Five actors are summoned to an empty theater at a late hour to audition for an eccentric director's production of "Macbeth." As the night goes on, they realize this is no ordinary audition -- and there's more at stake than just getting a part.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Hannah Ehman
Sean's Voice/Todd: Geoff Mays
Voice Mail/Female Voice: Val Cole
Porter/Oliver: Shawn Devlin
Derek/Peter: Steve Rizzo

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?
POOR PLAYERS is a stage play that unabashedly revels in all things eerie about "Macbeth" - especially the themes of illusion and delusion.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Supernatural horror

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Not sure, frankly, if it can be made into a movie since it is so specifically a theatrical piece that embraces and exploits the limitations of the stage and the "real time" unfolding of events. That said, it is inspired by my years of watching and loving horror films. In particular, it riffs on the portmanteau horror films that began way back when with "Dead of Night" and continues to this day ('Tales from the Crypt" et al.), so maybe there is way to transfer it to cinema.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Dark comedy

5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
On and off for five years

6. How many stories have you written?
I've written a lot of stuff for children's TV, some that actually made it to the TV screen, as well as many works for the stage.

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
Love of the genre and the challenge of making tropes work within the confines and restrictions of a stage work.

8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Logistic problems and keeping the supernatural and the mundane coexisting in the dialogue.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Music

10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
POOR PLAYERS wasn't getting much traction in the theater, so I pivoted to screenwriting festivals to get some feedback. Your feedback was smart and good and I applied it in my next pass on the script.

11. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Probably "Night of the Demon" (1957)