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breakinglight11Another scene from the upcoming episode four of Dream Machine, falling after Day #5 - "Park Moms", Day #13 - "Mobile Set Pieces", and Day #16 - "Crawling Back", but before Day #20 - “Tap Dance”. In this scene, the process of auditioning actors for the romantic lead of the new show is depicted. I’m introducing a new recurring character, an actor named Tom Vincent, who will factor into the overarcing for the season. (Yes, I am imagining a season. I have become grandiose and ambitious with my stupid quarantine side project.) My intention is to sow some seeds with him, but not make anything obvious right away.
If you'd like to check out the episodes of Dream Machine so far, you can find them as follows:
1.01 - "The Show Must Go Off"
1.02 - "Requiem For a Dreamer"
1.03 - "Change or Die"
Day #23 - “Tom Vincent, Six-Four”
From Dream Machine:
"1.04 - The Opposite of People"
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
LEAH LUCCHESI, a showrunner at Dream Machine, mid thirties
MEREDITH BARRY, her assistant, early thirties
KRISTEN KRAMER, Dream Machine casting director, mid forties
TOM VINCENT, a TV actor, early thirties
Various ACTORS at the audition
Los Angeles, 2020
~~~
BEGIN MONTAGE:
The team fields a parade of good-looking young hopefuls auditioning for the role of Duncan.
One actor delivers his Casablanca monologue a little too close to the camera for his intensity level.
ACTOR 1: “Where I’m going, you can’t follow. What I’ve got to do, you can’t be any part of. Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that. Now, now… Here’s looking at you, kid.”
KRISTEN: Okay, great. Can you try that again, except this time, maybe a little less directly into the camera?
The young man slightly pulls his face slightly back from the lens.
ACTOR 1: Okay, if you can still get what I’m doing that way.
Leah consults another auditioner’s resume.
LEAH: I’d like to hear about your process for approaching the role of… Beach Body number two.
ACTOR 2: That was a tough one. I had to spend, like, two hours in the waxing chair.
Another young man looks on uncertainly as Leah and Kristen cajole him.
LEAH: Are you sure that’s the monologue you want to do? Really sure?
ACTOR 3: It’s what I prepared. Should I not?
KRISTEN: It’s up to you. I like it!
ACTOR 3: Uh. Okay. “You must know, surely, you must know it was all for you. You are too generous to trifle with me…”
KRISTEN: Ha! Three Darcys. Pay up.
LEAH: Damn it!
Leah slaps cash into Kristen’s hand as the actor proceeds with the monologue.
The auditions crescendo with a series of the big battle speech from Braveheart.
ACTOR 1: “Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while—“
ACTOR 2: “—and dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days—“
ACTOR 3: “—from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance—“
ACTOR 1: “—To come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives—“
ACTOR 2: “—But they'll never take...”
ACTOR 3: “OUR FREEDOM!”
The team watches these speeches with frozen smiles and gritted teeth.
KRISTEN: Thank you so much! We’ll be in touch.
The last actor bows his head and exits. Kristen flops back in her chair; Leah jumps up to pace.
KRISTEN: If I hear one more William Wallace today, I’m going to commit a Highland genocide.
LEAH: Oh, come on, none of them were bad.
KRISTEN: Bad-looking, maybe. But none of that is enough to anchor a show.
MEREDITH: Besides, we all know we have a better option.
LEAH: Will you come off it already?
MEREDITH: Be honest, Leah. Do you think we’ve seen anyone so far who’d would do a better job than Devon?
There is one rap at the door, and a very tall, very handsome young man sticks his head in.
TOM: Excuse me? I’m down for 2:10?
Leah looks up and down the considerable length of him.
LEAH: Come on in.
He does, reaching out his hand to shake hers.
TOM: Hi there, I’m Tom. Are you... Josie Carraway? Are we reading together already?
LEAH: No, I’m Leah Lucchesi. I’m the showrunner.
TOM: Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. I just assumed you were the star; I’ve never met a showrunner who looked like you.
MEREDITH: Oh, God.
LEAH: …no problem. Right this way.
She gestures him to the photography backdrop, then returns to her place behind the table.
KRISTEN: State your name for the camera, Tom?
TOM: Tom Vincent. Avery Management. Six-four.
LEAH: (giddy giggle)
KRISTEN: And what will you be showing us today?
TOM: I have to be honest, I had a bit of a hard time picking something for this guy. I mean, the hero of a time travel romance? To be honest, my first thought was Hugh Jackman’s character from that old rom com, Kate and Leopold. Anybody remember it?
LEAH: Oh, that movie’s so stupid! I love it.
KRISTEN: Me too.
TOM: Unfortunately, there isn’t really a monologue in it. Unless you want to count that ad she has him do. For “Fresh. Creamery. Butter.”
MEREDITH: (whispered) That’s filthy.
KRISTEN: (whispered) I know.
LEAH: So what did you end up deciding on?
TOM: Robbie Turner’s letter from Atonement.
LEAH: Really? The one with--
MEREDITH: See you next Tuesday, Leah!
TOM: (laughs) Oh, no! The other one.
LEAH: Or whatever! Go with your instinct.
KRISTEN: Whenever you’re ready, Tom.
Tom prepares himself, then meets their eyes.
TOM: “Dearest Cecilia-- you'd be forgiven for thinking me mad - wandering into your house barefoot, or snapping your antique vase. The truth is, I feel rather light-headed and foolish in your presence, Cee, and I don't think I can blame the heat. But the story can resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk. I can become again the man who once crossed the surrey park at dusk, in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life. The man who, with the clarity of passion, made love to you in the library. The story can resume. I will return. Find you, love you, marry you and live without shame.“
The panel regards him, Meredith thoughtful but unmoved, the other two decidedly the opposite. Tom drops character and smiles hopefully.
