A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Can of Yams

Short Play, Comedy  /  2w, 2m

There's only one thing standing between egotistical painter Alan Plum and the fame he craves... and it's a can of yams! To his sister Delphinia's dismay, Alan has cherished the can of yams since childhood. He has even chosen it as the subject of his unfinished masterpiece. But when gallery owner Heather Lyme announces a visit to Alan’s studio, his insecurities rise to the surface, and an artistic crisis erupts.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    30 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
There’s only one thing standing between egotistical painter Alan Plum and the fame he craves... and it’s a can of yams! To his sister Delphinia’s dismay, Alan has cherished the can of yams since childhood. He has even chosen it as the subject of his unfinished masterpiece. But when gallery owner Heather Lyme announces a visit to Alan’s studio, his insecurities rise to the surface, and an artistic crisis erupts around the still-incomplete still life. With Heather and her assistant on the premises, the panicked Alan makes frantic, ridiculous attempts to impress, stall, and paint. Meanwhile, the fast-talking, sardonic Delphinia tries to salvage her brother’s career—and straighten out her own love life. Sharp-witted dialogue drives this frivolous one-act farce.
History
Can of Yams was first presented by the Endless Mountains Theatre Company in Montrose, Pennsylvania in 2002.
Cast Attributes
ALAN PLUM - a struggling painter; energetic, temperamental, and egotistical.
DELPHINIA - his sister and business manager; practical and sardonic.
HEATHER LYME - a gallery owner; passionate and decisive.
EUCLID - her assistant; slightly fussy but agreeable.
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting An artist’s studio in rural Pennsylvania. The present or the recent past.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration 30 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

Videos

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Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $65 per performance

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Authors

Jonathan Caws-Elwitt

Jonathan Caws-Elwitt is a playwright, humorist, neologist, palindromist, limericist, parodist, and wit. His one-act farce The Can of Yams is published by Samuel French, and his full-length comedy As Long as It’s in the Script: A Sex Farce within a Sex Farce has earned finalis ...
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