Steve Asks Andrew to Do the Talent Show on the KOIN Center Roof

Set high on a Portland skyscraper rooftop at sunset, this contemporary dramatic duologue from Max Landis's screenplay captures a quiet, intimate moment between two teenagers navigating extraordinary circumstances. While sharing milkshakes and looking out over the city, Steve and Andrew candidly discuss their troubled domestic lives, touching upon absent or detached parents, chronic illness, and financial strain. The conversation pivots when Steve attempts to coax Andrew out of his protective shell by proposing they participate together in an upcoming school talent show using their secret abilities.

Steve presents as an easygoing, charismatic figure who is comfortable in social settings, yet beneath his relaxed exterior lies quiet anxiety about his parents' fractured relationship and his father's silence. Andrew is an isolated outsider carrying heavy emotional burdens, struggling with his mother's deteriorating health, the high cost of her medication, and an uneasy home environment. Despite their starkly different social standings, the interaction reveals a tender, mutual vulnerability that bridges the gap between them and establishes genuine trust.

At roughly two minutes in length, this duologue offers young actors an exceptional platform to demonstrate nuanced emotional maturity without resorting to loud melodrama. The transition from heavy familial confessions to nervous teenage excitement creates a clear, grounded dynamic that highlights contrasting temperaments. Because the supernatural premise is kept strictly within the subtext, auditors and casting directors can focus entirely on the performers' authenticity, active listening, and natural chemistry.

This scene is particularly well suited for performers playing under eighteen who need grounded contemporary material for self-tapes, agent showcases, or general partner practice. It provides strong opportunities for actors aligning with Teenager, Outsider, Jock, Everyman, or Vulnerable casting types. The dialogue is flexible enough to accommodate performers of any gender identity seeking to portray authentic teenage camaraderie and domestic resilience.

Resist the temptation to overplay the science-fiction premise and instead keep the scene rooted in conversational realism. Pay careful attention to the beats of quiet contemplation, allowing each character's confessions about their home life to land before shifting into the lighter topic of the talent show. Let Steve's proposition emerge as an earnest, spontaneous desire to help a friend rather than a frivolous distraction, and track Andrew's gradual shift from defensive hesitation to stunned recognition.