BEFORE THE FALL DRAMA SCRIPT

Setting: A film shooting set

Props: movie set microphone with long handles, lighting lamps, cameras, clapperboard, 2 sofas
4 chairs, ironing board, electric iron, paper scripts,

Characters: William, Oliver, Director, Assistant Director (AD), Film Set Attendant (FSA), Costume
Attendant (CA), set technical crew (camera man, lighting man, microphone man)

All was set for the film shooting. The director and other all other crew members were present.
However, the main character of the movie had not arrived yet.

The Film Set Attendant tries to contact William on phone and William (the main movie character)
said he was almost at the venue.

Williams comes in late talking on his phone (with little sense of urgency). The Film Set Attendant
rushes to his side to prompt about his delay.

William enters the costume session with the film set attendant and throws his costume (suit) to
the costume attendant to straighten it up a bit.
The Costume Attendant rushes to get the dress done for William. The Film set Attendant tells
William the Director is urgently waiting for him. William asks for 10 minutes to settle down.

Film Set Attendant: The Director wants you at the set right now. It is already late. We have been
waiting for you for quite some time now.
William: Tell the Director to give me 10 minutes.
Film Set Attendant: Perhaps you would want to tell the Director yourself
William: Look! I am a professional Actor; you are a professional errands boy. Do your job and
allow me do mine?
The Film Set Attendant is shocked at the words of William and leaves to the other side of the
stage to speak to the director. William goes on to look through his paper script and tries to recite
it out.

William: (Script words) “It is my talent. I can do whatever I want with it no on can hold me and
no one can stop me. You may say whatever you want. That’s fine. But …..

William: (William turns to the Costume Attendant and requests for his suit) Hey hey my suit.
Ready?

The Costume Attendant hurries to help him wear it.

William: How do I look?

Costume Attendant: Very good sir……..Buuuh!! But sir I read through the script and found out
that in this scene you are going to shoot, you are supposed to be coming from work so I think
you look too well dressed. Perhaps you can loosen up a bit.

William: (turns around to stare at the Costume Attendant strangely) Did anybody ask you for
your opinion Mr. thinker?

Williams walks off to the other side of the film set to start the film shooting. The CA follows closely
too to the other side.

Scene shooting moment

All is set and all cast in place.

Director: (Director ensures all are set) light? Camera? Sound? Ok 3 2 1 Action

Oliver: What have you done? Why did you bury it?

William: What kind of a foolish question are asking me. It is my talent. I can do whatever I want
with it. No one can hold me and no one can stop me.
Oliver: It may be your talent but it is the Master that gave it to you. You are going to give account
of it one day.

William: You may say whatever you want. That’s fine. But don’t judge me. I know what to tell the
Master.

Director: Cut! Let’s take the scene again.

The scene is redone two times more. On the third count the Director calls for a break.

William: (pushes microphone his face) Take this thing from my face. hey PA! Get me some water
to drink and fan me a bit.

Director: (To the assistant Director) This is the third shoot and William is still not following the
character reaction directives given to him. Tell him to be more expressive and to put in more
action as he speaks. Since his character is supposed to be coming from work, he should have
removed the suit and loosened the tie at the beginning.

William: (to Oliver) You like my acting right? I know you do. No need to answer. But you weren’t
expressive enough. You see in theatre art, there is something we call expressive vigourosity. I
mean you have to bring the character out well with his expressions. But well I learnt you are only
a beginner actor so it’s understandable. I am sure probably after the fifth take you will get it right.

Oliver: You are so unbelievable

William: I am only trying to lecture on the basic skills rudiments of theatre art. Aren’t you a
novice? You started about five months thereabout right? Mmm!

Assistant Director: Alright so we are taking a five minutes’ break. (Assistant Director calls William
to himself)
William: Five minutes’ break? What’s going on? Why?

Assistant Director: Ow the director the wants it.

William: it is highly unnecessary

Assistant Director: it is necessary to get the best from you

William: (chuckles) I believe I am giving him my best. Aren’t I?

Assistant Director: You only think you are giving your best but you are not

William: why?

Assistant Director: You see. This is the third take and still you are not interpreting what it is
written in the script. You are supposed to rise and shout at Oliver as you speak. You are supposed
to be angry at Oliver. That’s what it is in the script.

William: Let’s face the reality alright. I know the right time I should stand and shout at Oliver.
Remember I am a professional actor.

