One-man film starring Paul Rudd as Snout. When Snout’s fellow play members are arguing about their roles, his script gets blown away by the winds of Athens. Snout must begin the long and courageous quest to find his script and return to the other play members before the play begins.
The film begins with a Star Wars-like introduction text that reads:
In a land long ago, there was a man named Snout. He is an actor, but no one thinks he can act. Before his play with his fellow play members, Snout’s script is blown away by the winds of Athens. Snout must trek across goliath mountain of Olympus and the dense Mediterranean forest to retrieve his script and return before the play begins. There he will prove that he is the greatest actor of all time, making his play members sorry for the degrading way they have treated him.
Snout has just left his play members in search of his lost script. He knows their feelings of shame towards him have strengthened due to his mistake. He sees the giant Mount Olympus far in the distance, just the first of many obstacles he must overcome in his quest. First he must make the not necessarily difficult, but extremely tedious 15 mile hike to the base of the mountain. He is wearing a heavy wool coat and a pair of old boots with worn out shoe laces that have their aglets, not nearly enough apparel for the quest Snout was on. When Snout reaches the base of the mountain he is overcome with fear. The height of the mountain intimidates him. Large boulders fall from its side. Snout crumbles up his fear like a paper ball and throws it far back into his mind where it cannot be felt. His climb begins by gripping his hand on the rough and rocky wall. As his climb goes on, Snout realizes that a fall from his height would result in death. Snout, however, would rise. At the peak of the mountain, Snout gazes at the sunset knowing that his quest was far from over. The descent down the mountain could not have been easier.
After traveling across the mountain, an even harder task awaits. The forest is so full of trees that it is a struggle to even walk a few feet. Snout must maneuver his body through the trees carefully because if he gets stuck, no one will be there to help and he will not return to the play in time. And do not forget about the creatures that linger among forest. Poisonous snakes become camouflage when they wrap themselves around the bark of the trees. Snout is aware of what he has to do to get through the forest and finds his way through slowly, yet safely. At the end of the forest, Snout sees his script laying on a smooth rock.
Snout collects the script with a grin on his face and makes the same trip back to the play. Throughout his quest, Snout imagines the shock on his fellow play members faces when they see he has found his script and has returned with time to spare till the start of the play.
This story is a bard text because it explores the character of a lesser known role and creates a follow-up to A Midsummer Night’s Dream.