C.J.: Hey! You're wearing my pajamas.
JOSH: Yes, I am.
C.J.: Take your coat off, let's see....Those are too big.
JOSH: Yes, they are. All this time I've been working with you, did you also think I was playing power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers?
--"The Midterms"
There's a play (whose title I can never remember) set in a diner. The audience sits on both sides of the stage, and in the first half you see either the kitchen side or the table side of the story. During intermission, the set rotates, and during the second half, you see the exact same story - from the other side of the counter.
That was the original idea behind "Variations." 2 series; one CJ/Leo ("Variations on a Life"), the other Sam/Josh ("Variations on Variations"), that intertwined with each other and occasionally met up in the middle ("Variations").
I swear - originally, there were 5 stories. Five. And then I went insane. This is the result.
2001 Jed for Outstanding Work in Progress - 2nd place.
2001 CJ/Leo List Awards Outstanding Series
It started with "Hidden Things." Sam refers to Ainsley and Josh discussing Sam's sock drawer in front of the junior staff. Beth wanted to know how that conversation had gone. Then we wanted to know how Ainsley knew about Sam and Josh in the first place. This is what we came up with.
The Sock Drawer by Beth | Beth's take on the sock-drawer discussion.
The Soft Part Loud | Then again, my take. Also contains the contents of Sam's bedside stand, as per "The Sock Drawer."
Kitten, Upside-down | Set the day after "The Dinner Party." How Ainsley found out.
Under the Bed by Beth | Sometimes, to come out of the closet, you have to go under the bed. Maybe Ainsley found out this way, instead.