The Therapy Exercise

"The Therapy Exercise" is an intense contemporary dramatic duologue from the film *Is This Thing on?*, written by Bradley Cooper, Will Arnett, and Mark Chappell. Set during a stolen moment of privacy while a house full of people moves around them, the scene follows estranged partners Alex and Tess as they confront the fractures in their marriage. What begins as an ostensibly constructive communication exercise quickly spirals into an unvarnished reckoning with infidelity, emotional absence, and the painful isolation that drove them apart.

Both characters, in their forties, are navigating the complex fallout of long-term intimacy turning toxic and distant. Alex oscillates between defensive justification and profound remorse, struggling with feelings of abandonment and the lingering shame of past betrayals. Tess operates from deep disillusionment, having endured sustained emotional withdrawal and neglect. She channels her grief into sharp, unflinching honesty, challenging Alex on what genuine love actually requires rather than accepting comfortable illusions.

This piece provides actors with an exceptional vehicle for demonstrating emotional nuance, subtext, and authentic listening. The dialogue features rapid, shifting rhythms that allow performers to move from quiet vulnerability to explosive confrontation without losing credibility. Because the stakes involve long-standing domestic pain rather than heightened melodrama, it provides casting directors with a clear look at your maturity, emotional control, and ability to stay grounded under pressure.

Timing out at around three minutes, this duologue serves as strong material for self-tapes, agent showcases, drama school auditions, and advanced partner practice. It is especially suited for performers playing between 35 and 45 years old who naturally align with Leading Man, Leading Lady, Everyman, or emotionally complex and intense casting types.

Avoid turning this argument into a one-note shouting match right out of the gate. The underlying heartbreak only registers if the audience senses the deep love and history that once bound these two people together. Take time to receive each spoken blow before launching your defense, allowing the quiet realizations to alter your physical life in the space. Keep the conflict active by fighting for your partner's understanding rather than simply trying to win the fight.