Introduction:

Roommate 1 is Jack; a student at a New Hampshire college. He dorms with his best friend, Jeff or Roommate 2. They are both majoring in theater arts, with the hopes of being professional actors when they graduate. Jack is very content with h[1]ow things are going, as he has been in acting classes ever since he was a kid. Jeff, on the other hand, wants to get away from all of this. He didn’t take acting classes as a kid, but he does possess c an uncommon and much overlooked gift; an excellent memory. This is a necessity for acting, and given he has a great one, this gives him as fair as a shot at being an actor as Jack has. Conveniently, one of their professors informs Jack of an audition coming up, and that he encourages both students to give it a chance. Jack is thrilled, but Jeff doesn’t believe in himself anymore. Jack hopes to convince Jeff to stay there with him, and continue their path to the career of their dreams.

Body of Dialogue:

Jack: Jeff! I don’t want to drop out anymore! One our professors just told we both have a real shot at a legit acting career!!

Jeff: That’s good news for you but not for me. Not all of us have everything handed to us like you do. I have a better shot at hitting the lottery. That’s why I’m going back home. Now you’re either with me like you said you were a week ago, or you’re not.

Jack: Okay then. Not all of us wake up in a bad mood every morning. I didn’t mean to come barging into our dorm room like this. I talked to Professor Lakey this morning while you were here skipping class again. I told him that we were both going to drop out next week because acting just isn’t for us. Professor Lakey looked at me and said, “You guys really think that is what’s best for you. Listen, Jack has the best line memorization that I have ever seen. And you, Jeff, you act out scenarios and scenes with true emotion and passion. The both of you have something special when it comes to acting. Please don’t give it all up because the road is rocky sometimes. Don’t give up my belief in the both of you.”

Jeff: Once again Jeff, that’s really good for you and not me. I’m only good at memorizing lines, while you act with true emotions. Professor always praises you during class. What do I get? A pat on the back here and there. Acting just isn’t for me anymore, bro. I’m heading back to Massachusetts in 2 days.

Jack: Jack come on! We have a shot at something big here. There is auditions for a new movie in a month, and Professor Lakely knows the director. He said the both of us should go and audition, and he will talk to the director about us. This is our shot!

Jeff: Jeff be realistic. Even if we both audition, you’re the one who will get the part. If there’s two spots available, they will give it to someone else who is more passionate about their acting. The Powerball drawing is tonight. I think I’m going to waste my money and time on trying to win that instead.

Jack: Listen to me! I don’t care what you think is best for you. I know what’s best for you. We've been best friends ever since the second grade. I remember we would both dream about co starring in an action film together. Are you saying you want to give up everything we did to get where we are today? Do you really want to throw all of our childhood dreams away? We’re so close to achieving them, Jack. This audition may just be the gateway to our dreams.

Jeff: I don’t really know anymore. Those were just dreams like every other kid had.

Jack: So, it doesn’t matter. This is what's best for us. I’m not asking you to stay. I’m telling you. Do you really think going back home and working at that restaurant is where you want to be? Cleaning tables all day isn’t what you dreamed of doing as a kid. This is! Did you expect for the path here to be easy? I don’t get everything handed to me. I’ve worked so hard to get here too. All those acting classes I took as a kid only improved my acting. That’s how I was able to act with such passion. I still can’t remember my lines that well. You can, though! Memorizing lines is not something you can teach. No, it’s something you’re born with. It’s a special talent that you currently have. Please don’t throw it all away to go clean tables. You hated working those long shifts. Consider what you’re giving up here. Please, Jack. Do it for me. It’s the only logical thing to do.

Jeff: Stop assuming you know what’s best for me. If I want to go and clean tables, let me do that. You cannot force me to stay, and I will not let you.

Jack: Are you serious? You don’t want to go back there. Last summer when you graduated, you were so happy to get away from that job. You were so excited to leave the state and come here to New Hampshire with me. We drove for a few hours during rush hour to make it here. We even rushed to get a dorm room together. And then after all that, we slept in on the day we were supposed to make our class schedule. We made a bullet run to the library together in the pouring rain. We ended up just barely making it on time to get the theater classes we wanted. Now we have an acting opportunity that is so close to us. Now tell me, do you really want to go back to cleaning those tables still?

Jeff: Maybe you’re right after all, Jeff. What if I don’t get the acting part though. I will have to go back to my regular college life, never knowing what it is like to be in a real movie. I’ll have to sit here still going to classes and doing my work, while you have the time of your life. From there, you’re going to leave me for Hollywood while I am stuck here all alone until I graduate. You pretty much have the part guaranteed for you. I have a slim chance at getting it. What do I do when I don’t get the part? I can already see what will happen as it is, so I will escape this place while I still can.

Jack: It doesn’t matter if you get the part or not. All that matter is you going to that audition, and showing those people why you should get the part alongside me. Show them what your memory is capable of doing. I have never seen anyone who can improvise lines as good as you can, while still remembering how the next part is supposed to go. I have been acting for too long of a time, and like I just said, you have something special. Do it for your brother. Before he passed away, he wanted you to always follow your dreams, and to go wherever your heart belongs. You and I both know your heart belongs in the scenes of a film behind a camera.

Jeff: This is what my brother wanted for me, huh? He told me to always do what’s best for me, not what’s the easiest. I really want to stay here with you, but I just don’t know right now. Every actor displays an acting passion. I don’t have that passion, so therefore I am not an actor.

There’s a sudden loud knock at the door. Jack walks over and opens the door. It’s Professor Lakey.

Professor Lakey: May I come in?

Jack: Of course, Professor.

Professor Lakey: Hello, Jeff. How’s it going?

