25 Christmas scenes written by us for two or more voices, free to read with a partner, record and post.
Grab a scene partner. These run from a fake-boyfriend briefing before the family party to a quiet scene about an empty stocking. A few have three or four parts, so they work for a group read too.
A packed mall parking garage, December twenty-third. TESS, 30, and SAM, 32, have both nosed their cars toward the same empty space. They're out of their cars, facing each other
TESSI had my blinker on.
SAMI had my blinker on first.
TESSYou can't prove that.
SAMNeither can you. That's how blinkers work.
TESSI've been circling for forty minutes.
SAMFifty. I passed you twice. You were singing.
TESSI was not singing.
SAMYou were doing the high part. With your hand.
TESS...Okay, that's not fair.
SAMI'm just saying. It was committed.
TESSLook. I have one gift left. For my dad. And the store closes at nine.
SAMI have one gift left too.
TESSFor who?
SAMMy niece. She wants a unicorn that poops glitter. I don't know where to begin.
TESSSecond floor. Toy place by the escalator. They had six this morning.
SAMYou went to the toy store?
TESSI panicked and bought a unicorn for my dad.
SAM[laughs] What's on yours? Your list.
TESSA watch. I don't know anything about watches.
SAMI fix watches. For a living.
TESSYou're kidding.
SAMPark your car. I'll show you which ones to avoid.
What it is for: Two drivers reach the last parking space at the mall on December twenty-third. Trains a fast, funny standoff where both people slowly stop wanting to win. Coach's note: Watch out for making Tess actually mean. She's exhausted, not cruel. The turn is Sam's 'What's on yours?' Give it a real beat, because it's the first time either of them asks the other a real question. What casting listens for: Casting listens for quick timing and the moment the fight quietly turns into something else.
LEOOkay. Last question. And why did we break up the first time?
MAYAWe didn't. We've never...
LEO[beat] I know. I'm asking why we never tried.
MAYA...That's not on the cards.
LEOI know. I didn't write it down.
A porch light flicks on. The front door opens
MAYAThat's my mom. Load-bearing. Go.
What it is for: A woman preps her best friend to pose as her boyfriend at the family Christmas. Trains rapid, overlapping comedy where one person is panicking and the other is far too calm. Coach's note: Watch out for rushing Leo. His calm is what makes Maya's panic funny. Let him take his time. The scene turns on 'And why did we break up the first time?' Maya has no answer, and the silence should feel real. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a clear comic engine: one person spiraling, one person enjoying it.
The office break room, the day before the gift exchange. JORDAN and RILEY are both holding small wrapped boxes behind their backs
JORDANHey. Riley.
RILEYJordan. Hi.
JORDANRandom question. Do you like cats?
RILEYWhy?
JORDANNo reason. Just making conversation.
RILEYYou asked me last week what my favorite color was.
JORDANDid I?
RILEYAnd the week before, my shoe size.
JORDANOkay. Small question. Did you drink out of my mug on Tuesday?
RILEY...I needed to know what size it was.
JORDANWhy would you need to know the size of my mug?
RILEYWhy would you need to know my shoe size?
JORDAN[beat] Did you draw me?
RILEYDid you draw me?
JORDANYou can't answer a question with a question.
RILEYYou just did.
JORDAN...Yes. I drew you. You're getting slippers. With cats on them.
RILEYI drew you. You're getting a mug.
JORDANI have a mug.
RILEYIt's a very good mug.
What it is for: Two coworkers realize they each drew the other for Secret Santa and have spent weeks spying. Trains quick, escalating reveals with two equal comic parts. Coach's note: Watch out for letting it turn into a fight. They're both embarrassed, not angry. Each reveal is a little worse than the last. The button is 'It's a very good mug.' Play it sincere. What casting listens for: Casting listens for two players who can share the comedy evenly.
The Karaoke Report
Office comedy, aftermathAdult (30-50)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.5 min
Cast: DIANEKIM
A small HR office, the Monday after the holiday party. DIANE, 50, from HR, with a notepad. KIM, 34, from accounting, in sunglasses
DIANEThanks for coming in, Kim. This is just informal.
KIMThere's a notepad.
DIANEI like notepads. Can you walk me through Friday night?
KIMSure. Party. Snacks. Very nice snacks.
DIANEAnd then?
KIMAnd then the karaoke machine came out.
DIANEWho brought the karaoke machine?
KIMI don't know. It just appeared. Like a Christmas miracle.
DIANEIt's registered to your home address.
KIM...It appeared from my house.
DIANETell me about the song.
KIMIt was a duet. A Christmas duet. A classic.
DIANEWho was your duet partner?
KIMMr. Pruitt.
DIANEThe regional director.
KIMHe was very good. He has a real gift.
DIANEWas he aware he was singing?
KIMHe was by the second chorus.
DIANEAnd the table?
KIMThe table was structurally sound. I checked first. I knocked on it twice. That shows judgment, Diane.
DIANEAnd the reindeer antlers?
KIMThose were his idea. I have it on video.
DIANE[writes] Please don't send me the video.
KIMI already did. Everyone did.
DIANEKim. Is there anything you'd like to add?
KIMOnly that he hit the high note. Nobody's talking about that. He hit it clean.
DIANENoted.
KIMIn D minor.
What it is for: An HR manager interviews an employee about what happened at the office holiday party. Trains deadpan questioning against a guilty, rambling witness. Coach's note: Watch out for Diane cracking. She has seen worse, and her questions are completely calm. Kim fills every silence with more information, which is the joke. The button is 'In D minor.' Kim says it with quiet pride. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a straight player with perfect stillness and a comic who digs her own hole in clear steps.
Gate Fourteen, Delayed
Holiday comedy, airportAdult (30-60)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.3 min
Cast: GUSFRANK
A crowded airport gate, Christmas Eve, 9pm. The board says DELAYED. FRANK, 62, in a good coat, stares at it. GUS, 34, in a reindeer sweater, sits next to him with a huge bag of pretzels
GUSPretzel?
FRANKNo.
GUSThey're the good ones. The little twisty ones.
FRANKI said no.
GUSCool, cool. First delay of the season?
FRANKThird. Today.
GUSThird! You're a pro. I've only had two. I'm hoping for a fourth. Then I get a meal voucher.
FRANKYou want a fourth delay?
GUSTwelve dollars, Frank. That's a sandwich.
FRANKHow do you know my name?
GUSIt's on your bag tag. Frank Delvecchio. Great name. Sounds like a judge.
FRANKI was an accountant.
