Cambriolage

by James Kelsey Nelson

(FULL LENGTH) Five actors are randomly assigned their part at the top of the performance in this expressionist comedy. A receptionist working at a museum late at night is tricked by an intruder and an active burglary ensues. As more visitors arrive - the curator of the museum, a police dispatcher who is learning on the job, and a nosy neighbor who seizes an opportunity to advance their career - the situation...

(FULL LENGTH) Five actors are randomly assigned their part at the top of the performance in this expressionist comedy. A receptionist working at a museum late at night is tricked by an intruder and an active burglary ensues. As more visitors arrive - the curator of the museum, a police dispatcher who is learning on the job, and a nosy neighbor who seizes an opportunity to advance their career - the situation spirals out of control.

read more
  • Inquire About Rights
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

Cambriolage

Recommended by

  • Rachel Bykowski: Cambriolage by James Kelsey Nelson
    “

    A farce that will always be unpredictable. I truly love the opening concept of the assigned roles to actors that dance on meta territory. The play is a light-hearted, fast-paced comedy. You can sense how much fun the playwright had writing this. Farces are truly a difficult project. I believe any comedy director out there would thoroughly enjoy tackling this play.

    A farce that will always be unpredictable. I truly love the opening concept of the assigned roles to actors that dance on meta territory. The play is a light-hearted, fast-paced comedy. You can sense how much fun the playwright had writing this. Farces are truly a difficult project. I believe any comedy director out there would thoroughly enjoy tackling this play.

    ”
  • Jacquelyn Floyd-Priskorn: Cambriolage by James Kelsey Nelson
    “

    This over the top farce feels like a brilliant classic theatre students should have been studying and obsessed with for years! But the twist in this play is you will NEVER see the same show twice! The actors names are drawn at random by an audience member and they are assigned their roles at the start of the show. If this play wasn't funny enough already to bring people back again and again, the promise of a new show every night will have the run of this sold out to standing room only! So much fun!

    This over the top farce feels like a brilliant classic theatre students should have been studying and obsessed with for years! But the twist in this play is you will NEVER see the same show twice! The actors names are drawn at random by an audience member and they are assigned their roles at the start of the show. If this play wasn't funny enough already to bring people back again and again, the promise of a new show every night will have the run of this sold out to standing room only! So much fun!

    ”

Character Information

This play is written for five actors, preferably as different from one another as possible. The intention is for each actor to memorize and rehearse all five roles, and to have the opportunity to play any of them at a given performance. How this is executed is up to the director and producing team - actors could draw roles on stage in front of the audience immediately at the top of the evening, use the optional prologue, schedule performances with pre-set cast configurations, or create their own solution.
  • RECEPTIONIST
  • BURGLAR
  • CURATOR
  • NEIGHBOR
  • DISPATCH

Awards

  • Waterworks 2024 Finalist & Festival Selection
    Live Arts
    Selection
    2024