Assistant Director: And the director is a professional writer. When he says sit, you sit. When he
says stand, you stand. You might be a professional but your profession is useless if you cannot
follow instructions.

William: (raising his voice) Look! I only follow reasonable and realistic instructions; not one given
from someone who knows nothing about the ethics of good acting.

Assistant Director: How dare you!

William: Look! I studied theatre art in school. I am looking at this role from the professional
perspective.

Assistant Director: What you think you know is interfering with the vision of the director.

William: And what he thinks he knows is interfering with my vision of a good character
Assistant Director: (points his finger at William) Mr. man You are close to losing your job

William: (slaps Assistant Director’s hand away) Don’t you point that hand of yours at me, you
professional errand boy!

Director: (Director walks into the hot exchange of words) What’s the problem here?

Assistant Director: He grieved me. I can’t work with him again. (Assistant Director walks away)

Ephesians 4:30 WEB Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption.

Director: How dare you grieve the one I sent to counsel you? The one I delegated to show you
the right way?

John 14:26 WEB But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will
teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

William: I was only trying to explain to him that I cannot…

Director: You are fired! Out of my set! (William begins to walk off)

And you! (Director points to the Costume Assistant)

Costume Attendant: Sir!... Me? (looking very surprised)

Director: Take his place and take up the role

William as he hears this, turns in shock and walks off more angrily.

The Costume Attendant takes the role of William and does so well to the amazement of everyone.
Everyone claps for him. They walk off the stage.
William comes in making a phone call. He seems to be frustrated by the negative responses he is
getting from his follow up calls on applications he had made to other film companies. He is in T-
shirt now and comes to sit on the floor. He makes his last call and still get a negative response.

William: Hello! Hello! My name is William

Lady voiceover: We are sorry sir. We regret to inform you that we cannot proceed with your
application again. We could not obtain any recommendation from your previous institution you
worked with please.

William: But is the recommendation really necessary? I mean you have seen my talent and my
skills. And I am a professional. I know you can do something about it, you know!

(Call hangs up. Phone beeps)

William sits down frustrated. Throws the pen and paper away. He sits down to think scratching
his head. The Film Set Assistant walks and sits by him.

FSA: William, you should apologize to the director.

William: (Almost shedding tears) He won’t forgive me

FSA: Oh yes He will

William: I messed up

FSA: We all have messed up at one point in life. He doesn’t keep grudges. He gives second
chances. So you should apologize and He will forgive you.

The Film Set Assistant walks off. William after a while goes for the pen and the paper he threw
away.

He starts to write. A voiceover of what he is writing is played. At a point he walks off the stage
while still the voiceover plays. The Director also comes in from a different direction holding and
reading a paper with the voice over still on. This is assumed as the letter from William.
Letter from William

My director,

I have offended you and I have offended the crew. All along I thought I was a professional actor.
But now I have decided to drop my pride, my profession and everything I think I am at your feet.
I have come to a point where I realize how much I need you. Please don’t reject me. Accept me
back into your studio.

Your sincerely,

William

1 John 1:9 KJV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.

Assistant Director: (walks in to find the director seated and reading) ah ah Boss you are still here?
I thought you would be home by now resting after a hard work today.

Director: William sent a long letter of apology.

Assistant Director: (Giggles) That one?

Director: Get him for me

Assistant Director: (looking surprised) William?

Director: Yes William

Assistant Director: But you fired him

Director: I know

Assistant Director: You even sent him out of your set.

Director: Well I changed my mind. Let us restore him. Welcome him back to the set. I have a role
for him.
Assistant Director: A role? What role?

Director: You will know soon.

They both walk off the stage.

William walks into the scene from a different direction polishing a shoe and has a rag around his
neck. He puts the shoes down and starts ironing. Costume Attendant walking in later and asks
William about his costume.

Costume Attendant: Are you ready with my costume?

William: Yes, please! Yes, please! (William rushes to help him put the suit on)

Costume Attendant: How do I look?

William: Very good sir……..Buuuh!! But sir I read through the script and found out that in this
scene you are going to shoot, you are supposed to be coming from work so I think you look too
well dressed. Perhaps you can loosen up a bit.

Costume Attendant: You are right! You are right! (removes the suit and loosen the tie)

Can we go to the set now?

They both leave stage.

James 4:6 WEB But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives
grace to the humble.”

END OF DRAMA