GUSEven better. You'd know what twelve dollars is worth.
SFX: a chime. ANNOUNCER: "Flight 1192 to Minneapolis is now delayed until eleven forty."
GUSOoh. Four!
FRANKUnbelievable.
GUSHey. Hey. It's still the twenty-fourth. Still counts.
FRANKCounts for what?
GUSFor getting there. Where are you going?
FRANKMy daughter's. In Duluth. She just had a baby.
GUSNo way. Congratulations, Grandpa.
FRANKIt's his first Christmas.
GUS[beat] That's a big one.
FRANKI told her I'd be there when he wakes up. First thing. I promised.
GUSThen you will be. Babies wake up at five. We land at two. That's three hours of nap for you.
FRANKYou don't know that.
GUSI don't. But I've been delayed four times and I'm very optimistic. It's a skill.
FRANKWhat about you? Where are you going?
GUSNowhere. I mean, Minneapolis. But nobody's waiting. I just like being somewhere with lots of people at Christmas.
FRANK...At an airport.
GUSBest people-watching in the world. Everyone's going home.
beat
FRANKGive me a pretzel.
GUSYes! The twisty one?
FRANKThe twisty one. And when we land, you're coming to Duluth. My daughter makes too much food.
GUSFrank. Are you inviting me to Christmas?
FRANKI'm inviting you to eat. Don't make it weird.
What it is for: Two strangers stuck at an airport gate on Christmas Eve: one an endless optimist, one losing his mind. Trains a long comic scene that changes from irritation to friendship. Coach's note: Watch out for playing Frank as just grumpy. He's scared he'll miss his grandson's first Christmas, and the grumbling covers that. Gus never gets annoying because he means it. Let the shift at 'It's his first one' be real. What casting listens for: Casting listens for two distinct comic rhythms and a scene that earns its warm ending.
Who Brought the Ham
Family drama, holiday dinnerAdult (35-50)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.8 min
Cast: JENCAROL
A small, hot kitchen, Christmas Day. Voices and a football game from the next room. CAROL, 47, the oldest, at the oven. JEN, 41, holding a foil-covered tray
JENWhere do you want this?
CAROLWhat is it?
JENHam. Honey-glazed.
CAROLI made a ham.
JENI know. I brought another ham.
CAROLWhy would you bring another ham?
JENBecause Dad likes it with the pineapple and you never do the pineapple.
CAROLDad can't have pineapple. It's on his list from the doctor.
JENWhat list?
CAROLThe list. From October. When he was in the hospital.
JENHe was in the hospital in October?
CAROL[beat] I called you.
JENYou left one voicemail.
CAROLI left four voicemails, Jen.
JENYou said it was nothing serious.
CAROLBecause I didn't want you to panic and then not come anyway.
JENThat's not fair.
CAROLI drove him every Tuesday. I learned the list. I do the ham without pineapple. You were never here.
JENI live four hundred miles away.
CAROLYou've lived four hundred miles away for twenty years. That was a choice.
SFX: from the other room, DAD calls out: "Girls? Is it ready?"
CAROL[calling] Two minutes, Dad!
JEN[quietly] Is he okay? Now?
CAROLHe's okay. He's slower.
JENWhy didn't you tell me how bad it was?
CAROLBecause then you'd have come. And I'd have had to share him.
beat
JENPut my ham back in the car.
CAROLNo. Leave it. Take the pineapple off. He'll know you made it.
What it is for: Two sisters fight in the kitchen while the rest of the family waits for dinner. Trains a family argument that's really about something older than the food. Coach's note: Watch out for shouting. The family is in the next room, so everything is a furious whisper. The argument is about the ham until 'You were never here.' After that it's about everything, and both of them know it. What casting listens for: Casting listens for sibling history: two people who know exactly where to hit.
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Dad's Toast
Family drama, father and sonAdult (30-65)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.2 min
Cast: DANNYRAY
A garage workshop, Christmas Eve, late. RAY, 64, is fixing a string of lights at the workbench. DANNY, 33, comes in with two beers
DANNYMom says you're hiding.
RAYI'm not hiding. I'm fixing these.
DANNYThose lights are older than me.
RAYThat's why they're worth fixing. Pass me the little screwdriver.
DANNY[hands it over] Brought you a beer.
RAYYou bring me a beer, you want something.
DANNYMaybe I just want to drink a beer with my dad.
RAYMaybe. [beat] I was going to say something tomorrow. At dinner. A toast.
DANNYYou don't do toasts.
RAYI'm doing one. Forty years of the store. Your grandfather opened it in eighty-five. I'm going to say it's yours now. From January.
DANNYDad.
RAYI already talked to the bank. The paperwork's simple.
DANNYDad. I got a job.
RAYYou have a job. At the store.
DANNYIn Portland. Teaching. High school shop. They called last week.
A long pause. Ray keeps working on the lights
RAYShop.
DANNYWoodworking. Metal. All the stuff you taught me in here.
RAYIn Portland.
DANNYI start the second week of January.
RAYAnd you were going to tell me when?
DANNYTonight. Now. I was going to tell you now.
RAYBefore the toast.
DANNYBefore the toast.
SFX: the string of lights flickers, then comes on
RAYThere she goes.
DANNYYou're not going to say anything?
RAY[beat] I know.
DANNYYou know what?
RAYThat you didn't want it. I've known since you were sixteen. You'd stand behind that counter like it was a waiting room.
DANNYThen why the toast?
RAYBecause I wanted you to have the choice. Not the store. The choice. You took it. Good.
DANNYYou're not mad?
RAYI'm sad. That's different. [beat] Teach them to measure twice.
DANNYI will.
RAYAnd come home at Christmas. I'll need help with these lights.
What it is for: A son tells his father on Christmas Eve that he won't take over the family hardware store. Trains a restrained two-hander where neither man says what he feels until the end. Coach's note: Watch out for big emotion too early. These men talk around everything. Ray tries to make a toast. Danny tries to get out. The real scene starts at 'I know.' Ray already knew, and he says it softly. What casting listens for: Casting listens for subtext: two actors who can play what isn't said.
Five Stockings
Holiday drama, griefAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.7 min
Cast: LUCYNATE
A living room, December twenty-third. A fireplace with five hooks. NATE, 38, and LUCY, 35, unpack an old cardboard box
LUCYDad's. With the fish on it.
NATEWhy is there a fish on it?
LUCYHe caught one. Once. In nineteen ninety. She never let him forget it.
NATE[hangs it] Dad. Me. You.
LUCYGrandpa's?
