Variations in the Key of Laura

by Dan West

TEN-MINUTE PLAY: Laura and Dean love each other. That has never really been the problem. What is the problem resists easy diagnosis - it lives somewhere in the silences, the small failures, the distance that grows between the couch and the loveseat. Structured as a theatrical sonata in eight movements, "Variations in the Key of Laura" is a chamber drama for two actors that finds the full weight of a...

TEN-MINUTE PLAY: Laura and Dean love each other. That has never really been the problem. What is the problem resists easy diagnosis - it lives somewhere in the silences, the small failures, the distance that grows between the couch and the loveseat. Structured as a theatrical sonata in eight movements, "Variations in the Key of Laura" is a chamber drama for two actors that finds the full weight of a relationship in a single living room, a coffee table, and a letter that might be better off unopened

read more
  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Library

Variations in the Key of Laura

Recommended by

  • Christopher Plumridge: Variations in the Key of Laura by Dan West
    “

    Reading this play I could almost hear the bitter sweet symphony playing to Laura's moods. As with any good musical pieces, the silences can also be deafening, overwhelming.
    A beautiful short play which could be tackled in many ways, and one that will give two actors a great challenge to tackle.
    Clever and original, I'd love to see this staged.

    Reading this play I could almost hear the bitter sweet symphony playing to Laura's moods. As with any good musical pieces, the silences can also be deafening, overwhelming.
    A beautiful short play which could be tackled in many ways, and one that will give two actors a great challenge to tackle.
    Clever and original, I'd love to see this staged.

    ”
  • Donald Loftus: Variations in the Key of Laura by Dan West
    “

    Dan West's "Variations in the Key of Laura" is a deeply moving theatrical meditation on love, memory, depression, and the quiet unraveling of a marriage. The final image lands with devastating simplicity, leaving the audience to contemplate all the words spoken and unspoken.

    Dan West's "Variations in the Key of Laura" is a deeply moving theatrical meditation on love, memory, depression, and the quiet unraveling of a marriage. The final image lands with devastating simplicity, leaving the audience to contemplate all the words spoken and unspoken.

    ”
  • Caden Barley: Variations in the Key of Laura by Dan West
    “

    "Variations in the Key of Laura" is an gripping read. West had me hanging onto every word, both said and unsaid, and I couldn't look away as the chasm between Laura and Dean grew wider and wider. Brief yet deeply impactful.

    "Variations in the Key of Laura" is an gripping read. West had me hanging onto every word, both said and unsaid, and I couldn't look away as the chasm between Laura and Dean grew wider and wider. Brief yet deeply impactful.

    ”
View all 6 recommendations

Character Information

  • Laura
    30s
    Female
  • Dean
    Laura's husband
    30s
    Male