LEAH: Thank you, Tom! And for your adventure piece?
TOM: I was going to do the “freedom” speech from Braveheart.
KRISTEN: Awesome.
LEAH: Perfect.
MEREDITH: (groans)
If you'd like to check out the episodes of Dream Machine so far, you can find them as follows:
1.01 - "The Show Must Go Off"
1.02 - "Requiem For a Dreamer"
1.03 - "Change or Die"
Day #23 - “Tom Vincent, Six-Four”
From Dream Machine:
"1.04 - The Opposite of People"
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
LEAH LUCCHESI, a showrunner at Dream Machine, mid thirties
MEREDITH BARRY, her assistant, early thirties
KRISTEN KRAMER, Dream Machine casting director, mid forties
TOM VINCENT, a TV actor, early thirties
Various ACTORS at the audition
Los Angeles, 2020
~~~
BEGIN MONTAGE:
The team fields a parade of good-looking young hopefuls auditioning for the role of Duncan.
One actor delivers his Casablanca monologue a little too close to the camera for his intensity level.
ACTOR 1: “Where I’m going, you can’t follow. What I’ve got to do, you can’t be any part of. Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that. Now, now… Here’s looking at you, kid.”
KRISTEN: Okay, great. Can you try that again, except this time, maybe a little less directly into the camera?
The young man slightly pulls his face slightly back from the lens.
ACTOR 1: Okay, if you can still get what I’m doing that way.
Leah consults another auditioner’s resume.
LEAH: I’d like to hear about your process for approaching the role of… Beach Body number two.
ACTOR 2: That was a tough one. I had to spend, like, two hours in the waxing chair.
Another young man looks on uncertainly as Leah and Kristen cajole him.
LEAH: Are you sure that’s the monologue you want to do? Really sure?
ACTOR 3: It’s what I prepared. Should I not?
KRISTEN: It’s up to you. I like it!
ACTOR 3: Uh. Okay. “You must know, surely, you must know it was all for you. You are too generous to trifle with me…”
KRISTEN: Ha! Three Darcys. Pay up.
LEAH: Damn it!
Leah slaps cash into Kristen’s hand as the actor proceeds with the monologue.
The auditions crescendo with a series of the big battle speech from Braveheart.
ACTOR 1: “Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while—“
ACTOR 2: “—and dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days—“
ACTOR 3: “—from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance—“
ACTOR 1: “—To come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives—“
ACTOR 2: “—But they'll never take...”
ACTOR 3: “OUR FREEDOM!”
The team watches these speeches with frozen smiles and gritted teeth.
KRISTEN: Thank you so much! We’ll be in touch.
The last actor bows his head and exits. Kristen flops back in her chair; Leah jumps up to pace.
KRISTEN: If I hear one more William Wallace today, I’m going to commit a Highland genocide.
LEAH: Oh, come on, none of them were bad.
KRISTEN: Bad-looking, maybe. But none of that is enough to anchor a show.
MEREDITH: Besides, we all know we have a better option.
LEAH: Will you come off it already?
MEREDITH: Be honest, Leah. Do you think we’ve seen anyone so far who’d would do a better job than Devon?
There is one rap at the door, and a very tall, very handsome young man sticks his head in.
TOM: Excuse me? I’m down for 2:10?
Leah looks up and down the considerable length of him.
LEAH: Come on in.
He does, reaching out his hand to shake hers.
TOM: Hi there, I’m Tom. Are you... Josie Carraway? Are we reading together already?
LEAH: No, I’m Leah Lucchesi. I’m the showrunner.
TOM: Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. I just assumed you were the star; I’ve never met a showrunner who looked like you.
MEREDITH: Oh, God.
LEAH: …no problem. Right this way.
She gestures him to the photography backdrop, then returns to her place behind the table.
KRISTEN: State your name for the camera, Tom?
TOM: Tom Vincent. Avery Management. Six-four.
LEAH: (giddy giggle)
KRISTEN: And what will you be showing us today?
TOM: I have to be honest, I had a bit of a hard time picking something for this guy. I mean, the hero of a time travel romance? To be honest, my first thought was Hugh Jackman’s character from that old rom com, Kate and Leopold. Anybody remember it?
LEAH: Oh, that movie’s so stupid! I love it.
KRISTEN: Me too.
TOM: Unfortunately, there isn’t really a monologue in it. Unless you want to count that ad she has him do. For “Fresh. Creamery. Butter.”
MEREDITH: (whispered) That’s filthy.
KRISTEN: (whispered) I know.
LEAH: So what did you end up deciding on?
TOM: Robbie Turner’s letter from Atonement.
LEAH: Really? The one with--
MEREDITH: See you next Tuesday, Leah!
TOM: (laughs) Oh, no! The other one.
LEAH: Or whatever! Go with your instinct.
KRISTEN: Whenever you’re ready, Tom.
Tom prepares himself, then meets their eyes.
TOM: “Dearest Cecilia-- you'd be forgiven for thinking me mad - wandering into your house barefoot, or snapping your antique vase. The truth is, I feel rather light-headed and foolish in your presence, Cee, and I don't think I can blame the heat. But the story can resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk. I can become again the man who once crossed the surrey park at dusk, in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life. The man who, with the clarity of passion, made love to you in the library. The story can resume. I will return. Find you, love you, marry you and live without shame.“
The panel regards him, Meredith thoughtful but unmoved, the other two decidedly the opposite. Tom drops character and smiles hopefully.
LEAH: Thank you, Tom! And for your adventure piece?
TOM: I was going to do the “freedom” speech from Braveheart.
KRISTEN: Awesome.
LEAH: Perfect.
MEREDITH: (groans)
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