NATEMom kept it up every year. Even after he died.
LUCYI know. [beat] So what do we do with hers?
They both look at the last stocking in the box
NATEWe could put it away.
LUCYShe'd hate that.
NATEShe'd hate us standing here staring at it, too. She hated standing still. She'd have hung all five by now and started on the tree.
LUCYShe'd say, "Is somebody going to hang that, or are we having a meeting?"
NATE[laughs] "Are we having a meeting." She said that about everything.
LUCYShe said it at my graduation. To the dean.
NATEShe said it at Grandpa's funeral.
LUCYShe did! To the priest!
NATEIn fairness, he'd done three readings. Nobody asked for three readings.
LUCYHe was taking forever.
beat
NATEDad hasn't said anything about it.
LUCYHe wouldn't. He'd wait for us.
NATEOkay. Then we decide.
LUCYWe hang it.
NATEAnd put what in it?
LUCYThe thing she always wanted and nobody ever got her.
NATEPeace and quiet.
LUCY[laughs] Peace and quiet.
NATE[hangs the stocking] Mom.
A long pause
LUCYFive hooks.
NATEFive hooks.
What it is for: A brother and sister hang the family stockings at their dad's house on the first Christmas after their mother died. Trains a gentle grief scene that leaves room for a laugh. Coach's note: Watch out for playing grief as constant sadness. Most of the scene is two siblings joking the way they always have, and the sadness keeps showing through. Don't cry on the lines. The scene is in the pauses. What casting listens for: Casting listens for honesty and restraint, and a laugh that sounds like real relief.
Last Shift Before Christmas
Holiday drama, hospitalAdult (25-80)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.1 min
Cast: ANAWALTER
A quiet hospital room, Christmas Eve, just after midnight. A small paper tree on the windowsill. ANA, 26, a nurse, checks a monitor. WALTER, 84, is awake in bed
ANAYou're supposed to be asleep, Mr. Haines.
WALTERI'm supposed to be in Florida. Yet here we both are.
ANABlood pressure looks good.
WALTERThat's because a pretty nurse came in.
ANAIs that a line?
WALTERAt my age, everything's a line. I only get so many.
ANA[laughs] You want some water?
WALTERI want to know why you're working Christmas Eve.
ANASomebody has to.
WALTERThat's not an answer. That's a greeting card.
ANA[beat] I'm new. New nurses get the holidays.
WALTERWhere's your family?
ANAOhio. My mom's doing the dinner without me this year. She sent a picture of the turkey. With a sad face drawn on it.
WALTEROn the turkey?
ANAIn ketchup.
WALTERI like her.
ANAEveryone likes her. Do you have family coming tomorrow?
WALTERMy son. Probably. He's busy.
ANAWell, I'll be here till seven.
WALTERI was a mailman, you know. Forty-one years.
ANAReally?
WALTERWorked every Christmas Eve. Every one. The cards, the packages. People would wait at the door for me. Kids, mostly.
ANAThat's lovely.
WALTERIt was. Cold, but lovely. One lady, Mrs. Ortiz, left me a coffee on her mailbox every year. Thirty years. Never once met her.
ANAYou never met her?
WALTERI always came at the same time. So did the coffee. Some things don't need a conversation.
beat
ANAI'll tell you what. I'm going to get you a coffee.
WALTERDecaf, I suppose.
ANADecaf. You're in a hospital.
WALTERLeave it on the table. Don't wait for me to drink it.
ANAThat's not how it works, Mr. Haines.
WALTER[smiles] Merry Christmas, Ana.
ANAMerry Christmas, Walter. Go to sleep.
What it is for: A young night nurse and an elderly patient share Christmas Eve on a hospital ward. Trains a heartfelt scene between two very different ages, built on small talk that slowly opens up. Coach's note: Watch out for making Walter feeble or sentimental. He's sharp, funny and a bit of a flirt. Ana is tired and kind, but she's at work. The turn is 'I was a mailman.' Let him tell it simply. What casting listens for: Casting listens for chemistry across generations and warmth that never gets sticky.
The Missing Ring at the Christmas Market
Cozy mysteryAdult (30-70)British (standard Southern)Two narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.5 min
Cast: BECKYMARGARET
A village Christmas market at dusk. Stalls, lights, a brass band. MARGARET, 68, a retired schoolteacher, at the mulled wine stall run by BECKY, 34
BECKYYou've heard, then.
MARGARETAbout Mrs. Pell's ring? The whole market's heard. She shouted it from the tombola.
BECKYShe says she took it off to try the hand cream at the soap stall. Put it on the counter. Turned round. Gone.
MARGARETThe soap stall. Run by the Drake girl?
BECKYHolly Drake. Nineteen. Everyone's looking at her, poor thing.
MARGARETOf course they are. She's the one who's new. [sips] This is very good, Becky. Is there orange in it?
BECKYOrange and clove. Margaret, focus.
MARGARETI am focusing. Who else was at the soap stall?
BECKYMr. Fenwick, buying lavender for his sister. The vicar. And the man in the Father Christmas suit, handing out sweets.
MARGARETWhich Father Christmas?
BECKYWhat do you mean, which?
MARGARETThere are two this year. The one by the grotto has a real beard. The one handing out sweets has a cotton one. And a very nice watch.
BECKYHow do you notice a watch under a Father Christmas suit?
MARGARETThirty-five years teaching eleven-year-olds. You learn to look at hands.
BECKYSo it's him? The cotton-beard one?
MARGARETPossibly. Or possibly not. Did you see him buy anything?
BECKYHe bought a mulled wine from me. Twenty minutes ago. Paid with a twenty.
MARGARETAnd where's the twenty?
BECKYIn the tin.
MARGARETLook at it.
BECKY[rustling] It's... there's something written on it. In biro. "Pell."
MARGARETMrs. Pell writes her name on her banknotes. Has done since the nineteen-eighties. Everyone in the village knows that.
BECKYSo he took her purse as well.
MARGARETOr she gave him the money and the ring together. Because he's her nephew, he's in debt, and she'd rather lose a ring at a Christmas market than say so.
BECKYMargaret. How on earth...
MARGARETShe shouted from the tombola, Becky. People who are really robbed don't announce it. They go quiet.
BECKYSo what do we do?
MARGARETWe do nothing. We give her a mulled wine on the house. And tomorrow I'll take her a lemon cake and ask how she is.
