Exit Hollywood
By Chris James
Chapter Ten
Beverly Cooper sat down with a reporter from Black Hollywood, an entertainment magazine which covered the African-American scene. Bonnie Cooper had watched with amazement as her daughter's career took off, and like a smart Hollywood mother she had quickly found Beverly an agent.
Nicholson Talent, in the form of Beth Nicholson, had been looking over Beverly's shoulder for nearly three years and guiding her steps up the ladder. After the television show there had been two small parts in films and a national tour of The Wiz. Beverly had an excellent singing voice, and she enjoyed using it, but her first love was acting.
Finding their young star cast in a Jim Curry film had set fire to the people at Nicholson, they were out to put her in the spotlight whenever they could. Black Hollywood had a seedy reputation for cozying up to rap stars that didn't always represent the best in wholesome entertainment, but they were under new management.
Lawrence Tilley, the film and talent reporter for the magazine, had been aware of Beverly since the television days. He had featured her in several articles back then and become a fan. Now that his boss was no longer interested in which gangsta rapper was trying to act in film, Larry was finally allowed to report the news. He had picked up the buzz about Come Next Tuesday and headed straight to Beverly for the scoop.
Eighteen and beautiful, Larry decided when they met and sat down for lunch. Beverly had given him a hug just like they were old friends and a few heads had turned to see just who old Larry was courting these days.
"You look wonderful," Larry said. If he had been married, which he was not, he would have enjoyed having someone like Beverly as his daughter.
"Thank you," Beverly replied. "You're looking just as prosperous as always."
Larry was known for his sense of fashion and the outrageous ties he wore. He grinned in reply. "A man can't trade on his beauty, he must have silk. You like?" He asked, parting his suit coat and showing Beverly the tie.
"That's a beauty, is it Armani?"
"Oh no, this is a Ferragamo...Italian silk. So how have you been?"
Beverly smiled. "I'm fine. Mom is doing well and sends her regards. I'm very happy to be working with Jim Curry, and having Steve in the picture is like old times."
"The town is buzzing about this film, so you know I had to come straight to you," Larry said.
"You did the right thing," Beverly said. "This is going to be the most fun I've had in my career."
"Okay...so tell me why?"
Larry got an earful. He was one of those people blessed with near perfect recall so he never took notes and didn't record any of his meetings. He would write the article and submit it to Beverly's agent for approval. If there was any problem the corrections would happen then, but in almost twenty years of reporting there was rarely a need to make any changes.
Although she was close friends with Steve Biddle, Beverly revealed that she had been chosen for the part by Curry's production team before Steve even knew about it. The diversity of the cast she considered a strong point, and the feedback from the fans on the website supported that view.
"I may be the only black female geek on film when this is all done," She laughed.
"This sounds like a dark comedy, those seem to be Jim Curry's specialty," Larry said.
"It is...but there is so much more. This is a film about kids as heroes, just ordinary everyday kids who use their intelligence to thwart a mad man. I think Jim's character will evoke some empathy from the audience. He becomes possessed by something he cannot understand."
"A lot of adults are challenged by technology," Larry said.
"Yes, but in fact kids are too. Intelligent use of technology means adapting it to our needs without giving it the chance to take over. As a teacher, the character of Doyle sees the threat of technology over independent intelligent thought, and this is what he really fears. He thinks all the kids in his classes have become mindless robots enslaved by their electronics."
"Wow, that's a complicated message."
"Is it wrong?" Beverly asked. "Isn't there some truth in Doyle's fears? We all see people talking on phones when they drive; it affects the way they perform behind the wheel. And texting...I've seen people walk into traffic because they're lost in operating some little electronic device rather than paying attention to where they are."
"This is in the film?" Larry asked.
"The script starts out with a rant by Doyle driving to work, and he sees all these things going on around him. I don't know how they'll film that scene; you'd have to ask Mickey Talon."
"Have you met the director?"
"Not yet. We have our first script meeting next week."