Jeff: Not bad. What brings you here Professor Lakey?

Professor Lakey: I just wanted to talk to you. I was informed this morning by Jack that you are considering leaving and going back home. My memory most definitely serves me correct. Tell me otherwise, Jeff.

Jeff: No, it’s all true. I don’t really know what I want to do at this point. It’s a lot to consider. Given I am not even close to being as talented as Jack is, I’m not really sure if acting is something I want to do anymore.

Professor Lakey: That’s not true at all. You have one of the best memo…

Jeff: Enough with the memory crap. Having a good memory isn’t going to buy me a mansion in Hollywood and a Mercedes like I’ve dreamed of. It’s tough to say but it’s true. Anyone can read lines for hours and memorize them. But only a few can act them out with such passion that stands out. People don’t want to see someone who can recite every line. They want to see Dwayne Johnson beating the life out of bad guys and saving the day. Plus, I don’t have muscles like him so who would want to see a film with me in it? No matter how much baby oil I use, my muscles aren’t going to shine like The Rock’s. See that’s my point right there. Dwayne Johnson could make up every line in a movie on the spot and it would still be a hit. It doesn't make a difference whether you know the lines or not. It’s all about how good you act them out.

Professor Lakey: Listen, Jeff. It doesn't matter who you are and how good you can act out lines. It’s all about confidence. You think you aren’t good at acting because all you have is a good memory and an ability to create amazing lines within seconds. Those are good traits for an actor to have. At the end of the day, it’s all about self-confidence. You can be Mark Wahlberg, for example. Imagine him being a French taxi driver in New York for a movie. People will obviously want to see it just because they know he is a good actor. But what they don’t know is he isn’t good at a French accent. Do you think Mark Wahlberg would pass up this opportunity and the money? No way! He’s going to study French accents and practice until it’s perfect. He isn’t going to give up right away because he doesn’t believe in his ability to do an accent of that sort. He is going to make sure he is prepared for his part. Like I said, it all starts with self-confidence,

Jeff. Instead of backing down from this opportunity, Mark would embrace it. He knows he is a good actor. Not because he’s already an established actor, but because he believes in his own abilities to conquer each role thrown at him. I suggest you begin looking at yourself the same.

Jeff: Yeah but that’s Mark Wahlberg. I’m just a kid from a small town in Massachusetts with no credit, no fan base, no money, no movie experience, no nothing.

Professor Lakey: Really? Because Mark was born in Boston. He came from nothing. Now he’s built a huge career for himself, and even a restaurant chain for his family.

Jeff: But what if I can’t make a career as good as him? What if I fail terribly at all of this? This whole college thing would be a waste of money and time.

Professor Lakey: You never know unless you try. You have to believe in yourself first. Then your body will follow your mind. If Mark Wahlberg did the same thing you’re doing right now, we wouldn’t know his name right now. He believed in himself and took a gamble going for this. Look how much it all paid off. I wouldn’t have told Jack about the movie auditions if I didn’t believe in you both. You guys are two of the best students I have had here out of my 22 years of teaching this. If I didn’t believe in you, I wouldn’t have come all the way to your dorm room to convince you not to leave. I want you to stay, Jack. I really do. I want to see you come back to me in 10 years and bring me a copy of your first film. I want you to brag to me about how amazing your life has become. I want you to fulfill your dreams. And it all starts with going to this audition.

Jeff: I don’t know anymore, Professor. I would love to be on the big screen in Hollywood, but nothing in life is guaranteed. Nothing ever is. For now, I am going to think about it for a few days. If you see me in class on Tuesday, you will know that I have decided to stay. If not, you know what choice I ended up making.

Professor Lakey: Please think about it.

Jeff: I will.

Professor Lakey: No. I mean like logically. If you drop out what will you do?

Jeff: Like I told Jack, back to my old job cleaning tables.

Professor Lakey: You think that’s better than this opportunity I gave you both? Please tell me you’re joking.

Jeff: No I’m serious.

Jack: I tried explaining to him that it’s not the best of the two choices to make, but he won’t take my word for it.

Professor Lakey: You won’t even take your best friend’s opinion to heart? Jeff, what are you doing?

Jeff: What are you doing here to begin with? This is my choice to make, and if I think that cleaning tables is better than being here, just let me be.

Professor Lakey: I can’t believe you think cleaning tables is better than being here. You really want to pass up this chance to make something with your acting career so early on? I can’t believe you right now!

Jeff: I’m just trying to think of what works best for me. That’s all I am trying to do.

Professor Lakey: No you’re not. What you’re doing is taking the easy way out. You clearly don’t want that mansion in Hollywood or that Mercedes. Not even close. You want the easy path. You don’t want to sit here for the next 3 years at college studying and working hard. You’d much rather be sweating all day, picking up after filthy and careless customers. You clearly don’t want to make your dreams come true. I was wrong to believe in you in the first place. I wasted so much time coming here. I skipped my lunch to come down here. All for what? To listen to you speak a bunch of nonsense. To hear you politely dismiss my kindness within the acting audition I gave you. To hear you pick cleaning tables every day over making your dreams a reality. Unbelievable, Jeff. Unbelievable. I have a class to teach now and I’m going to be late. If you don’t show up on Tuesday, I don’t care. It’s your life. Do whatever you want. I’m done here!

Jeff: But Professor?

Professor Lakey: Don’t even bother. Enough with the excuses.

Professor Lakey leaves the dorm room, slamming the door behind him.

Jeff: What’s his problem?

Jack: I don’t know man. I don’t know. Alright well you have to decide soon because time is running out. I’m heading to my next class before I’m late too. I’ll see you later, bro.

Jeff: Alright, see you later.