What it is for: A retired schoolteacher and a mulled wine seller solve a theft at a village Christmas market. Trains the cozy-mystery double act: clues dropped lightly, wit over danger. Coach's note: Watch out for playing it like a crime drama. Nobody is in real danger. The fun is in Margaret noticing tiny things and Becky slowly catching on. The reveal should be pleased, not dramatic. What casting listens for: Casting listens for crisp diction, a light touch and two clearly different personalities.
The Gingerbread Witness
Cozy mystery, interrogationAdult (30-60)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.7 min
Cast: HOLLISQUINN
The back room of a church hall during the holiday craft fair. DEPUTY HOLLIS sits across from BAKER QUINN, who wears an apron covered in flour
HOLLISLet's go over it one more time. When did you last see the house?
QUINNEleven fifteen. It was on the judging table. Four floors. Working shutters. A sugar-glass greenhouse.
HOLLISWorking shutters.
QUINNThey open and close. I used a hinge made of caramel.
HOLLISAnd when you came back?
QUINNGone. The plate was still there. Nothing on it but a few crumbs and a single gumdrop.
HOLLISWhat color gumdrop?
QUINNGreen.
HOLLISDid your house have green gumdrops?
QUINNRed only. It was a theme.
HOLLIS[writes] So the green gumdrop came from the thief.
QUINNI suppose it did.
HOLLISWho else entered the competition?
QUINNDoris Pemberton. A gingerbread lighthouse. With a lamp that turns.
HOLLISDoes Doris use green gumdrops?
QUINNDoris uses green gumdrops on everything. She's known for it. It's her signature.
HOLLISWhere's Doris now?
QUINNShe left at eleven twenty. She said her lighthouse needed to rest.
HOLLISLighthouses don't need to rest.
QUINNThat's what I said.
HOLLISDid anybody see her leave?
QUINNPastor Jim. He said she was carrying a very large box. Walking very slowly.
HOLLISHow slowly?
QUINNLike someone carrying four floors with working shutters.
HOLLIS[stands] Quinn. I'm going to need you to stay in town.
QUINNI live here.
HOLLISGood. That makes it easier.
What it is for: A small-town deputy questions the gingerbread stall owner about a stolen prize-winning gingerbread house. Trains comic interrogation where the stakes are tiny and everyone treats them as huge. Coach's note: Watch out for winking. Both characters believe this is the crime of the century. Play every question and answer like a real police drama, and the comedy will look after itself. What casting listens for: Casting listens for total commitment and dry, clean timing.
Are You the Real One?
Holiday comedy, mall Santa and childAdult (50-70) and Child (7-9)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)1 minuteabout 82s
Cast: SANTAELLA
A mall Santa's chair, late afternoon. SANTA, 60, sweating in the suit. ELLA, 8, climbs up holding a folded piece of paper
SANTAHo ho ho! And what's your name?
ELLAYou should know that.
SANTAAh. Of course. I... meet so many children.
ELLAYou only have to meet me once. You've been watching me all year.
SANTAThat's true. Ella!
ELLA[narrows eyes] Lucky guess. My name's on my backpack.
SANTAIs it?
ELLAFirst question. What's the name of your third reindeer?
SANTAThird... alphabetically?
ELLAIn the order they fly.
SANTAAh, well, the order changes. Weather conditions.
ELLAHm. Second question. How many cookies did you eat at my house last year?
SANTAThree.
ELLATwo. And a half. You left half.
SANTAI was very full by then. Big night.
ELLAThird question. Why does your beard have a label?
SANTA[beat] That's... a very good question.
ELLAYou're not the real one.
SANTAI'm one of his helpers. He can't be everywhere.
ELLASo you tell him things.
SANTAEverything.
ELLATell him I want a microscope. Not a toy one. A real one.
SANTAA real one. Got it.
ELLA[considers him] Fine. You can stay.
What it is for: A very serious eight-year-old interrogates a mall Santa. Trains playing against a child voice, with the adult keeping up as the child takes control. Coach's note: Watch out for making the child cute. Ella is a prosecutor. She's done her homework. The adult part is a nervous actor in a hot suit trying to keep the magic going. The button is 'Fine. You can stay.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for a believable child voice with real attitude, and an adult who knows how to lose gracefully.
Reindeer Contract Negotiations
Holiday comedy, fantasyAdult (any)Neutral AmericanOne narrator90 secondsabout 1.6 min
Cast: TINSELVIXENCOMET
The stables at the North Pole, December twenty-fourth, 11pm. Two reindeer, VIXEN and COMET, face TINSEL, the head elf, holding a clipboard
TINSELOkay. We are one hour from takeoff. Why are you not in harness?
VIXENWe have some concerns.
TINSELYou have concerns. Now. An hour before Christmas.
COMETLeverage, Tinsel. It's about timing.
TINSELWhat are the concerns?
VIXENItem one. Carrots.
TINSELWhat about the carrots?
VIXENChildren leave carrots. We never see them. Santa puts them in his pockets.
COMETHe says he's saving them for us.
VIXENWe've never seen one carrot. Not in eleven years.
TINSELI'll talk to him about the carrots. What's item two?
COMETRooftops. Especially the steep ones.
VIXENWe want to skip any roof steeper than forty degrees.
TINSELYou can't skip houses.
COMETWe don't want to skip houses. We want him to walk from the lawn.
TINSELHe's not going to walk.
VIXENThen item three. Cocoa breaks.
TINSELYou're reindeer. You can't hold a mug.
COMETThrough a straw, Tinsel. We're not animals.
TINSELYou are, literally, animals.
VIXENItem four. Dasher flies at the front. Every year. We want a turn at the front.
COMETI can do a light thing with my tail. I've been practicing.
TINSEL[long beat] Fine. Carrots, cocoa, straws. Comet gets a tail thing over Kansas.
VIXENAnd the roofs?
TINSELDon't push it.
COMETPleasure doing business, Tinsel.
TINSELHarness. Now. Both of you.
What it is for: Two reindeer negotiate their working conditions with the head elf an hour before takeoff. Trains a three-way comedy scene with clear status games. Coach's note: Watch out for making the reindeer sound like cartoon animals. They're union reps. Talk like tired people at a work meeting and the comedy comes from the picture. Tinsel is losing all the way through. Let her crack at 'Fine.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for three distinct characters and quick, overlapping timing.
A community center, the end of the Christmas party. Two folding chairs. PAT and LOU, with clipboards, watch three finalists
PATNumber one. The reindeer with the real bells.
LOULoud. Very loud. Points for volume.
PATBut the bells are store-bought. No craft.
LOUPat, it's an ugly sweater contest.
PATUgly is a craft, Lou.
