THE ONE LESS TRAVELLED is a two-act drama that requires one interior set and features two characters
(with two more appearing briefly at the end).
It takes place in an isolated cabin near the Canadian border, where a woman has been killed before the play begins.
The murderer is the cabin's owner, TOM (mid-30's), an unworldly, borderline psychotic who is now trying to figure out
what to do with the body and how to avoid going to jail.
Into this situation comes CARSON (early 30's), a confident, street-honed wanderer who's fleeing a drug buy gone bad at a local motel.
Tom simultaneously idolizes Carson for his experience and capabilities, and fears him because of his physical superiority
and capacity for violence. A compulsive liar adept at keying in on other people's vulnerabilities, Tom intuits Carson's predicament
and persuades him to stay at the cabin until it gets dark. Then, he promises, he will help him reach safety.
Carson doesn't trust Tom, but does believe he can help him. So, against his better judgment, he stays.
What follows is a highly-charged cat and mouse game, as Tom cleverly manipulates Carson in an effort to use him as a solution
to his own problem.
The survival of each man depends on his innate abilities and strengths: Tom's razor mind, twisted logic, and skill at lying;
Carson's physical strength and street smarts.
Each has a crucial weakness: Carson's need to evade the police... Tom's tendency to hide the truth, then forget exactly where he put it.
But Tom has an advantage: No physical match for Carson, he's ultimately willing to do anything to avoid going to prison.
Semifinalist — 1992 Pleiades Playwrighting Competition
Semifinalist — 1976 Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
(with two more appearing briefly at the end).
It takes place in an isolated cabin near the Canadian border, where a woman has been killed before the play begins.
The murderer is the cabin's owner, TOM (mid-30's), an unworldly, borderline psychotic who is now trying to figure out
what to do with the body and how to avoid going to jail.
Into this situation comes CARSON (early 30's), a confident, street-honed wanderer who's fleeing a drug buy gone bad at a local motel.
Tom simultaneously idolizes Carson for his experience and capabilities, and fears him because of his physical superiority
and capacity for violence. A compulsive liar adept at keying in on other people's vulnerabilities, Tom intuits Carson's predicament
and persuades him to stay at the cabin until it gets dark. Then, he promises, he will help him reach safety.
Carson doesn't trust Tom, but does believe he can help him. So, against his better judgment, he stays.
What follows is a highly-charged cat and mouse game, as Tom cleverly manipulates Carson in an effort to use him as a solution
to his own problem.
The survival of each man depends on his innate abilities and strengths: Tom's razor mind, twisted logic, and skill at lying;
Carson's physical strength and street smarts.
Each has a crucial weakness: Carson's need to evade the police... Tom's tendency to hide the truth, then forget exactly where he put it.
But Tom has an advantage: No physical match for Carson, he's ultimately willing to do anything to avoid going to prison.
Semifinalist — 1992 Pleiades Playwrighting Competition
Semifinalist — 1976 Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
CARSON |
Late 30s–early 40s Confident, tough, street-wise He's been around.
|
TOM |
Early 30s Unworldly, physically slight A sociopath who's never been caught at it. |
SHERIFF |
30s–40s. A small town cop (Appears briefly at the end)
|
DEPUTY |
20s–30s. A small town deputy (Appears briefly at the end)
|
