Screenplay: a Chef in the House of the Mayor - Assignment Example

Screenplay: a Chef in the House of the Mayor Plot Adam, a chef in the house of the mayor is living in poverty and his wife, Dora, has been recently diagnosed with cancer. His son, Jordan, attends school with the mayor’s son, James where he is being sponsored by the mayor. He gets bullied frequently due to his poor background, and this gets out of proportion even after Dora insists that Adam tells his boss about the bullying. At work, Adam overhears an evil plan being made by the top administrative officials and plans an escape with his family but decides otherwise when he finds out the mayor abused his wife at work. He then plans and executes his revenge on the mayor and sheriff. Characters (in order of appearance) Adam: A chef in the mayor’s house. Husband to Dora and father to Jordan Dora: Adam’s wife, Jordan’s mother. Jordan: Son to Adam and Dora Jonson: The mayor James: The mayor’s son Margaret: The mayor’s wife, James’s mother. Hood: The town sheriff Proctor: The magistrate. Jane: One of the Grayson siblings. They are a rich family with businesses in the town Jones: Jane’s brother Ethan: Brother to Jane and Jones Scene 1: Adam and Dora’s house (The family (Adam, Dora and their son Jordan) is having dinner, seated around a small dinner table. There is a bowl of spaghetti in the middle of the table and each of them have small bowls of soup. The mood is somber). ADAM: (clears throat). So, Jordan, how was school today? JORDAN: (without looking up) Just fine. James and his friends called me... (Hesitates)… bad names again today DORA: Not again! Adam, you didn’t talk to him, did you? ADAM: Talk to whom? DORA: The mayor? James’father? We had an agreement but as always, you never do anything right. I always knew I made the biggest mistake of my life… ADAM: (interrupting) Alright. Alright, I get it. I will talk to him tomorrow first thing in the morning. DORA: That is if you won’t be busy picking up the previous night’s scraps from the floor, I presume. ADAM: What? For Christ’s sake Dora, I’m doing my best here. JORDAN: They…they called me a bastard. What does that mean Mama? (A long awkward silence follows) DORA: Nothing, son. It’s nothing (starts clearing the table and leaves) ADAM: You know son, you can always find someone else to walk with from school. Kira is a good girl, are you friends? JORDAN: No. She likes handsome boys. Like James. ADAM: Ah. She’s very wrong son. You are very handsome. You see, when you were little, your mother thought you looked so pretty, she was afraid she would eat you (smiles broadly) JORDAN: Really? Then why do the girls at school avoid me? ADAM: (puts an arm across Jordan’s shoulders) One day, they’ll wish they hadn’t DORA: (calling out from inside the house) Jordan! It’s time to sleep, hurry! JORDAN: Is Mama angry at me? Did I say something bad? ADAM: No, son. Not at all. JORAN: Is it what the doctor said? ADAM: Now go to your room, she’s waiting for you. (He watches as Jordan leaves for his room. Bangs the table when he is out of sight). (He stands up, paces around the room, muttering something to himself. He stops at a photograph hung on the wall and stares for a moment before picking it and reads something written on the back side of the frame. He hangs it back on the wall and exits, grabs his coat hung by the door on his way out) Scene 2: Mayor’s house (Jonson is in the living room, seated on a long dining table reading the newspaper. James and another child pass by playful from one end of the stage and exit in the other. A window in the living room overlooks the neighborhood, consisting of posh homes, followed by an informal settlement and at the horizon is the town.) JONSON: (perusing the newspaper) Ah! These journalists, don’t they think of more important things to include in their papers? I’m sick and tired of all this ranting about the poor. ENTER Margaret but is unseen by Jonson MARGARET: Well, I am too. But if you are an enthusiastic reader, you will see at the end of the article that the neighboring town just opened a new public hospital to subsidize the cost of healthcare for the same poor. JONSON: (rising to his feet while smiling happily) there you are my angel! Blessed is the man who gets a wife whose beauty matches her intellect. MARGARET: Please remind me darling, in which book of the Bible is that verse? JONSON: The book of Chronicles, when that prophet was talking to a burning bush. He was told something like that. Enough of religion now, have the guests arrived? MARGERET: (smiling) indeed you are as clueless as you are loving. The magistrate and sheriff have arrived; they are waiting for you in the study. Jane and her brothers are on their way. JONSON: Always the last to arrive as usual. Tell the magistrate and sheriff I’ll be right there in a moment. MARGARET: (tugs at her husband’s pajamas) Of course. Go on now; make yourself a bit more presentable. EXIT Jonson as Adam walks in ADAM: Ma’am, what should I prepare for the guests today? MARGARET: The recipe is in the kitchen, the other chefs will tell you what I expect for lunch today. But in the meantime please prepare some coffee for them; the weather is a bit chilly. ADAM: Alright Ma’am, thanks (turns to leave) MARGARET: Adam, I have received good reports about your service and everyone loves your delicious meals. Keep up the good work. ADAM: Thanks, Ma’am. MARGARET: How is Dora? I heard the sad news, poor soul. ADAM: She is doing okay, though sometimes she it weighs down on her. MARGARET: She is a strong woman; I know she will pull through. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. ADAM: Alright Ma’am, you are very kind. God bless you. MARGARET: Don’t mention it. I’m just fulfilling my duties to humanity, as all men should. Now, hurry up with the coffee. The guests are supposed to be here any minute. ADAM: Alright Ma’am (bows and turns to leave) EXIT Adam (Margaret is left tidying up the dining table while humming a song to herself.) ENTER Jonson, Hood and Proctor JONSON: Gentlemen, welcome to my humble abode. (Gestures towards Margaret) I believe you have all met my loving wife, Margaret. HOOD: (laughing heartily) Of course we have, Mayor. You would have been a shell of a man if it wasn’t for her wise counsel. PROCTOR: Yeah, Jon, you should never forget that you are one of the luckiest men to tread the face of the earth. MARGARET: (Smiling) you flatter me, gentlemen. Please feel at home. The Grayson siblings are on their way, it should not take them long. HOOD: Of course, they are famed for their inability to keep time, I doubt if any of them knows how to read a clock. MARGARET: I’ll leave you to carry on with your business as I make sure you are well fed. EXIT Margaret (They all take seats around the dinner table. Hood adjusts his sitting position and attempts to light a cigarette but Proctor warns him against it with a stern look.) JONSON: (leaning forward) So gentlemen, let’s get to the heart of the matter HOOD: Come on Jon, why too serious? I haven’t settled down yet. Your constant hurry will ultimately turn out to be your undoing one of these fine days. JONSON: So says the laziest Sheriff alive. It’s just that my patience on these poor people has now run out. I hear they have now formed a union? PROCTOR: Well, they have a legal right to do so. JONSON: So now you are on their side magistrate, huh? PROCTOR: They are still citizens of our country. I think they deserve more than what we are giving them. ENTER Adam carrying a tray of cookies and a kettle with coffee JONSON: Nobody deserves anything from anyone! Everyone is responsible for their own success. Don’t you agree Adam? ADAM: Yes sir, I agree. Although public amenities are a right of everyone and it is the government’s role to provide them. JONSON: You are smart, young man. Who taught you that? ADAM: I learnt it in school. PROCTOR: You see, the poor can also be smart. HOOD: Though it won’t be long before I lock them up. They can’t just stay out of trouble. JONSON: Finally! The sheriff, of all people, gets the logic ENTER Jane, Jones and Ethan Grayson. JONSON: When will the Grayson family ever learn to keep time? Hey Adam, serve my esteemed guest coffee. ADAM: Yes, Sir (moves towards Jane, kettle in hand but trips and spills coffee on Jonson) JONSON: Damn! Now you can’t even carry a kettle without spilling its contents? ADAM: (bending down to clean the mess on Jonson’s shoes) I’m so sorry sir, it was a mistake. JONSON: Of course. The whole lot of you and your people is a mess. JANE: Enough of this now Jonson. What is this that’s so important we had to stop our business to attend yours? JONSON: (suddenly changes the tone of his voice) Well, it’s a mutual business actually. I’m in need of your services. We need someone to supply arms to the ghetto without incriminating us. It has been long since the media covered an article about our little town. ETHAN: Okay, Mayor. And how is that supposed to be of benefit to the entrepreneurs of JONSON: Well, the arms won’t be for free. (To Adam in a raised voice) hey you! What are you still doing here? Your place is the kitchen in case you have forgotten that too. JONES: Jon, you have an uncanny behavior of biting the hand that feeds you. (Adam exits the stage and leaves the men discussing. Curtains close) Scene 3: Adam and Dora’s house (Dora is in the living room with Jordan. Jordan has broken his arm and is wincing in pain as Dora is nursing him. Dora is mumbling comforting words to her son.) ENTER Adam in a hurry but stops midway after noticing his son with a bandage around his arm ADAM: What in Christ’s name happened here? DORA: How about you ask your friend, his Excellency the Mayor ADAM: What do you mean the mayor? DORA: I kept on insisting you should tell him to stop his son from mistreating Jordan but as usual, you ignored me. Thanks to your “humility” our son is now crippled. He was attacked by a mob of ten boys, all because of what? He is not supposed to be talking to the girls. When you go back tell your stupid boss that we do not need him to pay school fees for our son we can do it our… (Voice breaks off and she starts sobbing