LOUFine. Number two. The tree with the lights.
PATHand-stitched tinsel. Felt ornaments. Is that a cat?
LOUIt's a cat in the tree. Knocking off an ornament.
PATThat's storytelling.
LOUThat's a cat.
PATNumber three. The sweater with the fireplace.
LOUHe sewed a stocking onto it. There's a real candy cane in the stocking.
PATReal fabric flames.
LOUCan we just give it to the cat?
PATYou can't rush this.
LOUI've been here four hours. My car is in a tow zone.
PAT[beat] The fireplace.
LOUWhy?
PATLook closer.
LOU...Is it flickering?
PATIt has a battery pack.
What it is for: Two judges at a neighborhood ugly sweater contest disagree about the winner. Trains a double act where one is a purist and one just wants to go home. Coach's note: Watch out for playing it for laughs. Pat is completely serious about ugly sweater standards. Lou is losing patience. Stay real and the silliness will look after itself. The button is 'It has a battery pack.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for commitment and contrast between the two judges.
The Ex at the Gift Exchange
Holiday rom-com, second chanceAdult (28-40)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.8 min
Cast: MARCUSELENA
A friend's crowded apartment, a white elephant gift exchange. ELENA, 33, and MARCUS, 34, find themselves side by side on the couch, each holding a wrapped gift
MARCUSElena.
ELENAMarcus. Hi.
MARCUSHi. I didn't know you'd be here.
ELENAI didn't know you'd be here either. Pri said "small group."
MARCUSThere are forty people.
ELENAShe's an optimist.
MARCUSSo. How have you been?
ELENAGood. Great. I got a dog.
MARCUSYou always wanted a dog.
ELENAYou always said we weren't dog people.
MARCUSI said I wasn't a dog person. Turns out I was wrong. My neighbor has a beagle. I walk him on Saturdays.
ELENAYou walk your neighbor's dog.
MARCUSHe's a very good dog.
SFX: someone calls out: "Okay! Marcus, you're up! Pick one or steal one!"
MARCUSI'll take... the one Elena's holding.
ELENAYou're stealing my gift?
MARCUSIt's the rules. It's the whole point of the game.
ELENA[hands it over] Fine.
MARCUS[unwrapping] Okay. Let's see... oh.
ELENAWhat is it?
MARCUSIt's the snow globe. With the little diner in it. From Vermont.
ELENA[beat] I didn't think anyone would know.
MARCUSYou kept it?
ELENAI didn't keep it. I put it in a box. And then I didn't throw out the box.
MARCUSThat's keeping it.
ELENAIt's a white elephant, Marcus. You're supposed to give away something you don't want.
MARCUSIs that what this was?
ELENA[quietly] No.
beat
MARCUSDo you want to get coffee? After this? We could take the snow globe.
ELENAAnd the dog?
MARCUSBring the dog.
What it is for: Former partners end up next to each other at a friend's white elephant gift exchange. Trains a scene with a light surface and history underneath. Coach's note: Watch out for too much tension early. They're trying to be grown-ups about it, and the politeness is the comedy. The truth comes out sideways in the gift. Let 'You kept it?' land quietly. What casting listens for: Casting listens for chemistry and history in two people who are barely looking at each other.
A friend's holiday party, near the front door. THEO, 29, and CAL, 30, best friends since college, are putting on their coats. A friend calls out: "Mistletoe!" They both look up
THEOOh no.
CALWho put that there?
THEOPriya. It's always Priya.
CALOkay. There's rules about this, right?
THEOThere are no rules. It's a plant.
CALIt's a parasitic plant, actually. It grows on trees and slowly kills them.
THEOVery romantic.
CALI read it on a cracker box.
THEOYou read cracker boxes?
CALAt your parties. When I'm avoiding your cousin Greg.
THEOSo we just... walk out?
CALWe could. We could just walk out the door like normal people.
THEOLike normal people.
CALEleven years. Never once stood under mistletoe together.
THEOYou've kept count?
CALNo. Yes. Maybe a little.
beat
THEOWe don't have to.
CALI know.
THEOUnless you want to.
A long pause
CALTheo.
THEOYeah?
CALI've wanted to since about year three.
THEO[quietly] Year two, for me.
CALYou beat me.
THEOI usually do.
What it is for: Two best friends realize they're standing under the mistletoe at a party. Trains a short scene where the jokes cover nerves, and then stop. Coach's note: Watch out for rushing to the kiss. The scene is the stalling. Every joke is a way to avoid the moment. Let the silence after 'Unless you want to' really sit. What casting listens for: Casting listens for warmth, humor and the second the humor stops.
Grandma's Recipe, Over Video
Holiday drama, familyChild to adult (22-80)Southern American (light)Two narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.8 min
Cast: NANAJOSIE
A video call. JOSIE, 22, in a tiny city apartment kitchen. NANA, 80, in her kitchen in Georgia, holding the phone far too close to her face
NANAI can see your ceiling.
JOSIEProp the phone up, Nana. Against the sugar jar.
NANA[shuffling] Is that better?
JOSIENow I can see your ceiling.
NANAWell, it's a nice ceiling. Your granddaddy painted it. Now. Do you have the pecans?
JOSIEYes.
NANAToasted?
JOSIEThe recipe doesn't say toasted.
NANAThe recipe doesn't say a lot of things. Toast them. In a dry pan. Till they smell like Sunday.
JOSIEWhat does Sunday smell like?
NANAYou'll know. Now, the syrup. A good pour.
JOSIEHow much is a good pour?
NANATill it looks right.
JOSIENana, I need a number.
NANAAbout a cup. And a little more if you're sad.
JOSIE[beat] Why would I be sad?
NANAFirst Christmas you're not here. Everybody's a little sad. Pour a little more.
JOSIE[quietly] Okay.
NANAButter. Melted. Eggs. Three. Little bit of vanilla. Pinch of salt. And the secret.
JOSIEThere's a secret?
NANALittle bit of bourbon. Don't tell your mother.
JOSIEMom knows.
NANAMom does not know. Mom thinks it's vanilla.
JOSIE[laughs] How long in the oven?
NANATill the middle stops jiggling. About an hour. Call me when it comes out.
JOSIENana. Will it taste like yours?
NANANo, baby. It'll taste like yours. That's the whole point.
JOSIE[beat] I miss you.
NANAI know. Now go toast those pecans. I'll stay on the phone.
