"Stake Throughthe Heart"

by Steven Donnini

(Production Book)

Library Of CongressWGACopyright Steven Donnini 2004

Stake Through the Heart is a Dramatic Comedy about thelives of the people within a community theater company inthe small college town of Denton, Texas.Here, we have a Drama/Comedy where actors become in life,what they rehearse.So, we go from “STAGE SETTINGS” to “REAL LIFE” situations.THE CASTEdna McCoy...A 70 year old woman.Edna was once a raving beauty, but is now a faded Texasrose. All of the plastic surgery and cosmetics can’t bringback her youthful appearance. She has become addicted topain meds as a result of all the surgery. Her drinking andcigarette smoking has only added to the deterioration. Shehas been able to survive the years of abuse, to theamazement of her son and many doctors. She is creative andfunny when lucid and down right mean when she doesn’t gether way. Acting is her only love and she is exceptionallygood at it after thirty years playing equity theater. Danny McCoy...The 25 year old son of Edna McCoy.

Danny is a lovable loser that wants everyone to think he’sa millionaire. His dead father had disowned him after hefailed in law school and a business venture. It was a greatidea to grind up used car tires and spread them across landfills and create new golf courses all across the country.He had lost more than $500,000 to a Mexican partner who wasto supply the auto tires. His father didn’t want to looseany more of his fortune on Danny’s get rich quick schemes.However, when Danny got in trouble his dad gave him enoughto keep him from embarrassment. Danny now is a momma’s boy.Since his father’s suicide, he has become a thief. Stealingfrom his mother’s checkbook whenever there’s a crisis.Ben Allen...50 year old. The community theater companydirector.Ben is a college professor that once had high principlesand aspirations, but now he wants to play out his academiccareer by directing a community theater company. His latestproduction had the worst reviews of his career. The DallasMorning News critic wrote, “Ben Allen’s latest attempt atplay writing uses every cliché in murder mystery. But, heis not a good enough writer to pull it off.”He is always on the edge because he used false credentialsto get his first job at the college 17 years ago. The fact