The interesting part about the event at the Bel Air Theater wasn't the twelve thousand dollars they had raised for the Children's Hospital, dollars that Jim was pledged to match, it was the changes to the script that followed. Marie and Steve had taken the kid's ideas and issues with points in the plot and worked them into the new script.
Doyle was now to discover the magic book in the basement of the massive public library, a room that was supposed to be off limits to the public. The book was in a collection donated to the city by an anonymous benefactor and was deemed too valuable to be placed on the shelves.
The scene was still going to play out with Doyle falling off the ladder, the book hitting him in the head and knocking him unconscious. He would awaken in a new state of mind, and the Arty D character would begin to manifest itself. Jim was looking forward to that scene.
The kids who contacted them via the website were supportive of almost everything they had read. Nelson had reams of email printouts and his minions had faithfully replied to each of them. The script now included forty small details suggested by fans and picked out by the production team, just enough to say they had been influenced by the contributors.
Mickey Talon was scheduled to appear for a four hour read through, and to make sure he was there on time Jim had sent his driver to pick the man up. Ted knew they would have to put up with Jillian as well, and to that end he had asked Steve if he would mind sitting next to the girl.
"She's a fan?" Steve asked.
"Probably, in a dark egotistical kind of way. You'll be her distraction and all you have to do is ignore her," Ted said.
Steve laughed. "I can do that."
The read through only took three hours and in Ted's estimation he was sure Mickey was impressed with his young cast. They talked about motivation in some of the scenes, and then Mickey inquired about some of the locations they would be shooting. Jim informed him that Mark Coglin's people had begun with the high school and were just about done, after that they would move into the Sony studio and begin building the sets.
"Good," Mickey said. "I'd like to shoot some preliminary scenes in a few weeks and the school would be a perfect place to start."
Jim was surprised; they weren't due to start for three months. But many directors liked preliminary work. It gave them a chance to see the cast in action and work on the cinematic aspects of the filming, Bob Ware would like it. Jim looked around the table and shrugged.
"Sure, I think we can shoot some prelims," He said.
"I know this is jumping the gun," Mickey said. "But if this works then perhaps we can get something in the can a few months early. If the costume and props people can whip something up for us I'd say let's go ahead and start the real work."
Ted surmised that Mickey had something else he wanted to do after Christmas. Jim was never one to waste time and he would go along with an earlier filming schedule. But if Mickey thought he could cut corners on this film he was wrong, Jim would hang him out to dry if he tried.
Jillian sat quietly during the reading and the short meeting that followed. Ted had watched her make a few comments to Steve before she left, and knew he would hear all about it.
"Mickey is going to Brazil in February if our film is done," Steve revealed. "Jillian says he's planning to shoot a movie about the environment, a documentary."
"We all knew something was up, I just hope this doesn't kill our Christmas plans," Ted said. "Dennis won't like that at all."
But Dennis was too busy over the next few weeks to worry about Christmas plans. He was deeply involved with Bob Ware and the plans for filming in the old Parkdale High School buildings. This would become the home of the fictitious Elias T. Moffett High School.
Located on the western edge of Glendale, the buildings had not been used for a decade. The place was still crawling with maintenance personnel and electrical contractors, but production assured them they would be ready.
Dennis followed Bob through the school cafeteria and down the hallway to the gym. Here the electricians had scaffolding set up and were hanging new overhead lighting. Bob looked at the old bleacher seats that had been pulled out from the wall. This would be the location of the very first scene they filmed.
The wooden floor crackled with age as they skirted the workmen high above. "I'd hate to play on this floor," Dennis said.
"Won't have to, this will all be background to our scenes," Bob said.
Dennis nodded. The kids in the Chips Club did not play sports in the film. There was a locker room scene after a fictitious gym class, but only one of the boys was ever shown playing ball. A shame really, Dennis had been told that Steve was a really good basketball player.
"Why the new lights?" Dennis asked.
"Jim's idea," Bob said. "After we're done Jim is having a new floor installed too. This is all part of his deal with the city. They'll get a community center and Curry will get a tax write off for the improvements."
