A piece for several players that can be performed as a short form, but also — with more story wrapped around it — as a long form.
Every scene is about a person being looked for. The host asks the audience at the start for the name of this person (e.g. Thomas).
The first scene then begins with one character looking for Thomas and meeting other characters along the way. Often that first scene already reveals why the character is looking for him (revenge, money owed, a confession to make, just wanting to see him again, and so on). Every scene is played so that the searching character receives hints from the others about where Thomas might be ("I think I saw him earlier, in that one café — he was meeting a woman"). The character then follows those leads in the hope of finally finding Thomas.
Bit by bit a picture of Thomas and his life forms — also in the audience's heads.
But Thomas never appears and is never found.
Ideas
Around the search for Thomas, more story strands can be played out. You could learn more about the characters who give Thomas-hints. The whole thing can be embedded in a much larger story. Or you might learn more about Thomas's past and anecdotes (flashbacks, the other characters telling stories). In theory you can improvise as much story around it as you like, and always come back to the search for Thomas, which runs as the through-line and gives the story (and the players) orientation.
Tips
- Beyond the name, take a second prompt — for example the age of the missing person.
- The "internal" question that the players answer should be: why has Thomas disappeared? (The promise of the scenes.)
- Finding a fitting, satisfying ending can be tricky.