31 Plays in 31 Days, #24 - “Typecast”

[breakinglight11]

Another scene from Dream Machine episode 4, falling after Day #5 - "Park Moms", Day #13 - "Mobile Set Pieces", and Day #16 - "Crawling Back", but before Day #23 - “Tom Vincent, Six-Four” and Day #20 - “Tap Dance”.

I want to bring back Devon Chambers into the show on a regular basis. He was the star of Leah’s old show, but that ended, so he has to come back for another reason. He was in episodes one and two but not part three. Since this episode is about casting, it provides a natural opening.

But of course, it can’t be that easy. Meredith wants to bring him onto the new project, but Leah is reluctant. She’s still kind of mad him because he didn’t fight to save the old show. But because she cannot relate to people in a normal way, they’re still having their weird hookups on the side.

If you'd like to check out the episodes of Dream Machine so far, you can find them as follows:
1.01 - "The Show Must Go Off"
1.02 - "Requiem For a Dreamer"
1.03 - "Change or Die"



Day #24 - “Typecast”
From Dream Machine:
“1.04 - The Opposite of People”
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~

MEREDITH BARRY, a showrunner’s assistant, early thirties
DEVON CHAMBERS, a TV actor, early thirties

Los Angeles, 2020
~~~

EXT. TV LOCATION SET – DAY

Devon sits in the makeup chair in an alleyway dressed as a crime scene for a cop show, as an artist paints him to resemble a mutilated corpse. His cellphone rings, and he regards it in surprise as he answers it.

INTERCUT MEREDITH AND DEVON:

DEVON: Meredith? What’s going on? Wait, did Leah steal your phone again?

MEREDITH: No, it’s actually me this time. How you been?

DEVON: Oh, you know. Hustling. Doing a spot as the murder vic on the new Law and Order: Jaywalking Division.

MEREDITH: Tough out there, huh? Guess the movie thing’s not happening.

DEVON: Hey, I’ve got prospects! I’ll have you know I just read at Marvel for the role of an obscure X-Man called Ebola.

MEREDITH: Fascinating. Has Leah talked to you yet?

DEVON: About what, changing the safe word? She told you about that?

MEREDITH: Ugh, no, not that. I meant, Dream Machine’s doing a new show, and we think you’d be great for the male lead. Think you could make time in your schedule to come in and read?

DEVON: Is this another frock flick?

MEREDITH: Hey, you look so good in tights! And we already have all your measurements on file—

DEVON: And let me guess. Another brooding beefcake who cries and fights and ravishes?

MEREDITH: No beefcake cries while ravishing like you!

DEVON: I told Leah when West Chesterham ended. I’m done doings those soapy cable dramas in frilly shirts.

MEREDITH: Hey, we won a Cable Ace Award— for the community theater that lent us the costumes.

DEVON: It’s just time to move on to bigger and better things.

MEREDITH: Oh, yeah, clearly you got it made. They hardly ever cut the corpse.

DEVON: For your information, I get a death scene! It took five hours to make the cast of my face for them to put the axe through.

MEREDITH: Living the dream.

DEVON: Look, Meredith. I’ll never advance in my career if I keep playing the same bloke over and over. If I’m going to move forward, I’ve got to take on somebody new. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to have my dangling eyeball prosthesis applied.

He hangs up, leaving Meredith frustrated.