Tag: comedy

Winner of the Chameleon Theatre Circle 2007 New Play Contest

Crossing Event Horizon is a humorous and heart-warming dramedy about a Catholic high school guidance counselor’s midlife crisis. Frustrated by his inability to get his students to face reality, Thom Gilmer must separate fantasy from reality in his own life when a DVD of a lost Hollywood film mysteriously surfaces, and presents him (the film’s breakout star) with a Faustian bargain.

Synopsis

Thom Gilmer is an over-worked, 45 year-old failed-actor-turned-high school Guidance Counselor. His students love him but won’t take his advice. His Vice Principal is an out-of-control adolescent who leans so heavily on Thom, he prevents him from doing his job. His stodgy-cleric-boss wants Thom to stop rocking the boat. And his wife can’t understand why Thom is so emotionally entangled with his students, but won’t engage with his own kids.

Thom is collaborating with the California State Police to stage a dramatic fantasy re-enactment of a drunk driving car crash to deter the student body from drinking and driving. Since none of his over-the-top ideas have yielded tangible results, the school President (Monsignor), criticizes Thom’s “flair for the dramatic,” and urges him to drop the “bells and whistles.” As Thom pushes forward with his “event” he feels increasing pressure to “produce a hit.”

Amidst this pressure, Thom receives a mysterious DVD, apparently of a major Hollywood film, previously unreleased, in which he co-starred twenty years ago. The star of the film, Lance Ransome, died shortly after shooting. Thom tries to wrap his head around the possibility that despite destroying his burgeoning acting career with cocaine, he had made an impressive debut that got shelved, and this has enormous implication for his future. After the drunk-driving event hits an embarrassing speed-bump, Thom decides to retrace his steps to see if he can have a second chance at the acting career he almost died pursuing.

Availability

Theatre groups wishing to perform Crossing Event Horizon can contact the playwright directly through this website for further information. The play will shortly be released in paperback and e-book formats.