Karp, ADM

1m 30-50; 2 either to play a range of ages

 

Lester Karp is three minutes late to work as Assistant District Manager at Buzzz Electronics, after helping a butterfly cross the street. As a consequence, he is fired. And then his day goes from bad to worse, as he faces setbacks at the gym, at the doctor's, at the bank, at the car shop, and even back at home. Through it all, Lester tries to keep a positive attitude.

Karp, ADM tells the picaresque tale of one day in Karp's life. Two other actors portray all the others he meets in his day's journey: a boss and co-worker; a gym receptionist and trainer; a doctor and his receptionist; a bank teller and a bank customer; a service station owner and a mechanic; a neighbor and an undercover policeman. Sets, costumes, and props should be minimal or mimed.

Karp, ADM piles woe upon woe on a cheery individual until he is finally broken. A light tone is maintained throughout, with the comic accumulation of woes leavening the possible sadness of the final moment of this 15-minute play.

The script is also available as a 15-minute radio play, adding an announcer and sound cues to delineate the multiple locales.