often leads to self-destructive errors in judgment. He has enough intelligence to get what he wants out of life, but lacks any self-restraint or general empathy.	male	30s	mid 30s. A co-worker of Janetta’s, he’s a selfish egomaniac whose deep unhappiness often leads to self-destructive errors in judgment. He has enough intelligence to get what he wants out of life, but lacks any self-restraint or general empathy.