"Good deal for everyone," Dennis laughed.
"Now let's go look at the studio sets," Bob said, and they drove back down to the Sony complex.
Dennis wasn't the only one involved in meeting that end of the month deadline. Ted went clothes shopping with the cast and Laura, their costume lady. The city offered a variety of shopping venues, from the upscale stores in Beverly Hills to the trendy shops of Hollywood Boulevard. Laura knew about teenage clothing desires, they went to Hollywood.
She had been given no time to approach some of the major brands for sponsorship. Promoting clothing lines in film was free advertising for many companies, but that took time to arrange. Taking the leads in this cast shopping would be the easiest way to accomplish what had to be done. Once they had established a look for the film her assistants could clothe the extras.
Ted would go along to represent the production team, but Karen was sending a publicity photographer to capture the moments. The studio had captured hundreds of images so far which was something they needed to feed the media a constant stream of publicity for the film. Ted and Barry would get to choose some of the best for posting on the website.
Steve and Beverly had a bunch of fans, and their presence online had lasted for years. Both of them had decided it was best to participate with their fan clubs rather than snubbing them. It was one way they could control the information that was posted, and in Steve's case that was vital.
Beverly had enjoyed the excitement generated when she began to date a young singer two years before. Her fans had been supportive until the boy dumped Beverly for an older woman. By then the boy had been caught up in the fast lifestyle of the music industry and their relationship was already over, at least from Beverly's point of view. The fans were shocked, but they stood by her. She was now more cautious with her public life.
Steve had a die hard set of fans that followed his every move. The television show with Mark had only been the beginning, and even then there had been some rocky moments. When a tabloid magazine had speculated that Steve was in a gay relationship with Mark the furor of the fans had swiftly followed.
The love/hate relationship with the media occurred with every performer. Some publishing outfits specialized in printing dirt, even if it was all nothing but lies. Mark had felt the brunt of that assault when his mother died, but his fans had taken matters into their own hands, trashing the offices of the magazine and running them out of town.
But Steve had embraced the fans, even to the point of meeting with the club's officers and thrilling three teenage girls to death. Those same girls had passed along the fan club to their younger siblings and Steve still maintained a relationship with the new generation.
The appearance of five young stars on Hollywood Boulevard was carefully orchestrated by Tim and the security people at Curry Studios. They chose the morning of a school day to begin the shopping spree, hoping in vain not to be discovered. All it took was a text message from one young store clerk to her sister at Glendale High School about the star sighting and dozens of girls skipped lunch period.
Laura allowed each member of the cast to choose something, and then convince her that it was within character to wear. The boys kept it simple and yet expressed their individuality. Steve was the one who had decided his character would always wear a button down shirt with a tie and Laura agreed. None of the other boys would wear t-shirts, but they would not be as formal as Steve.
Beverly was the one Laura wanted to accessorize. As a young black teenage girl she would be more likely to be swayed by the fashion trends, and perhaps set a few trends herself. It was Beverly's craving for colors that led them to dress her in a rainbow of differing shades, a distinct contrast to the boys.
Pants here, shirts there, they paraded down Hollywood Boulevard from store to store followed by a gaggle of fans who ought to be in school. The Curry credit card was accepted everywhere, and they racked up quite a bill. But after visiting a dozen stores Ted knew it was time to leave, a mob of fans was gathering.
The studio van pulled up as Tim and the other two studio guards held the crowd back with the help of a few uniformed city police. Laura and the cast where whisked away while Ted joined Steve and Tim for the limo ride back to the studio. They arrived at the office and saw the familiar bulk of Tommy standing beside the black SUV in the parking lot.
"Oh, Mark must be here," Ted said.
"He had a meeting with Jim this morning, I forgot to tell you," Steve said.
Dennis and Mark were sitting in the lobby laughing about something when they walked in.
"There they are," Mark said. "I'm starved. Can you guys leave for lunch?"
