Roll of a lifetime is the story of a group of young people who gather together for the last time to play a tabletop role playing game that has been important to them for years.  It is the story of how they say goodbye to this part of childhood and the friends that made it mean so much to them.  All roles can be played by actors of all genders.  

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Synopsis:

Kai, Devin, Jordan, Demi, and Dallas get together to finally finish the game they have been playing weekly for years.  They are preparing to graduate, to go off to different schools and leave behind the friendships that have defined their lives. Each in their own way fears moving on and each in their own way allows their fears and anxieties to affect the game. They all control their own character in the game and while the players discuss and bicker at the table, their characters provide them with the outlet they need to sing. The characters are on a quest to prevent Muldark’s stopping time. Demi, the game-master, uses Muldark and their henchfolk to serve as obstacles to the adventurer’s progress, culminating in an epic confrontation and exciting fight scene.  As the show progresses the party falls apart, bit-by-bit, until only real honesty and genuine sacrifice are enough to bring them back together.  But in a theater of the mind, anything is possible.

 

Characters:

The Players (All 5 are either grade 9’s going on to HS or H.S seniors going on to university):

        Dallas: People keep telling Dallas that their world is changing.  But why does it have to change?  Dallas loves their world and wants to keep it and their precious friendships just the way they are.  (no solos)

        Jordan: Is sure if they had to spend another month in the same old routine, the same school, the same friendships they would go crazy! They are more than ready to move on to bigger and better things! (no solos)

        Devin: If it has to end, it’s better to rip the bandage off early. If Devin has pushed all their friends away already it won't hurt to say goodbye… right? (no solos)

        Kai: Why is no one saying goodbye properly? You have to cherish and honour these moments of transition. Kai is going to enjoy their last session with their friends, whether they like it or not. (no solos)

        Demi: Has a world to build and a story to tell and they are going to do it! It doesn’t matter what nonsense their friends are bringing to the table. This is Demi’s world, and all of them just play in it. (2 solos)

The Characters:  They are an expression of the inner life and the imagination of the player who controls them. 

        Broadhammer/Dallas: Broadhammer is big and strong and decisive: a barbarian, they love a good fight, good friends, and a good quest more than anything in the world. As long as Broadhammer never looks too hard at It, the journey is bound to continue forever. (1 solo)

        Thranduil/Kai: mighty and righteous, this paladin wants to enjoy their adventure, perhaps, even slow it down. After all, the journey is the key and the destination is just another word for the end.  (1 solo)

        Darkhallow/Devin: Moody and dark, Darkhollow the rogue, is far too aloof and edgy to worry about petty things like their friends’ feelings or the final farewell… aren’t they? (1 solo)

        Lem/Jordan: Is the reckless bard with a flair for the dramatic and a devil-may-care attitude. Why are people so glum? It’s not the end of the world, and even if it was, wouldn’t it be nicer to laugh at the end?  (1 solo)

        Muldark/Demi: a dark lord who seeks to freeze the world in an instant. They’ve had just about enough of their incompetent hench people, their foiled schemes and most of all, these pesky adventurers!  (1 solo with the henchfolk chorus, to be written later)

       Henchfolk:  (2-7) they are Muldark’s minions.  They have lines in Muldark’s scenes.  Could be a dance chorus and could be younger, smaller children.  

 

Production notes:

The setting is Demi’s family’s basement.  The stage needs to reflect the world of the table: a dark, family basement world, and also, the fantasy realm of the game.  Traditionally this is done by taking a part of the stage and elevating or otherwise separating it from the rest.  The smaller  section is the basement where the players play the game. The rest of the stage is then free to be the fantasy world of the game. The characters and players exist and act at the same time and the audience must consistently be aware that the players and the corresponding characters are the same people, experiencing the same events.  The show ends as the characters re-integrate with their creators.  

Roll of Lifetime takes place in a TTRPG or tabletop role-playing game: a game of collaborative storytelling.  D&D is the most popular but there are others.  In a typical TTRPG, players create characters, give them skills and flaws and send them out on grand adventures,  adventures that can last years as the same group comes together week by week to continue their journey. More and more these games have become a popular way for people to have fun, build community, stretch their creative muscles, and to grapple with parts of themselves that don’t emerge in daily life. The end of these long games can be heartbreaking.