KITTENS (4-page short thriller radio screenplay) by PAUL KNAUER

When it comes to love, always have a backup plan.

Coming in a very close 2nd place in April’s audio-only themed Quickie Challenge is a thriller from writer, Paul Knauer, about a man who has a very bad problem being loyal to his wife… to the point where it becomes deadly.

NOTE: Now, there are minor visuals in this script, but it’s mainly Jake’s hand on the various cell phones he uses (more on that later).

The story opens with Jake answering a phone call from his wife, Lisa – though he refers to her by the cute pet name “Kitten”. Apparently, he’s away on a business trip in Memphis, shacked up in a hotel. Of course, Jake is lying – as always. But, this time, Lisa is on to him.

As Lisa breaks things off with him over the phone, Jake gets another call… from another cell phone. This is from his girlfriend, Cora, who he also refers to as “Kitten”. She just so happens to be on her way to meet up with him. She just had to make one stop – at Lisa’s house.

Desperately trying to call his wife back to warn her, more and more cell phones ring, one after the other, a cell phone for each woman he’s seeing on the side (and he refers to all of them as “Kitten”). It gets so confusing that he forgets which phone his wife is on, which makes it even more frantic since the clock is ticking…

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but the chaotic finale ends on a darkly comic note that’ll make you both squirm and chuckle at the same time.

BUDGET: No-budget – shoestring (99% audio).

ABOUT THE WRITER: Paul is an optioned and produced screenwriter working out of the Kansas City area. His main focus is thrillers and slightly absurdist comedy with heart, most of them about life in the Midwest U.S. His first script, a sitcom pilot titled OH, BROTHER!, placed second in the 2012 Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition and was subsequently optioned. Paul’s diverse portfolio includes several feature thrillers, a couple of comedy features and multiple sitcom pilots, as well as dozens of shorts across genres. He believes that becoming a better writer requires the ability to push personal boundaries.

Read: KITTENS(4-page short thriller radio screenplay)

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*This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

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About the Reviewer: Michael J. Kospiah is the award-winning screenwriter of critically acclaimed indie-thriller, The Suicide Theory (79% Rotten Tomatoes – available on Amazon Prime, Itunes, Google Play, etc) and 2020’s upcoming Aussie thriller, Rage. His horror feature, They Never Left is currently in development.

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