"You guys go with Tommy," Tim said. "I have a meeting downtown with LAPD."
"What was that all about?" Dennis asked as the four of them climbed in the SUV.
"Tim's company has certain security clearances that have to be reviewed every year, at least that's what he told me," Steve said. "No big deal. So where are we going?"
"The Beverly Wilshire, my treat," Mark said.
Tommy drove them across town and up Wilshire Boulevard to the hotel. The dining room at the hotel was known for its luxury and menu, but Mark preferred to eat on the patio where he would be less conspicuous. As always, Antonio met Mark at the door with a gracious smile.
"Mr. Harrison, so glad to see you...I have your table ready."
Dennis gave Ted a smile, this was first class. Antonio gave Tommy a nervous glance like he always did, but the big man only smiled in return. They walked down the bar side of the restaurant and out the glass doors onto the patio. A table was set for six and so Ted figured Tommy would be joining them. Instead he walked past the table and settled himself in the shade overlooking the swimming pool.
"Doesn't he want to eat?" Steve asked.
"I invited him," Mark said with a shrug.
Their presence was noted by people at several other outside tables, but there were only nods and smiles. The patio was a place of privacy from the public eye, and that is what kept Mark coming back here year after year.
A waiter took their drink order, not at all surprised by the teenagers he was serving. And then Ted had to ask.
"So...what's the special occasion?"
"Just friendship and a little information swap," Mark replied. "We're going to be working together."
"This is all very nice of you," Dennis said.
"I'm a nice guy," Mark replied. "I also wanted to find out what you guys think about something."
"Something?" Steve asked.
Mark sighed. "I am now in possession of top secret information, although Jim said I can share it with you...this can go no further."
Heads nodded, they all understood that Jim put a great deal of trust in them.
"We talked about the new film with Hank this morning," Mark said. "Come Next Tuesday is going ahead early because Mickey is being pushed by Jim. That means there won't be any Christmas vacation for anybody."
"That sucks," Steve said.
"Wait for it," Dennis said. "There has to be more to this."
Mark nodded. "There is, he's not being unfair. We all know Partial Payment is not going to make a big splash, but Jim seems to accept that. Come Next Tuesday will be a great kid's film, and yet it isn't really a comedy. He said all these things this morning before he told me what the new film with Hank is all about."
"You know?" Ted asked.
"I do...but first let's look at Jim's reasons for making our lives so miserable. And that would be because he wants a best picture, best director and Oscar nominations for the top leads in this new film."
"You're joking," Steve said. "That's a nice idea but its crazy...impossible."
"Not impossible, just improbable," Dennis laughed. "Why would this new film get all those awards?"
"Because this film is outside the box for all of us, it's a drama...a heavy drama, and we will have to work our tails off to take it there."
"Oh...I still don't get it," Steve said.
"You will, starting next month you begin vocal coaching...you have to sing in the film," Mark said.
"What...Really?" Steve now had a huge grin on his face.
"Okay....tell us the name of the film and what's it all about?" Ted asked.
"The working title is Redemption, but we all know things like that can change. Steve plays a rising pop star, with Jim as his pushy father." Here Mark smiled. "I play an unlucky kid and Hank is my father who drinks too much.
"The interesting part about this film is that the script is incomplete. Right now it's little more than a vague story that Jim tried to convert, and he didn't like what he had. He says he's going to have to start over, or find someone to do it. But he's committed to the project."
Steve let out a long slow breath. "Damn, this sounds intense."
"What a challenge...for all of you," Dennis said. "Four comedy actors doing drama...I see why Jim thinks it will win awards."
"If we do it correctly, and that takes time, good direction and a lot of luck," Mark said.
"And a decent script. You didn't say who's directing," Ted said.
"Someone new to directing, but he's an experienced actor...Michael Kane."
"Oh My God, he lives across the street from my parents," Steve said. "But wait up, I have a big role in Come Next Tuesday, how am I going to take voice lessons?"
"So much for your free time," Dennis said.
