The Interview Room - By Rosie Lee

Written By: Rosie Lee

Category: Script

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Rosie Lee brings us "The Interview Room," an engaging script entry in the Creative Writing category of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. This piece explores the psychological journey of a high school student named Rhori, who is on a quest for identity and validation. Rosie Lee's work offers an intriguing glimpse into the pressures faced by youth today, making it a compelling addition to this prestigious competition.

About the Work

"The Interview Room" is a gripping exploration of identity and self-worth. Rosie Lee uses a stark setting and intense dialogue to delve into Rhori's internal struggle between societal expectations and personal truths. The script employs vivid imagery and a dreamlike atmosphere to question the essence of success and the importance of seemingly insignificant personal mementos. It’s a thought-provoking narrative that challenges readers to consider what truly defines them.

The Interview Room

Original Submission by Rosie Lee

THE INTERVIEW ROOM

by Rosie Lee

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

RHORI - A driven, perfectionist high schooler attending an elite private academy. Intelligent, but overprepares, overthinks, and is desperate to prove her worth.

THE INTERVIEWER - A figure with a blurred face. Always calm and poised. Speaks with stiff, mechanical politeness and lacks displays of emotion.

PROPS LIST:

SCENE ONE - Long, white table, white chairs, red countdown timer, mirror frame

SCENE TWO - Bed, nightstand, matching desk and chair, lamp, textbooks, notebooks, papers with grades

SETTING SETUP:

A bare interview room. Empty, except for one long table and two chairs, already placed at opposing ends of the table. The stage begins in complete darkness. Two figures enter. As they walk, the lights flicker erratically. Before they reach their chairs, complete darkness again. When the lights flash back on abruptly, both figures are already seated. Behind them, a red digital countdown glows faintly. It only begins ticking once the lights stabilize.

SCENE ONE

LIGHTS ON.

(A BEAT OF UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE. THEN, THE INTERVIEW BEGINS AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED.)

INTERVIEWER

(Pleasant, practiced voice) Good morning, Rhori. Thank you for arriving on time.

RHORI

(Nods and clasps hands together tightly) Good morning. I’m ready.

INTERVIEWER

Are you?

(ANOTHER BEAT OF TENSE SILENCE.)

RHORI

(Straightens back) Yes. I’ve prepared for this.

INTERVIEWER

(Smiles, without eyes) We will see.

LIGHTS OUT.

LIGHTS ON.

(THE TIMER BEGINS.)

INTERVIEWER

Let’s begin with something simple. Who are you?

RHORI

(Instant) My name is Rhori Lynn. I’m a junior at Hawthorne Academy, and I’m applying for—

INTERVIEWER

(Interrupts) No. Who are you?

RHORI

(Brows furrowed, visibly confused) I… I just told you. I am currently seventeen years old, with a 4.2 weighted GPA—

INTERVIEWER

(Interrupts) You are reciting facts. Facts are convenient. People become numbers. But who are you, Rhori?

RHORI

(Attempts to remain professional, forces smile) I’m a dedicated student. I currently take three academic honors classes and an advanced class in—

INTERVIEWER

(Interrupts) You hesitated outside the door for thirteen seconds before entering. Why?

RHORI

(Shocked) I— What? How do you know that?

INTERVIEWER

You touched the doorknob twice. You stared at the metal frame. You memorized the patterns on the wood. But you did not open the door. Why?

RHORI

There’s no way… how do you know?

INTERVIEWER

I am the one asking questions here. You were afraid. Why?

RHORI

I wasn’t afraid. I was preparing myself. Everyone does that before interviews. Rehearsing and getting ready, that is.

INTERVIEWER

But you are not everyone, are you?

LIGHTS FLICKER.

LIGHTS ON.

(THE COUNTDOWN FLASHES BRIGHTLY FOR A MOMENT.)

INTERVIEWER

You rehearse in hallways. You rehearse before mirrors. You rehearse in your sleep. Yet, when the moment is here, you wait. Why?

RHORI

Because there is a right moment, and I want to do the right things in the right moment.

INTERVIEWER

How do you know when the moment is right?

RHORI

(Frustrated) When it feels right. When I’ve prepared enough, practiced enough, done enough. When everything is enough. And when everything is back to normal.

INTERVIEWER

Normal. (Echoes the word, quieter each time) Do you believe that this room is normal?

RHORI

(Looks around) It’s… an interview room.

INTERVIEWER

Is it?

(THE COUNTDOWN FLICKERS, SKIPPING NUMBERS ERRATICALLY BEFORE RETURNING TO THE CORRECT ONE.)

RHORI

(Under her breath) Did that just– Did that just jump?

INTERVIEWER

Well, time tends to slip by when you let it go.

RHORI

What’s that supposed to mean?

INTERVIEWER

I’m asking the questions here, remember? Now, question two: What did you forget?

