Synopsis Charlie’s girlfriend has just dumped him for being out of touch with reality. The last thing he wants to do is spend his evening staring in a badly written domestic comedy, but such is the life of a struggling actor. Charlie has an onstage breakdown and quits the play mid- scene. Despite the unexpected outburst, his fellow cast mates do not break character. Frustrated, Charlie goes to extreme measures to try to get the other people on stage to acknowledge that this is just a play. Their commitment is unwavering and Charlie begins to doubt his own sanity. Desperate to prove what is real and what is not, he pulls a prop gun on his leading lady. When she insists on calling him by his character name, instead of his real one, he shoots her, and she drops dead. She must be a seriously method actor, because she has no pulse. Charlie is mortified but also surprised to see that the audience stays sitting calmly in their seats after witnessing a murder. They too have fallen captive to the spell of the stage.

Production History Prince George Community College Hallem Players Staged Reading Largo, MD

Raymond Jacquet in a staged reading of The Stagnant Multitudes at the Hallem Players Theatre at Prince George Community College in Largo, Maryland. Directed by Jasmine Simon.

Running Time: 45 minutes Set: living room (interior unit) Cast: 2 M, 2 F