"Imagine that, the two hottest stars in town directed by Michael Kane and featuring you guys. Now I see why Jim has such great expectations," Ted said.
"So Steve gets to sing...and Mark, what do you get to do?" Dennis asked.
"I get to sweep up. I play the janitor."
Steve laughed and shook his head. "Somehow I don't think your role is that simple."
"Aw, you guessed...it's not," Mark said. "Jim said I'm the fallen angel in the story."
"Fascinating...and who wrote the story?" Ted asked.
"Now we get to the interesting part. The book was by an unknown author and Jim purchased the rights to it a few years ago. Jim and Hank tried to write the script."
There was silence around the table, and Dennis was the first to voice his concerns.
"After Partial Payment, doesn't he see that as risky?"
Mark nodded. "Perhaps, but I haven't seen the script."
"Oh, now I know I have to read it," Ted said.
The filming for Come Next Tuesday began with a storm of activity in and around the high school buildings. The trailers containing all the necessary filming equipment, props, costumes and makeup facilities were in place, as was the fencing to keep out the curious.
Mickey Talon had accepted Barry's role as an assistant director. He really had no choice since he was the outsider in a very efficient production company. But Barry had done all the fine tuning before shooting began. Mickey walked in to begin work and found the crew and cast awaiting direction.
They shot a scene in the gymnasium to satisfy Mickey's need for a preliminary look. The kids were photogenic and the commitment to their roles was obvious, but Bob knew the director was really checking out the film crew. After the playback Mickey actually smiled and gave Bob a pat on the back.
Once Bob got a feel for the kind of shots Mickey wanted they could make some real progress. The preliminary day's work was followed by a team huddle and it was decided to continue. Without any fanfare, a shooting schedule was produced and they began filming the production.
Dennis found himself attached to Mark Coglin as the sets for the interiors neared completion. At least this would allow him to work with Ted since they both had positions on the film. But today Ted was at the high school as the filming began.
"Quiet on the set."
"Rolling," Bob Ware called out, and the slate man snapped his marker in front of the lens.
"Action," Mickey said.
A sweeping camera shot of twenty high school aged extras on the basketball court, sounds of balls dribbling, the squeaks of sneakers on the wooden floor. The camera pivots on the overhead boom and catches the action on the court before turning towards the bleachers.
Steve Biddle in character as Nicky Purdy, Miguel Guzman as Eddy Dominguez and Bobby Morris as Tucker Norris sit on the bottom row of benches. They are watching Leonard Baker in character as Michael Lee play ball with the gym class.
The point of the scene is that of the four boys, only Michael has any real skills on the court, and Coach Adams has been trying to recruit the boy for the school basketball team. The shots Mickey Talon has set up calls for a close-up of each boy's face, one after the other, as they watch the play, and then the camera backs off as the dialogue begins.
Ted sat off to one side. His role on the production staff was tied to the script. He was there to prompt the cast members and make note of any inconsistencies in the dialogue. As the director, Mickey was so engaged in the visual aspects that someone had to be there to tell him if the actors wandered out of the script.
It was natural in a three or four minute scene that an actor might lose his train of thought and mess up the dialogue. Strict adherence to the words printed in the script wasn't always necessary since actors did ad-lib or make minor changes. Ted would have to write that into the copy he had before him.
A good actor needed elbow room to sell the words he was saying, but these were young kids and they stuck fairly close to what was on the page. In this scene they were watching Michael playing ball on the court and each of them had a different view of what they saw.
Nicky was sure Michael was doing his best to impress the coach. Not because he wanted a place on the school basketball team but for a good grade in the class. Tucker was the tallest boy in the class and yet he had no interest in the game. Eddy came from a culture that played soccer and had no reason to be familiar with basketball.
In two pages of dialogue, each of the boys had a chance to express their thoughts. With the camera so close they had to sell the emotions behind the words with facial expressions and body language. Ted found himself watching the boys rather than looking down at the page.
