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Magnetism
A Short Play
By Jim Dalglish
Midnight. Two people strolling hand-in-hand down the street. Two people on a first date. Two people who are the opposite in almost every way. Yet somehow the evening has been almost perfect...
And then the streetlight goes out.
“For the first time in my life I can fee that magnetic charge -- that wild electric current -- just by holding your hand. It’s like we’re opposites, that somehow attract.” - Actor / Actress #2
Characters
Actor #1 - Any gender identity or expression. Any age. Charismatic, self-assured, and emotionally fluent. Carries themselves with ease, often reads as the more confident or socially dominant person in the room — but with warmth rather than arrogance.
Actor #2 - Any gender identity or expression. Any age. Quirky, endearingly awkward, and emotionally vulnerable. Often underestimated, but surprisingly perceptive and deeply sincere. Their magnetism sneaks up on you.
Setting
Any place you would find a street lamp.
Time
Tonight. Midnight.
Play Concept
Magnetism is a two-character play built to invite inclusive casting across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Each actor memorizes only one role, allowing the same romantic story to be performed by different pairings — any combination of genders, identities, and expressions.including non-binary, trans, and cis performers of any gender — without changing a word.
One night might feature a transmasc Actor #1 and a non-binary Actor #2; the next, a cis woman and a cis man. The dialogue doesn’t change, but the dynamics do — inviting audiences to re-experience the same romantic encounter through entirely different lenses each time.
As the roles shift across performances, so do the dynamics, assumptions, and resonances, giving audiences a chance to reflect on how identity, attraction, and vulnerability play out in ways both universal and specific.
As a gay playwright from an earlier generation, I wrote Magnetism not to represent every experience, but to create a flexible framework in which Queer artists — especially those historically marginalized — can bring their full selves to the work. The piece becomes something new with every pairing, opening space for different lived experiences to shine through. I'd be honored to have it included in a festival that celebrates exactly that kind of vibrant Queer multiplicity.
Length
10 mins.
Type
Romantic, contemporary play
Themes
Meeting someone for the first time; emotional intimacy; the differences (similarities) between genders; the differences (similarities) between sexual orientations.
Acting Class Scenes
Entire play.
Script Completed
Spring 2004
Production History
Provincetown Theatre Company, Opening of The Provincetown Theater; 6/28/2004 - 7/10/2004 (Full Production)
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