uncontrollably) ADAM: (moves over to her side and embraces her and Jordan) don’t worry my love; it’s all going to be alright. Actually, all this ends here. I have a plan for us to leave town; the major and his friends are planning something very bad for the ghetto inhabitants. I overheard their discussion at the mayor’s house. We really have to go, darling DORA: (Startled) leave town and go where? Now you want to escape your troubles? I married a real coward, no doubt about that. And by the way, I also quit my job at your friend’s company ADAM: Quit? Darling, it’s ok; the doctor said you should rest. DORA: It’s not the cancer, Adam! Apparently it seems the problems runs in the family. He abused me and I reported him to the authorities who, well, work for him too. ADAM: Tell me, what did he do? (Raising his voice, clearly angry) Tell me, now! DORA: Oh, so Jordan should know about this too? ADAM: (Stands up and throws up his hands in despair). I’ll be right back. (Talks to Jordan). I’m so sorry son; it’s time for Daddy to go and fix this. DORA: And how do you plan to “fix this”? You have become a genius all of a sudden, huh? ADAM: (Stares for quite some time at his wife, tears start welling in his eyes) they have pushed us to the limit. Trust me, you don’t want to know my brilliant plan. (Adam leaves the stage with the wife muttering something about how she is used to his empty promises and this time it is not going to be any different. He ignores her and walks on. He hesitates at the door, takes a last look at his wife and son then grabs his coat and steps outside and does not come back for the night). Scene 4: Mayor’s House (It is a bright morning; Jonson and Hood are at a table in the living room smoking pipes, laughing heartily) JONSON: Any developments on the project? HOOD: I heard the arms are supposed to arrive by tomorrow. Are you sure about this, Jon? JONSON: Of course. Now just get ready to appear in the news as the sheriff who is determined to catch the culprits at all costs. I think you should go get a haircut (laughs loudly) HOOD: (Laughing) you forget you have an unkempt moustache too. ENTER Margaret hurriedly. She is panicked and breathing fast. She is holding James on her hip JONSON: (stands up in a hurry and moves towards his wife) What is it my love? You look like you have just seen a ghost. MARGARET: (in a shaky voice) The people are demonstrating. They are right at our doorstep. Go and talk to them Jon. Please, they are threatening to come inside. JONSON: What with the fear my love? Relax, I’ll be right outside in a minute. I need to give the press some time to show up. (Smiling broadly). This…is my moment of glory, it is good if I play it right, you know. (He strolls to the window and stares outside). MARGARET: What? You mean you knew this all along? You wretched devil! How can you rejoice when innocent people are suffering? Sheriff, are you just going to sit there and let this happen? Do something! HOOD: Well, you see Margaret, the world is a crazy place. Some people have to agonize so that others can benefit even for a small moment. It is just the simple rules of nature and there is no single thing that can be done about it. MARGARET: You disgust me sheriff. (She storms out of the room) HOOD: These women, so short-sighted; they never see the big picture. (to the mayor) do you see any progress there, Jon? Surely the media people should have arrived by now. ENTER Adam, carrying a tray of cookies and a kettle with coffee. JONSON: Breakfast is early today. What’s the occasion Adam? ADAM: Nothing Sir, I’m in a good mood today, I even put ginger in the coffee the way you like it. JONSON: I don’t like ginger. Who told you I like ginger? Damn! You should ask first. ADAM: I’m sorry, Sir. You should taste it though. It will help to alleviate your cold, really. JONSON: So now you double up as my chef and doctor too? Pour me the coffee, I’m starving! ADAM: (Pours two cups for both the sheriff and mayor) It’s a secret recipe I found in the archives; very sweet. JONSON: Enough already! (grabs a cookie from the table and takes the tea from Adam) hmm…tastes different. But it serves its purpose either way. (continues taking tea while looking outside the window. All of a sudden he starts coughing, first mildly, then uncontrollably) HOOD: (hurries over to the mayor’s side) Are you alright Jon? (turns to Adam) Don’t just stand there! Can’t you see your master is in pain? ADAM: (He just stands with arms crossed and looks at the sheriff) I’ve also been in the same situation for so long now. I thought it is time he had a taste of his own medicine. Oh. And by the way sheriff, you should be on your way to the hospital right now if you want to save yourself first. HOOD: What have you…(starts coughing too. Looks at his hands and sees blood) ADAM: Yeah, you too. (smiles and leaves the sheriff coughing on the floor) ENTER Margaret. She sees the sheriff and mayor on the floor and screams loudly. The End Work cited Dow, Jan H, and Shannon M. Dow. Writing the Award-Winning Play. New York: IUniverse, 2003. Print Read More