Steve's performance rated him as the best actor in the group, but the others did nearly as well. Leonard ran off the court and plopped down in the middle of his friends. He was covered in sweat and Steve handed him a towel. The scene played out to the end and Mickey yelled for the cut.
Dennis had often talked about chemistry between actors making the difference in a film above and beyond the qualities of the script. Ted looked over at Mickey to see what he thought of the scene and caught the smile. Mickey looked around at Bob Ware and nodded.
"That's a keeper, let's move on," Mickey said.
The very first scene shot for the film and Mickey liked what he saw, it would only make the rest easier. Ted wished Barry could have been there to feel the pleasure of their casting decisions. Mickey walked over to the bleachers and sat down with the boys, so Ted moved over to hear what was being said.
"You guys have it," Mickey said, and then he grinned. "Now all we have to do is get the adults to act this well. You can take a break while they set up the next scene." And then he was off to discuss something with Bob.
The camera crews were laying track for the dolly which would follow the boys across the court to the locker room and the next scene. The extras were led into the locker room by one of the assistants to go over the scene. The twenty kids didn't have any lines to speak, but they were going to make noise and their movements had been blocked.
Mickey's sister, Jillian, had accompanied him to the set today, and she sat in a corner of the gym with her laptop. As Ted had predicted she enjoyed being around Steve, and for his part the boy was nice to her. Ted wandered over to see what she was doing.
"Hi," Ted said.
"Oh...Hello, Ted," Jillian replied.
"Mickey looks happy, the scene went very well."
"He pretty much has the whole film blocked out in his head, that's the way he works," she said.
"In his head? How can he do that?" Ted asked.
"I don't really know, but its part of his skill set. I suppose it's like a game to him. Each scene is a level that needs to be accomplished and then the movements become part of his memory." Jillian smiled. "You should watch him play World of Warcraft."
"So there's a connection between the gaming and the directing," Ted said.
"Yup...look I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. Jim gave Mickey hell for dissin you guys the first day we met. Yeah, we don't fit the Hollywood mold, but then we never will."
"So you've become the interface," Ted said. "What I mean is that you have the role of making sure Mickey can communicate with..."
"The real world," Jillian said, finishing Ted's thought. "Mickey has been behind a camera since he was ten, and I suppose that makes me one of the few people who understood those early efforts. It took a while to convince the parental units that he wasn't crazy, but I brokered that deal...and here we are."
"And is this what you want to do?" Ted asked.
Jillian shrugged. "I love my brother... it's what I have to do."
The locker room scene was rowdy and the dialogue between the leads was sparse. But there was steam from the showers, and the camaraderie of sixteen year old boys. To be sure there was no nudity as each of the boys was wearing a small thong type bathing suit and the camera angles were carefully crafted.
The point of the scene was to show that Nicky and his friends were just ordinary teenagers and treated no differently by their peers. In all things the Chips fit in to high school life just like the others. It would be Doyle who would attempt to make them a target of scorn by their classmates.
By eleven-thirty they completed the morning schedule and broke for lunch. The afternoon call was at three to allow the boys some school time in a trailer out behind the building. But first Steve pulled Ted out the side door of the gym where Tommy waited in the SUV.
"What's up?' Ted asked.
"Lunch in the park," Steve grinned, and Tommy drove them up the street to Robinson Park. In the quiet shade of the trees sat a picnic table set with four places. Tim and Mark were unwrapping the goodies when they arrived.
"What are we celebrating?" Ted asked.
"It's been three years since Tim and I became partners," Steve said.
He gave Tim a hug and they sat down to eat. They only had an hour, but that was time enough for soup and salad. Mark had a silly grin on his face and they were only halfway through the meal when he slid a large brown envelope across the table to Ted.
"What's this?" Ted asked.
"The unfinished script of Redemption. I think you need to read it," Mark said.
"Oh wow, did Jim ask you to give this to me?"
"Uh huh, and for good reason...you and I are going to work on it together."
Tim and Steve sat across from one another and smiled, they knew what was afoot.
