A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Karlaboy

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 6m

Steven Peros

"Steven Peros' intriguing play is a well wrought tale of love and loss,
set against the sweeping background of the golden era of Hollywood...while the characters are fictional, they take on a life of their own and
end up eerily reminiscent and real... Karlaboy could rightly take its place among the more innovative and involving productions currently on the Los Angeles theatre scene" - Drama-Logue

Karlaboy

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 6m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller, Period
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 1994 Drama-Logue Critics Award, Outstanding Achievement in Writing

Details

Summary
Biographer Bill Lauder has penned a ruthless tell-all about Karla Daven, a long dead legendary 1950's starlet. As a result, he is summoned in the middle of the night to the dilapidated mansion of Karla's celebrity husband, Harold Bachman, a reclusive director who makes the outlandish claim that Karla's ghost has threatened to kill him this very night unless Bill calls off the publication of his tawdry book of lies.

What follows is an intense evening where memory wrestles with myth in order to find the truth. As Harold gets deeper into exposing Bill's lies about Karla, he is forced to confront the lies he's told himself – lies about himself as a filmmaker, a husband, and as a man. Harold must not only save himself from Karla's ghost, but from the ghosts of an unrealized life.

In addition to being an absorbing psychological ghost story, Karlaboy is an important, non-graphic exploration of LGBT issues in its fascinating dissection of a high profile Hollywood "marriage of convenience."
History

1994 - Actors Circle Theatre, West Hollywood, California - Love Swing Productions, LLC

Keywords
Performing Groups

HAROLD BACHMAN — 65; a movie director and screenwriter, retired for over 35 years. In recall, he is in his 20s. In some productions, the same actor has played both roles, ala Salieri in Amadeus.
KARLA DAVEN — 20s; a lovely actress with star quality. Karla should not be costumed or made-up to recall any one specific famous movie star.
BILL LAUDER — 30s; a journalist.
TONY — 20s-30s; a good-looking movie star-in-training.
STUDIO BOSS — 40s-60s; head of the unnamed major studio to which Harold and Karla are under contract.
ENSEMBLE OF THREE — Made up of 2 men and 1 woman. The Ensemble plays the following roles: First Male Voice, Second Male Voice, Third Male Voice, Assistant, Olga, Olga’s Partners, Super Mogul, Party Guests, Yes Man #1, Yes Man #2, Gowned Actress, Reporter #1, Reporter #2, Reporter #3, Sydney Bachman, Bill’s Agent.

Karlaboy was written to have the role of “Harold Bachman”, young and old, portrayed by one actor, very much like “Salieri” – young and old - was played by one actor in the stage version of Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. However, permission is granted to cast two separate actors in the role.

  • Time Period 1990s, 1950s
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes, Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Gun Shots
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

"Steven Peros' intriguing play is a well wrought tale of love and loss, set against the sweeping background of the golden era of Hollywood... while the characters are fictional, they take on a life of their own and end up eerily reminiscent and real...Karlaboy could rightly take its place among the more innovative and involving productions currently on the Los Angeles theatre scene" - Drama-Logue

"A wonderful experience...What rings through this fascinating play is the brilliant dialogue. Steven Peros has an ear for dialogue of this type - highly intelligent, witty and on the mark. You'll see many a show before you come across talk this stimulating." - The Tolucan 

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

Scripts

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Authors

Steven Peros

Steven Peros

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