Denude, a one act play
Trapped in a Vietnam-era foxhole, two soldiers confront mortality and reincarnation amidst war's surreal horrors, blurring reality and afterlife in a haunting exploration of existential dread.
"Denude," a one-act play is set in a Vietnam-era jungle, follows Trappist and Menses, two soldiers trapped in a foxhole. Trappist, seasoned and philosophical, tries to connect with Menses, a fearful newcomer. As tensions rise and danger looms, Menses's panic leads to a tragic escalation, culminating in Trappist's death.
Afterward, a surreal sequence unfolds where Trappist appears as a ghost, revealing their intertwined past lives and hinting at a cycle of reincarnation plagued by Menses's unwitting role in Trappist's deaths across different wars. As Menses faces mortality, Trappist guides him towards an ethereal realm, prompting a poignant reflection on life's mysteries and the inevitability of death.
The play delves into themes of war's psychological impact, existential introspection, and the blurred lines between reality and the afterlife, offering a haunting exploration of human mortality and the eternal search for meaning. It also offers several options for its ending and orientation.
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JZ MurdockWriterThe Teenage Bodyguard
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Project Type:Stage Play
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Genres:Drama, surreal
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Number of Pages:15
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Country of Origin:United States
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Language:English
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First-time Screenwriter:No
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Student Project:No
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
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Your Way International Film FestivalValletta, Malta
October 17, 2020
Best TV Horror Script - Certificate of Achievement -
Great Oman Independent Film FestivalNew York Screenwriting Awards
February 21, 2024
Best Short Script/Screenplay & Best Writer
JZ Murdock is a writer, author, and filmmaker living in Bremerton, WA. He has written two fiction books and also writes screenplays. His current forerunner screenplay is a true crime story, The Teenage bodyguard. His short horror film The Rapping is currently making rounds in the film festival circuit.
Writing should engage the reader and offer them a point of view they find novel and either entertaining or disturbing. If possible they should learn something new, offering them a way forward in a better direction. Or an intense roller coaster ride. Or one of simple pleasures and laughter