"Okay...what's this all about?" Ted asked.
"As I said, the script is unfinished. Jim said that the original story was unsatisfactory, at least for the purposes of filming. But even with Hank's input they didn't come up with a better version, and that's where we come in.
"Hank wanted me in the part from the beginning since we've known one another for a long time, at least by Hollywood standards. When Jim showed me the script he said they didn't like the ending, and then he admitted the beginning and the middle were bad. Now they are both so busy they can't focus on the script, and they want us to look at it. Maybe we can come up with something."
"Mark is also a writer," Steve said. "Most of what we did on that television show came from him."
Ted had known that Mark contributed to the show, but he had never known how deeply involved...Jeez, Mark had only been fifteen.
"I do comedy," Mark said, "but there is nothing funny in this story. And then it occurred to me that you have written some serious pieces and you understand scripting. Jim agreed with me, we have to get you involved."
Ted felt his heart skip a beat. Here it was...here was the chance he had been waiting for. He saw the warm smile on Mark's face as he waited for an answer. This was a great opportunity for both of them.
"You know I'll do it...but damn, when will we find the time?" Ted asked.
"We'll make time. Take it and see what you think. I have my own ideas, but I won't say a thing until you've absorbed the story."
"When do we have to have a complete script?"
"I would think by Christmas, Jim wants to start filming in early spring. Mike Kane is available then and that will give us time to cast...What?"
"Sorry, this is all a bit overwhelming, at least for me," Ted said. "You have the experience and I'll be glad to work with you."
"No, it isn't like that, we're going to be equal partners. I'm not saying this is going to be easy, but I won't mind having fun with it and neither will you." Mark laughed. "Don't look so shocked, it had to happen sooner or later."
"It's...it's just so sudden," Ted said.
"Welcome to Hollywood," Mark said. "Nothing comes easy, but everything happens overnight."
Dennis returned from the Sony lot that afternoon to find Ted in the office with the door closed. He knocked and stuck his head inside.
"You busy?"
"No...yeah, but come on in. How was your day?" Ted asked.
"I have decided I don't want Mark Coglin's job. Production design for films is a major pain in the ass. How did it go at the high school today?"
"Mickey has a handle on it. They blew through four scenes today and I had a nice pleasant conversation with Jillian. But that isn't the best thing that happened to me today." Ted held up the folder with the red binding and grinned. "Today I became a script writer."
Dennis was astounded, pleased, and then the mood became one of concern when Ted explained the task. "Are you sure? Can you two pull it off?"
"I've only read ten pages," Ted said. "I'll answer that once I am finished. By then I'll know what Jim and Hank hate about it. Mark and I are going to meet over the weekend to hash out our thoughts."
"Any early impressions?" Dennis asked.
"It's a mean story so far, but I'm sure that's the setup. I haven't read enough."
"Okay, I won't ask anything else."
Ted sighed. "And just when I thought it couldn't get crazier around here this comes along." He held up a hand and laughed. "Guess I better be careful what I wish for."
Dennis smiled. "Creative writing is something you do well and I can't pretend to understand how you do it. I would think sharing the load with Mark ought to make it easier."
"I don't know how he can take on a role and write at the same time. Steve said Mark gets immersed in a part and thinks like the character, that's what he did for the television show."
"Then I imagine you'll have to do much the same," Dennis said. "If it concerns you give Taffy Borden a call. She's the one who taught me to step into a character so deeply when we did The Mousetrap."
"You know, that's an excellent idea," Ted said.
"I've been known to have a few of those," Dennis replied. "So when do you and Mark plan to meet?"
"I have four days to read all this and figure out what needs to be done. At the same time I have to be on the set every day and keep up with my scripting notes. Mark has invited us over to his house for the weekend and says we can work there."
"That's cool," Dennis said.
"That means we better go home so I can get back to reading. Can we stop for pizza on the way?"
"Sure can. That sounds better than my cooking."
Ted smiled. "You're learning."
"Pizza it is."
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