What it is for: A granddaughter on her first Christmas away from home calls her grandmother to learn the family pie recipe. Trains a warm, funny two-hander across a video call with a gentle emotional turn. Coach's note: Watch out for making Nana fragile. She's bossy, funny and completely in charge. Josie's sadness is quiet and only shows at the end. The recipe instructions should sound exactly like a grandmother who has never measured anything. What casting listens for: Casting listens for real affection and comic rhythm across generations.
Christmas Eve, 11:52pm. ALEX sits on a garage floor surrounded by bike parts, on the phone. ROBIN, a help-line agent, wears a headset in a quiet call center
ROBINThank you for calling the Zephyr Bikes holiday help line. This is Robin. How can I help you tonight?
ALEXHi. Hello. I'm assembling a bike.
ROBINWonderful. Which model?
ALEXThe Starlight Junior. Purple. With the streamers.
ROBINGreat choice. What seems to be the problem?
ALEXThere are parts left over.
ROBINHow many parts?
ALEXEleven.
ROBIN[beat] Is the bike assembled?
ALEXIt looks like a bike. From a distance. In bad light.
ROBINCan you tell me about the front wheel?
ALEXIt's on. It's on backwards. I think. The little reflector is facing my face.
ROBINOkay. That's actually very common.
ALEXIs it?
ROBINThird one tonight.
ALEXOh, thank goodness.
ROBINLet's look at the bag of parts. Do you see a small silver bolt with a washer?
ALEXI see six small silver bolts with washers.
ROBINThe one with a little plastic cap.
ALEXThere's no cap. Wait. Is the cap the thing the dog ate?
ROBINWhat did the dog eat?
ALEXSomething small and white. I assumed it was a packing peanut. He seemed confident.
ROBINOkay. That's fine. The cap is decorative.
ALEXIs it really decorative, or are you just saying that because it's midnight?
ROBINLittle of both.
ALEXRobin. My daughter wakes up at five. She's going to come down those stairs, and she's going to see a bike with its handlebars on sideways.
ROBINCan I tell you something?
ALEXPlease.
ROBINI have the same bike. In my garage. Unassembled. For my son.
ALEXYou do?
ROBINI get off at one. I'm going home to do exactly what you're doing.
ALEXRobin. Do you know how to do it?
ROBINI do now. I've talked forty people through it.
ALEXOkay. Okay. Walk me through it. From the start.
ROBINTake the front wheel off. We'll do it together.
ALEXTogether.
ROBINAnd Alex? Put the dog outside.
What it is for: A tired parent assembling a bike at midnight calls a toy company's holiday help line. Trains a phone comedy with one person falling apart and one person staying very calm. Coach's note: Watch out for rushing the agent. Robin has done this a thousand times tonight. Calm, warm and quietly funny. Alex gets more desperate in small, specific steps, and should never just shout. The turn comes when Robin admits having the same bike at home. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a clear straight player and a comic who builds panic in steps.
Snowed In at Platform Two
Holiday rom-com, stranded strangersAdult (30-40)Irish (female), Neutral American (male)Two narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 2.1 min
Cast: PAULSIOBHAN
A tiny rural train station in Ireland, Christmas Eve, 10pm. Snow outside. A broken vending machine. SIOBHAN, 34, sits on a bench. PAUL, 36, an American tourist with a large suitcase, stands reading the timetable
PAULIt says the next train is at seven.
SIOBHANIn the morning. Yeah.
PAULIs there a hotel near here?
SIOBHANThere's a pub. With two rooms. Both taken. I asked.
PAULA taxi?
SIOBHANTommy has the taxi. Tommy is at his sister's in Galway. Tommy is the taxi.
PAUL[sits down] So we're sleeping here.
SIOBHANLooks like it.
PAULOkay. I'm Paul.
SIOBHANSiobhan.
PAULI'm sorry, how do you spell that?
SIOBHANYou don't want to know.
PAULFair enough. [beat] Where were you headed?
SIOBHANMy mam's. Two stops down. Fifteen minutes away.
PAULYou could walk that.
SIOBHANIn this? In these boots? I'd be found in March.
PAUL[laughs] I was going to Dublin. Flight home tomorrow night.
SIOBHANYou'll make it. Seven o'clock train, you're in Dublin by ten.
PAULThat's what I'm worried about.
SIOBHANWhy?
PAULBecause nobody's waiting for me in Denver. I came here because I didn't want to be alone on Christmas. And now I'm alone on Christmas. In a train station.
SIOBHANYou're not alone. I'm here.
PAULWho's waiting for you?
SIOBHAN[beat] My mam. My brothers. Fourteen people who all want to know why I haven't married the fella I've been with for six years.
PAULWhy haven't you?
SIOBHANBecause I broke up with him on Tuesday. And I haven't told them.
PAULAh.
SIOBHANSo this, right now? This is the most relaxing Christmas Eve I've had in years.
PAUL[reaching into his bag] I have chocolate. And a bottle of wine from the duty-free.
SIOBHANPaul.
PAULYes?
SIOBHANThat's the most romantic thing anyone has said to me in six years.
What it is for: Two strangers stranded in a small train station on Christmas Eve after the last train is cancelled. Trains a slow-burn conversation where small talk turns into something real. Coach's note: Watch out for charm overload. Siobhan is tired and wary, not a movie heroine. Paul is awkward, not smooth. The scene works when they both stop performing. That starts at 'Who's waiting for you?' What casting listens for: Casting listens for natural rhythm, a real accent, and two people slowly letting their guard down.
Who Ate the Cookies
Family comedy, parents at midnightAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)1 minuteabout 87s
Cast: JESSMARK
A living room, Christmas Eve, 12:15am. Lights low. JESS, 38, holds a plate with nothing on it but crumbs. MARK, 39, carries an armful of presents
JESS[whispering] Mark.
MARK[whispering] What?
JESSThe plate.
MARKWhat about the plate?
JESSThe cookies are gone.
MARKGood. Santa ate them. That's the system.
JESSSanta didn't eat them. Santa hasn't happened yet. We're Santa.
MARK[beat] Right.
JESSSo who ate them?
MARKMaybe the kids came down.
JESSThen the kids would have seen the presents in the closet. Which you were supposed to bring down at eleven.
MARKI was resting my eyes.
JESSYou were resting your eyes with cookie crumbs on your shirt.
MARK[looks down] That's... from earlier.
JESSFrom earlier.
MARKFrom a different cookie.
JESSMark. Lily left a note. She drew a picture of Santa eating the cookies. She checks in the morning.
MARKThen we bake more.
JESSIt's midnight.
MARKWe have dough in the fridge.
JESSThat dough was for Christmas Day.
