# Need 8-10 min play excerpt for presentation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-8-10-min-play-excerpt-for-presentation/489274>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 13, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-8-10-min-play-excerpt-for-presentation/489274 "2009-03-13T00:07:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-8-10-min-play-excerpt-for-presentation/489274/1 "2009-03-13T00:07:40Z")

</div>

If you were going to give an 8 to 10 minute reading of a play, is there a piece that you’d immediately think of? I’m drawing a blank.

Thanks ahead of time.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-8-10-min-play-excerpt-for-presentation/489274/2 "2009-03-13T00:12:30Z")

</div>

One actor or more? male or female?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-8-10-min-play-excerpt-for-presentation/489274/3 "2009-03-13T00:13:12Z")

</div>

The “There’s a body in the windowseat!” scene from _Arsenic and Old Lace_ is a classic. Do you need comedy, drama, Shakespeare, classics, new plays, or what? What’s the presentation for? Who’s the audience? Do you have actors figured out?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-8-10-min-play-excerpt-for-presentation/489274/4 "2009-03-13T00:26:34Z")

</div>

If your actors are lazy, just do _Waiting for Godot_ with long pauses. 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-8-10-min-play-excerpt-for-presentation/489274/5 "2009-03-13T00:40:43Z")

</div>

> [@Leaper](#):
>
> If your actors are lazy, just do _Waiting for Godot_ with long pauses. 😃

I just finished writing a training film screenplay for a project called “Weeding for Condition”. Somehow my little brain latched onto the very weak aural similarities between that name and the title you mention, and I chose to name my two characters Valerie and Estelle.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-8-10-min-play-excerpt-for-presentation/489274/6 "2009-03-13T14:08:38Z")

</div>

It’s for a Toastmaster’s speech. It’s meant to be read by one person doing all the parts.

I’ll check out the Arsenic and Old Lace. That’s sure to be in the library.