The Sundial Isn't Working

Drawn from the acclaimed, award-winning comedy-drama written by Charlie Kaufman, Donald Kaufman, and Susan Orlean, this contemporary two-person scene captures an eccentric crisis in the wilderness. Lost in a swamp, two mismatched individuals face their mounting peril with radically different coping strategies. One partner frantically tries to engineer an improvised navigation method while maintaining an air of competence, while the other succumbs to overwhelming dread.

Laroche is an intense, quirky outsider who deflects vulnerability through compulsive conversation and half-baked problem solving. He desperately needs to project control and authority, using rambling philosophies to distract from the reality of their predicament. Orlean serves as the grounded counterweight whose composure rapidly unravels under survival pressure. Her terror is quiet, visceral, and increasingly impossible to suppress as her companion's illusions fall apart.

This piece provides an exceptional showcase for comedic timing rooted in authentic, high-stakes drama. The dialogue crackles with unspoken subtext, giving both actors ample room to listen, react, and play contradictory internal objectives. In just two minutes, the scene transitions from awkward optimism to palpable panic, demonstrating range, pacing, and emotional dexterity without demanding elaborate physical staging.

This duologue is exceptionally well matched for performers in their late thirties to mid-forties looking to showcase quirky character work or nuanced dramatic tension. It serves as prime material for self-tapes, agent showcases, and advanced scene-study practice where subtle partner dynamics are prioritized.

Ground the scene in genuine survival stakes so the situational humor lands through truth rather than caricature. For Laroche, commit entirely to your flawed logic; the comedy is far stronger when the character genuinely believes his plan will succeed. For Orlean, chart a gradual internal build where polite restraint cracks into raw physical panic through breath and eye contact.