Curated dark comedy duologues for actors at every level.
14 scenes available
Wild at Heart
by David Lynch
While driving through the Texas desert, Lula becomes increasingly overwhelmed and agitated by the bizarre and gruesome news reports playing on the car radio. She reaches a breaking point, forcing Sailor to stop the car so they can find music to escape the 'concentrated weirdness' of the world.
Poor Things
by Tony McNamara
Duncan, a debauched lawyer, impulsively proposes marriage to Bella after realizing he has fallen in love with her. Bella, possessing a literal and detached worldview, calmly rejects him by citing her prior engagement and her view of their affair as merely temporary fun, driving Duncan into a comedic rage.
The White Lotus
by Mike White
Mark is spiraling into a panic over his swollen testicles, convinced he has terminal cancer like his father. His wife Nicole attempts to provide practical comfort and perspective, eventually pushing him to stop obsessing and spend time with their son.
Horrible Bosses
by Michael Markowitz, Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Julia, a sexually aggressive dentist, attempts to manipulate and harass her engaged dental assistant, Dale, while wearing only a lab coat. Dale tries to set professional boundaries while Julia uses blackmail and intimidation to coerce him into a sexual relationship before his wedding.
Barry
by Alec Berg, Bill Hader
Fuches confronts Barry in a hotel room after discovering that Barry has befriended his target and joined an acting class. The stakes escalate as Fuches reveals the Chechens blew up Barry's apartment as a 'nudge' to finish the hit, while mocking Barry's sudden aspiration to be an actor.
A hitman desperate for a new life confesses his dark past to an eccentric acting teacher under the guise of an improvisation. The teacher, oblivious to the literal truth, is impressed by the 'emotional honesty' of the performance and agrees to take him on as a student.
Armond, a high-strung resort manager, instructs a new employee on the philosophy of service at the White Lotus. He emphasizes the importance of shedding one's individual identity to become a 'generic' and 'interchangeable' presence for the guests.
After witnessing extreme poverty, Bella decides to give away Duncan's gambling winnings to two stewards she believes will help the poor. When Duncan wakes up and realizes his fortune is gone, Bella tries to explain her newfound philosophical awakening while Duncan descends into a violent rage.
Bella Baxter explains the scientific markings on her thighs to a bewildered Duncan Wedderburn during a sexual encounter. Her blunt, clinical honesty regarding a previous encounter with another man causes Duncan to abruptly lose interest and leave the room.
Punch-Drunk Love
by Paul Thomas Anderson
A socially anxious and lonely man named Barry calls a phone sex line for the first time. He is visibly nervous and paranoid about his privacy, attempting to use a pseudonym while simultaneously providing his real social security number and address to the operator.
Everyone Is Having Fun But You
by Brad Vassar
A tense confrontation between a father and son regarding family favoritism and financial betrayal. Phin confronts Hank about a missing cashier's check, leading to a cruel and nonsensical justification from Hank about Phin's birth and his mother's body.
In a run-down barn, Phin attempts to share the heavy news of his terminal brain tumor with his eccentric friend, Literal. The emotional weight of Phin's confession is met with Literal's bizarrely blunt and literal perspective, leading to a dark but poignant conversation about mortality and Phin's troubled relationship with his father.
Bad Santa
by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
A hungover Willie is confronted by the lonely Thurman Merman, who seeks validation for his school grades. The scene shifts from dark comedic disbelief over the boy's name to a raw, profanity-laced moment of honesty where Willie struggles with his inability to provide the emotional connection the child craves.
Burn After Reading
by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
While lying in bed on a yacht, Harry attempts to wax philosophical about his personal growth and mortality, only to be blindsided when his mistress, Katie, abruptly announces she is divorcing her husband. Harry awkwardly tries to mirror her commitment while subtly backpedaling regarding his own wife, revealing the shallow and self-serving nature of their affair.
