In this absurdist tragicomedy, Horst, an everyman, is waiting for a dinner date to arrive. Graben, a long-forgotten near-acquaintance recognizes him and again intrudes into the much-sought serenity of his life. Dramatica Press plays are designed to enhance readability of the stageplay format by creating a new ergonomic layout and using color to easily differentiate between character names, dialogue, parentheticals, and stage directions. Characters Horst (pronounced "Horst") has been living on his own in New York for the last five years. His daughter lives in upstate New York, which is the primary reason he made the move to the Big Apple. He hasn't quite found the employment that is stable enough for him to feel very comfortable in his new environs. He lives in a sparsely furnished apartment, and can often be seen eating string cheese while looking at the city from his bedroom window. Aware of the cosmopolitan aspects of living in the big city, Horst found a framed print of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" to hang on his wall, adding contrast to an otherwise maudlin collection of black and white photos of his daughter. Graben (pronounced "Grayben") through the last five years, since he last saw Horst, Graben has grown more bitter and more cynical. He's been surviving in New York, where every opportunity, just around the corner, has mysteriously eluded him. His father recently died, and this has made his relationship with his mother more strained than ever. Confusing self-loathing with self-deprecation-a quality he never had-he has ramped it up a notch or two. A user and abuser surviving by his street-smarts, he wouldn't know friendship even if it kicked him in the groin. Readings and Productions Staged Reading, 2003 Sawtooth Writer's Conference. Reading, 2004 Playwright's Retreat, Sundance, UT. Production, Center for the Arts, Elon University (2006).
About the Author: Educated at Cambridge University, Westminster College, and the University of Utah, Jeffrey Gold was a member of the Playwright's Group for more than three seasons, through the auspices of the Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC) under dramaturg Mike Dorrell (BBC's Soldier, Soldier, Pictures of a Floating World) and playwright-in-residence Julie Jensen (Two-Headed, Last Lists of My Mad Mother, Wait!). His plays IN THE PURSUIT OF SVETLA, HORST AND GRABEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNFINISHED MAN, FITCH TODD, PERCOLATION THEORY, DEDEKIND, HORST AND GRABEN AT THE CHATEAU GODOT, CANDYCANE HURRICANE, EXECUTION AT PARADAIS ISLAND, DISPLACEMENT: A FISH IN WATER STORY, GRIEVING AT DOORS, and FAIR SHAKE have garnered numerous awards, readings, and productions, including the 2002 CrossCurrents Cultural Five and Dime Playwriting Competition, 2003 Boca Raton Theatre Guild Short Play Reading Festival, 2003 Ten by Ten in the Triangle (Finalist), 2003 Shorts in Winter Playwriting Festival, 2003 Experiments In Ink V Playwriting Competition, 2004 Women in Theatre Play Reading Series, 2004 New Voices/New Words Playwriting Contest, 2004 Moondance International Film Festival Stageplay Competition, 2005 Moondance International Film Festival Seahorse Award (Finalist), 2005 Theatre Publicus Prize for Dramatic Literature (Finalist), 2006 Silver Spring One-Act Festival, and more. Jeffrey Gold was the Best of State Medal Winner in Playwriting in 2005 and 2006, and 2007.