Exposure
Exposure is a play about a young actor (Paul) who breaks up with his girlfriend (Tara) to pursue his dreams in Hollywood. Along the way he lives with a stripper (Tonya) and takes a boyfriend (Tim) all while under the guiding hand of his agent (Jerry). Exposure is both about the entertainment business and what an actor is willing to do as he lives his dreams.
Character Breakdowns for Exposure
Paul (Male Early 20’s): Paul is a fresh faced young college grad pursuing a career in acting in NYC and has suddenly begun receiving some positive attention to his efforts. Paul visually sits on the edge of actor and model with smoldering a desire in his eyes. Paul moves through three stages of his young career while dealing with three stages of love, lust, and sex. Young leading man type both in terms of looks and body type, and must be comfortable with partial nudity onstage must be physically fit (not “cut” or “ripped” but a young fit man) also must be comfortable with sexually suggestive actions onstage. Paul is intelligent and capable of love, but the possibility of his dreams coming true and the underlying theme of “I told you so!” pushes him through the early stages of his career as he come to understand love, sex, and using his sex to survive.
Tara (Late Teens Visually): Tara is visually a young model in every way; actress must have light features in contrast to Tonya. Tara has that nymph like model appearance. Tara is sexually aware of herself, but sex is a manifestation of love only. Tara is innocent in the sense of love, but aware of herself in regards to the expectations that have been placed on her by her family, community, and upbringing. Simply put, “You can have sex out of wedlock with a man you love only if he is going to marry you.”
Jerry (Late 20’s Early 30’s): Visually similar to Paul, but with ten years of age and experience on him. Jerry is straight, but he is comfortable enough with himself sexually to let his feminine/gay side flair in order to get what he wants. He always gets what he wants, in a Musical Theatre reference he is Paul's Lola.
Tonya (Early 30’s Late 20’s): Dark featured female who is not a beauty, she is attractive, but she prowls she is a huntress. She uses sex to survive and feel alive and isn't ashamed of it anyway. Always teetering on the verge of being jaded, but another quick fix is what gets her threw it all. Must be comfortable with partial nudity and sexually suggestive actions onstage.
Tim (Mid 20’s): Just as attractive as Paul, but in an a california natural way. Fuller in the face then Paul as well as in the body still physically fit must be comfortable with partial nudity onstage. Tim is gay and completely at peace with it, he doesn't wrestle with masculinity or femininity he is who he is take him or leave him. Tim is the man that every gay guy wants and all Tim wants is the straight boys.