RHORI

(Confused) Forget? I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything…

INTERVIEWER

(Leans forward slightly) Really? And yet, it’s gone. (Points finger at the empty spot beside RHORI)

RHORI

(Realizes) My bag! I needed that! But I’m so sure that I packed it. I checked five times!

INTERVIEWER

(Shakes head) But what is it that you will miss?

RHORI

(Stammering) I— I had my letters of recommendation— my transcripts, achievements, records— everything!

INTERVIEWER

Everything. (Echoes the word, quieter each time) What is everything? Look closer. Not at the papers, not at the letters, not at the achievements. You can find more transcripts. You can get more letters. You can earn more achievements. Look at what’s missing. What is it you truly miss?

RHORI

What else could possibly be missing? It’s all in the bag.

INTERVIEWER

(Quietly) What have you carried without thinking? What mattered long before it became irrelevant?

RHORI

(Stares at the empty spot) Bracelets. Charm. Photographs.

INTERVIEWER

The cheap handwoven plastic bracelets. The charm that’s been rusting for twelve years. The photographs in black and white. You cling onto achievements. Grades. Awards. Recognition. Yet your bag… (Gestures to the empty space) …holds all that you left behind. How can those papers matter if the bag that holds them is gone?

RHORI

(Shakes head) I didn’t think about them… I have… forgotten.

INTERVIEWER

You may have left them, but they have not left you… entirely.

RHORI

(Standing) That makes no sense! (Increasingly frustrated) They shouldn’t matter. They’re just small things. For decoration. They have no use, no purpose.

INTERVIEWER

(Smile softens) And the small things are what you lose when you chase big dreams.

LIGHTS FLICKER.

LIGHTS ON.

(THE COUNTDOWN FLASHES BRIGHTLY FOR A MOMENT.)

RHORI

(Stammers) I don’t… I don’t even remember… why I do this. All of this… for what?

INTERVIEWER

(Walks to RHORI’s side of the table, stands behind RHORI, and grabs RHORI’s shoulders) Not because you wanted to, but because of what you feared you’d lose. (Leans in) Who you would lose.

RHORI

(Shouts) Stop! I— I can’t! (Clutches head)

INTERVIEWER

Did you notice the timer? (Points at red countdown, which is still ticking)

(THE RED GLOW OF THE COUNTDOWN CLOCK PULSATES VIOLENTLY. RHORI’S BODY SWAYS DRAMATICALLY.)

RHORI

Why is it going down? What happens when it ends? How do I stop it?

INTERVIEWER

(Sighs) Rhori, Rhori. You still do not understand, do you? You are fixated on the perfections in life. You measure your worth in papers and numbers. Look at what you have become. You’ve stopped being a person, Rhori. Just another cog in the machine, a subset of the system you tried to best. You yearn for success, but fail what matters most in the end.

RHORI

(Breathes heavily, grabs onto the table tightly) This doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense.

INTERVIEWER

(Smiles genuinely) Dreams rarely do.

(TABLES AND CHAIRS SHIFT, FALLING OVER. THE RED COUNTDOWN FALLS, SHATTERING.)

(A MIRROR FRAME APPEARS. RHORI AND INTERVIEWER STAND ON OPPOSING SIDES. THEIR MOVEMENTS MIRROR. THEIR HANDS MEET IN THE MIDDLE.)

INTERVIEWER

Until next time, then, Rhori Hettie Lynn.

(INTERVIEWER’S FACE UNBLURS AT LAST. APPEARS TO BE AN OLDER VERSION OF RHORI, AGED WITH WRINKLES AND EXPERIENCE. SMILES SLIGHTLY. A REAL SMILE. THE MIRROR FRAME CRACKS, THEN FALLS IN PIECES.)

(EVERYTHING GOES BLACK.)

SCENE TWO

LIGHTS FLICKER.

(SETTING CHANGES: A simple bedroom with a bed in the center and a nightstand beside it. A chair neatly pushed in beneath a desk, with mountains of textbooks and notebooks piled atop one another. Crushed under it, bracelets, a charm, and a black-and-white photograph.)

LIGHTS ON.

(RHORI jolts up from under the bed covers, breathing heavily. RHORI presses a button to turn on the lamp by the bed.)

RHORI

(Softly) It was… just a dream.

(INTERVIEWER’S VOICE COMES IN AS A DARK, LOUD, ECHOING WHISPER.)

INTERVIEWER

Now, it’s time to wake up.

LIGHTS OFF.

TO BE CONTINUED...

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a platform that celebrates diverse voices in literature. It invites participants from around the world to showcase their talents in poetry, short stories, essays, and creative writing. This competition is not only a testament to the power of the written word but also a celebration of creativity and expression in its many forms.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Rosie Lee for sharing "The Interview Room" with us. Your participation in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 enriches the tapestry of narratives that challenge and inspire. We look forward to seeing more of your insightful work in the future.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.