MARK[beat] So was the eggnog.
JESSYou drank the eggnog?
MARKSanta needed something to wash it down.
JESSYou are not Santa. You're a man in pajamas who ate a child's cookies.
MARKI also ate the carrots.
JESS[beat] The carrots too?
What it is for: Two parents doing the Santa setup at midnight discover the cookies are already gone. Trains a whispered comic argument with fast timing. Coach's note: Watch out for talking at full volume. The kids are asleep upstairs, so it's all whispered, but whispered with feeling. The button is 'The carrots too?' Mark is genuinely hurt. What casting listens for: Casting listens for comic tension at low volume and real married-couple rhythm.
The Advent Calendar Clue
Cozy mystery, family inheritanceAdult (30-45)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)3 minutesabout 3.6 min
Cast: NORAEVAN
A cluttered old house, December first. Boxes everywhere. Cousins NORA, 38, a lawyer, and EVAN, 35, who does something with bands, stand in front of a large wooden advent calendar with twenty-four tiny doors
NORAThe lawyer said this is the only thing he left us.
EVANAn advent calendar.
NORAAn advent calendar he built by hand. "To Nora and Evan, together. Open in order." Underlined twice.
EVANUncle Felix underlined everything.
NORAHe underlined his grocery lists.
EVANSo we open door one?
NORAWe open door one.
SFX: a tiny wooden door creaks open
EVANThere's a paper. Rolled up. [unrolls it] "Look where I kept the good scissors."
NORAThe kitchen drawer. Second from the left. He'd yell if you used them on paper.
EVAN[crossing the room] Paper's the only thing scissors are for.
NORANot according to Felix. Just open it.
SFX: a drawer slides open
EVANScissors. And a key. Small. Brass.
NORADoor two.
EVANWe're supposed to open one a day.
NORAEvan. The house sells on the twentieth.
EVANFine. Door two.
SFX: a tiny door
NORA[reads] "The key fits the box that plays the song your grandmother hated."
EVANThe music box. The one that plays the waltz.
NORAShe said it sounded like a dentist's office.
EVANIt's on the top shelf in the study.
SFX: footsteps. A small key turns. A tinny waltz begins
NORAThere's a false bottom.
EVANOf course there is.
NORAAnother paper. "You two haven't spoken since the funeral. I'd like that fixed. Door three."
beat
EVANHe knew about that?
NORAEverybody knew about that, Evan. You left in the middle of the eulogy.
EVANBecause you were reading a list. Of Grandpa's financial mistakes. At his funeral.
NORAI was being honest.
EVANYou were being a lawyer.
NORA[beat] Door three.
SFX: a tiny door
EVAN[reads] "Nora. Evan is not irresponsible. He's just never been asked to be responsible. Ask him."
NORA[reads over his shoulder] "Evan. Nora is not cold. She's the one who stayed. She drove me to every appointment. Thank her."
A long pause
EVANYou drove him?
NORAEvery Thursday. For two years.
EVANI didn't know.
NORAYou didn't ask.
EVANI'm asking now.
NORA[beat] He talked about you the whole way. Every week. Your band. Your terrible van.
EVANThe van is fine.
NORAHe said the van was a death trap and a work of art.
EVAN[laughs] That's fair.
NORADoor four?
EVANTogether.
SFX: a tiny door
NORAIt's a photograph. Us. At the lake. We must have been seven and four.
EVANI'm wearing your swim cap.
NORAYou stole my swim cap.
EVANIt had flowers on it. I liked the flowers.
NORA[turns it over] There's writing on the back. "The rest is under the floorboard where you hid from your mothers."
EVANThe attic. The loose board by the window.
NORAWe used to hide up there for hours.
EVANUntil Felix found us with a flashlight and a plate of cookies.
NORAHe never told on us.
EVAN[beat] Want to go see what's under the board?
NORATwenty doors to go.
EVANThen we'd better start talking.
What it is for: Two cousins open their late uncle's handmade advent calendar and find it's a treasure hunt that might lead to his missing will. Trains a long two-hander built on discovery, with clues read aloud and a growing sense of fun. Coach's note: Watch out for losing energy across three minutes. Each door is its own small scene. Give every clue a fresh reaction. The tone is playful, not grim. Uncle Felix loved games, and the cousins slowly start to love this one. What casting listens for: Casting listens for sustained energy, clean reading of the clues, and a relationship that warms across the scene.
The Kids' Table
Holiday comedy, full castAdult (28-40)Neutral AmericanOne narrator2 minutesabout 3.0 min
Cast: ROBDANAKATMIKE
A folding card table in a dining room doorway, Christmas Day. Tiny chairs. Four adult cousins: DANA, 38, ROB, 35, KAT, 31, and MIKE, 29. The adults' table is in the next room
ROBEvery year.
DANARob.
ROBEvery year. I'm thirty-five. I have a mortgage.
KATYou have a mortgage and a chair shaped like a frog.
ROBIt's a toad. I checked.
MIKE[mouth full] These rolls are amazing.
DANAOkay. Listen. I have a plan.
KATHere we go.
DANAAunt Linda is going to do the speech before dessert. Like every year. Everyone stands up. That's our moment.
ROBOur moment for what?
DANAWe bring our plates in. We stand by the big table. And we don't come back.
KATThat's not a plan. That's a hostage situation.
DANAIt's a peaceful transfer of power.
MIKECan I bring the rolls?
DANAMike, focus.
MIKEI am focused. On the rolls.
ROBThere's no room at the big table. There are fourteen chairs.
KATThirteen. Uncle Phil left. He's asleep in the den with the football on.
DANAExactly! One empty chair. That's a foothold.
ROBOne chair for four people?
DANAWe take turns. We rotate. Like penguins.
KATPenguins don't rotate around chairs.
DANAThey rotate around warmth, Kat. The big table is warmth.
ROBHow long have you been planning this?
DANASince Thanksgiving.
KATShe made a diagram.
DANAIt's not a diagram. It's a seating map.
ROB[looks] There are arrows.
MIKEThere's a little drawing of me. With a roll.
DANAThat's so you know where to stand.
SFX: a glass clinks in the next room. AUNT LINDA, off: "Everybody! A few words before pie!"
DANAThat's it. Go. Go, go, go.
SFX: four tiny chairs scrape
KAT[whispering] Rob, you're holding the frog chair.
ROB[whispering] It's stuck to me.
KATHow is it stuck to you?
ROBThere's cranberry sauce on it.
DANALeave the chair!
