Duet
Sometimes, teachers become the student…
Life moves at a rapid pace nowadays. People live in densely populated areas, resulting in unwanted sounds penetrating our poor eardrums – with the din of unending noise.
It’s often a challenge to relax and reminiscence. Yet doing so is healthy: even with bittersweet memories.
This is no more apparent than in the opening scene of Kerry Douglas Dye’s “Duet”. Arthur Golden, a gentleman of the ripe old age of 80, hurries along the sidewalk – sounds of construction adding to the frantic atmosphere of the city street. Arthur’s in such a rush he ends up losing control of his suitcase; spilling its contents of sheet music all over the busy road!
You see, Arthur’s a piano teacher, and he’s late for an appointment. As expected, Arthur’s stressed when he arrives, not even bothering to set eyes on his new student.
But when he does, he’s awestruck. Seeing a woman so youthful and ethereally beautiful, old Arthur quickly looks away.
However, the student doesn’t follow her teacher’s lead. Carolyn’s eyes are locked on Arthur from the start. And as he prepares for the lesson, she attempts to spruce the lesson up a bit:
CAROLYN
Make it a duet.
Arthur tries to ignore Carolyn’s forward behaviour, but then it clicks – he understands why she’s acting in this way.
Stunned and ashamed, he prepares to leave and forget the whole encounter – before anyone does something they’ll regret.
Yet there’s something nostalgic about Carolyn that convinces him to stay. Ultimately, it’s this aspect of the young woman that leads Arthur to give his apprentice a lecture about the heart – from the heart.
As the old music teacher opens up his soul, “two become one”, with Carolyn playing off Arthur’s notes of regret. It’s a cathartic confession of eternal grief, clinging onto the echoes of loves long since past.
And they haven’t even started the piano lesson yet…
The result: a sentimental, heart-warming script with stunningly honest dialogue. While the lead may be quite aged, the appeal of Duet is arguably expanded by it all the more – audience members of almost all generations will be in tune with this down to earth, life affirming piece.
Direct Duet’s tune note by note, and we guarantee: you’ll leave festival judges applauding in harmony!
Budget: Quite low. All that’s needed is actors for Arthur, Carolyn and a piano.
Pages: 6
About the reviewer: Hamish Porter is a writer who, if he was granted one wish, would ask for the skill of being able to write dialogue like Tarantino. Or maybe the ability to teleport. Nah, that’s nothing compared to the former. A lover of philosophy, he’s working on several shorts and a sporting comedy that can only be described as “quintessentially British”. If you want to contact him, he can be emailed: hamishdonaldp “AT” gmail.com. If you’d like to contact him and be subjected to incoherent ramblings, follow him on Twitter @HamishP95.
About the writer, Kerry Douglas Dye: I’m a produced writer of features who has recently been dabbling in shorts as an exercise. Want to learn more – then read here:
https://pro-labs.imdb.com/name/nm1338794/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1338794/
READ THE SCRIPT HERE – AND DON’T FORGET TO COMMENT!!
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