is Razel’s first full length stage play. This play was conceived as a challenge from her Nagual as a part of her ongoing spiritual growth.
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CHARLES WAHL Born in London England, and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Charles has been deeply involved in the film and television community in Canada as a writer and director of dramatic work, commercials, and music videos. He has written and directed short films that have been broadcast on television, as well as screened in festivals across North America.
Bad Paper is Charles’ first trip into the world of writing for the stage, and his screenplay version has recently been optioned, and it in development in Canada.
Scott McCarrey is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose work has been recognized by the Kennedy Center, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and the National Critics Institute. He is a graduate student at NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing, and lives in Brooklyn. For more information visit: www.scottmccarrey.com
2nd Draft Series 2009/2010 Script Synopses
ROBOT SONGS In a small town where thinking of any sort is typically discouraged, The Man From The Paper tries his best to hide his curious nature from his fellow citizens, and the sinister Mayor while consorting with an exiled Artist who lives alone in a shack outside of town. But, the young man’s curiosity cannot be contained when he learns of a strange man of science, known simply as The Creator who is performing suspicious experiments in a towering suburban laboratory. Upon further investigation, The Man From The Paper learns The Creator, fed up with the meaningless rat race which humanity has become, has developed a superhuman robot named Arty with the intention of destroying all mankind. The robot, however, has other intentions. In his studies on human nature, Arty has become fascinated by one topic in particular: an inexplicable, melodic phenomenon which seems to bring all humans together for brief periods of time. Pop music. So taken with this form is Arty that he abandons his programmed purpose and begins composing his own songs. Soon, he is creating new models of artificially-intelligent beings to fill out his band. The Creator and The Man From The Paper, thinking Arty is still on track with the original plan, aid him, until they learn of his change of heart. The Creator, furious at his son’s betrayal, disowns him. Undaunted, Arty continues with his compositions. But when he broadcasts his music to the town, something strange happens: everyone within earshot begins uncontrollably committing suicide. Though The Creator is delighted to see his plan come to fruition, Arty is completely distraught, especially when the songs begin killing the other robots he has created. Meanwhile, The Man From The Paper frantically searches the town for his friend The Artist, as one question races through his mind: Whose heart is strong enough to survive Arty’s lethal symphonies? Robot Songs is a darkly comic fairy tale that examines issues of art, mortality, creation, fate, and destiny.
KENNEDY is a chronicle of the life and times of the 35th President of the United States. This compelling biographical play is an exploration of America’s most prominent political figures. For John F. Kennedy, it was a time of great political triumph and terrible personal tragedy. For the U.S. his 1000 days in office included the dawning of the Civil Rights movement, the height of the cold war, the origin of the space exploration, and the death of an American President.
UNTYING KNOTS Heartfelt and funny, a family, lovers and neighbors’ passage from snarled to undone.
BAD PAPER One of the largest and fastest growing problems in North America is personal debt. “Bad Paper” takes place among the people who magnify this problem further; the high-pressured call center based debt collectors, who aggressively use any means available to collect. As senior debt collector and manager of his collections bullpen in an unspecified big city, Max goes to great lengths to collect from debtors. However, years of pressure and hard living have worn Max down; his recreational gambling has pushed him into debt with an underworld loan shark. “Stick” is brought in to collect. The message is clear, pay up or pay the consequences. Being the gambler he is, Max ups the ante and places a bet with Stick’s first installment. Losing his bet, and the money, Max wakes up to Stick sitting next to him holding a pair of garden shears. Now, with one less appendage and the fear of the other side staring him in the face, Max must push all the right buttons to get his life back. Stick continues to apply the pressure; tracking down anyone who was foolish enough to be involved with Max, even threatening Catherine, the soon to be mother of Max’s child. Max’s only real shot at getting the money for Stick is to collect for his bonus in an extremely short amount of time from his “Bad Paper”. The story focuses on the cycle of debt and it’s impact, showing the lengths people will go to collect, and the circumstances that lead people into the red. Feeling Stick’s pressure, Max amazingly motivates his bullpen to reach their bonus and just as things look bright, Catherine realizes she has no future with Max and chooses to end her pregnancy. Distraught by Catherine’s choice and realizing he has nothing to look forward to, Max reverts to his old ways. He places a bet and loses any chance of a normal life. Like most of the debtors he chases, Max epitomizes the dominant theme of the film; whether it’s with money, sweat, blood, or tears, people always pay. Not realizing this, Max decides to run. Months later, having relocated to a new city, with a new name, he steps outside of his new job to have a smoke, and there waiting outside, is Stick, ready to collect.