SFX: a crash
Silence. Everyone in the next room has turned to look
KAT[quietly] Hi, Aunt Linda.
MIKEMerry Christmas.
DANAWe just... wanted to hear the speech. Up close.
A long beat
ROBShe's pointing.
KATShe's pointing back at the card table.
DANAShe can't do that. We're adults.
MIKEShe's also pointing at the rolls.
ROBShe wants the rolls?
MIKEShe wants us to bring the rolls back. To the card table.
SFX: shuffling footsteps. Four chairs scraping back into place
ROBEvery year.
DANANext year, I'm bringing my own table.
KATYou'll just be at your own kids' table.
DANAAt least it'll be my kids' table.
MIKEPass the rolls.
What it is for: Four adult cousins have been put at the kids' table at Christmas dinner, again. Trains a four-voice comedy scene with clear characters, crossfire and one scheme that falls apart. Coach's note: Watch out for everyone talking at once at the same level. Each cousin has one job. Dana organizes, Rob complains, Kat stirs things up, and Mike just eats. Keep the voices clearly different, and land the button cleanly: 'Pass the rolls.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for four distinct comic voices and quick, clean handoffs.
A snowy porch, Christmas Eve. FAY and BEN, two neighborhood carolers with song sheets. The door opens. MR. KOWALSKI, 70, in a bathrobe
FAYMerry Christmas! Would you like a song?
MR. KOWALSKINo.
BENJust one?
MR. KOWALSKII'm watching a program.
FAYWe'll be quick. We've been practicing.
MR. KOWALSKII heard. Through the walls. For three weeks.
BENSorry. Fay lives next door to you.
FAYThe acoustics in my bathroom are incredible.
MR. KOWALSKII know. I've been listening. Every night. Seven o'clock. You go flat on the high part, by the way.
FAYEveryone goes flat on the high part.
BENSo... one song?
MR. KOWALSKI[beat] What songs do you know?
FAYAll the usual ones.
MR. KOWALSKIDo you know the one about the snow? The quiet one. My wife used to sing it while she did the dishes.
FAY[softly] We know it.
MR. KOWALSKIFine. One song.
BENOkay. On three. Fay takes the melody, I take the low part.
FAYBen doesn't really have a low part. He just hums.
MR. KOWALSKIWait.
FAYWhat?
MR. KOWALSKII'm getting my coat. I'll stand outside. Sound's better out here.
What it is for: Two hopeful carolers meet a grumpy neighbor who would rather they didn't. Trains a three-way comic scene where the grump slowly gives in. Coach's note: Watch out for making Mr. Kowalski mean. He's tired and private, not cruel. The carolers' cheerfulness wears him down. Let his 'Do you know the one about the snow?' come out gruffly. He's asking for a request without wanting to admit it. What casting listens for: Casting listens for three clear characters, and a turn that feels earned in very little time.
A bedroom at their parents' house, Christmas Eve afternoon. DANNY, 30, on one knee in front of his sister GWEN, 33, who sits on the bed eating chips
DANNYOkay. Take five. Ready?
GWENBorn ready.
DANNY[clears throat] Maria. From the moment I first saw you, across a crowded room...
GWENYou met her at the dentist.
DANNYIt was crowded!
GWENIt was a dentist. There were four people. One of them was drilling.
DANNYOkay. Take six. Maria. You are the sun, the moon, and the stars.
GWENPick one.
DANNYWhat?
GWENNobody is three space objects. Pick one.
DANNYThe moon.
GWENShe's going to think you're calling her round.
DANNYGwen.
GWENI'm helping.
DANNYTake seven. [beat] Maria. You make Tuesdays good. Nobody's ever made Tuesdays good. I want every Tuesday with you. Will you marry me?
A pause
GWEN[quietly] Okay. That one.
DANNYYeah?
GWENYeah. Do that one. Don't change a word.
DANNYEven the Tuesday bit?
GWENEspecially the Tuesday bit. [beat] I'm crying into my chips. Get out.
What it is for: A nervous man rehearses his Christmas Eve proposal on his blunt older sister. Trains sibling comedy where one partner is completely sincere and the other won't let him get away with it. Coach's note: Watch out for making Gwen cruel. She's honest because she loves him. Danny gets slightly better with every take. Let his last attempt be simple and true, so the audience gets a small surprise. What casting listens for: Casting listens for sibling chemistry and a sincere moment at the end.
A department store returns desk, December twenty-sixth, 9am. A long line. SAM, the clerk, with a name tag. CASEY, a customer, places a gift-wrapped box on the counter
SAMGood morning. Returning something?
CASEYYes. A gift. It's not really my style.
SAMOf course. Do you have a receipt?
CASEYA gift receipt. Right here.
SAM[looks at the box] Lovely wrapping.
CASEYThank you. I mean, I didn't do it. Whoever gave it to me did.
SAMGreen paper. Gold ribbon. Three loops on the bow.
CASEYIs that... a store thing?
SAMIt's a me thing. I do three loops. Nobody else here does three.
CASEYOh.
SAMI wrapped this. On the eighteenth.
CASEYThat's a coincidence.
SAMTall man. Plaid scarf. He took twenty minutes to choose it. He wanted it to be perfect.
CASEY[beat] That's my brother.
SAMHe said it was for his favorite sibling.
CASEYHe has one sibling.
SAMHe said that too. He laughed at his own joke.
CASEYThat's definitely my brother.
SAMDo you still want to return it?
CASEY[long pause] ...What is it?
SAMYou haven't opened it?
CASEYI never open his gifts. They're always terrible.
SAM[quietly] Open this one.
What it is for: A store clerk realizes the customer is returning the exact gift the clerk wrapped for them a week ago. Trains a light comic scene with a slow realization and a polite standoff. Coach's note: Watch out for playing it too broad. Both characters stay polite throughout. The comedy is the politeness cracking very slowly. Sam's final line is a whisper of triumph. What casting listens for: Casting listens for restraint and timing in a scene where nothing big happens.
Questions
Do I need a partner in the same room?
No. Read over Zoom or record your lines separately and edit them together. Leave a little space after your partner's last word so it sounds like a real conversation.
Can I use these scripts in a demo or a social video?
Yes. They are written by us and free to practice with, record and post.
Reading alone only gets you so far
Members bring scripts like these to class every week and get feedback on the spot, from working coaches.
Use these freely. Every script here was written by VO Journey Academy.
Practice with them, record them, post them as demos, reels or social clips, and use them in auditions.
Please do not resell them or publish them as your own scripts. A credit is always welcome, never required.
