Act 1, Scene 2: Town Hall Blues

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DIALOG

Andrew in [2, 2nd], Shubert in [4, 2nd], Theodore in [6, 2nd], sitting at their speaker's desk. Chris, Lucia and Robin in [5-7]. Audience 1-4 in [1-4]. 

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LX-1201 Lights on, CTB, ice cold light blue; spot on lectern; effect left front flicker every 73s

AMB-1201 - City Hall Ambience
SND-1201 - Audience chatter
MUS-1201 - Music Cue 1

Shubert: "*clears his throat*"

Shubert: "Ladies and Gentlemen. I - Mayor Shubert Grimaldi of the virtuous City of Los Lobos - welcome you. The main item on the agenda is the renovation of our South Market District, also known as "Cat City". With us today are Los Lobos Police Chief Andrew Cross and Mr. Theodore M. Barclay from Gravity Trust Capital, presenting their project, the South Market Gold Rush Mall."

VID-1201 - Slide 1 - Title Page
MUS-1202 - Music Cue 2

Theodore starts with a very matter-of-fact tone and style, but gets more and more enthusiastic, until he's basically radiating pure greed by the end, with dollar signs in his eyes.

Theodore: "Thank you! Let me start by saying that Gravity Trust Capital is one hundred percent committed to the South Market district, with its unique subcultures and historic architecture. This is an undervalued crown jewel, and we can't wait to make it great again!"

VID-1202 - Slide 2 - A stylized map of Cat City with street names and buildings / surfaces. An entire city block is marked in red.

Theodore: "This area is nothing but derelict buildings and vagrants. With the help of the Los Lobos land office, we proudly present the future of the Cat City district: The South Market Gold Rush Mall!"

VID-1203 - Slide 3 - All the marked buildings on the map are destroyed with little animated explosions. The city block is replaced with a multi-story shopping mall and car park.

Theodore: "Three stories of pure shopping bliss, restaurants, an IMAX movie theater, fitness, wellness, goodness! It will create hundreds of new jobs and open up the economy of Cat City to an entirely new group of luxury brands!"

VID-1204 - Slide 4 - Arrows and markers appear showing which NEW LUXURY BRANDS are going to be represented in the mall.

Theodore: "Just look at it! *shivers with pleasure and whispers in awe* They're all there! SO MANY LUXURY BRANDS!"

SND-1202 - Audience 2

Shubert: "Uhm, yes, Mr. Barclay, we all got your point. We're now ready to take questions from the public."

Theodore: "The what? Oh! The public. Yes, of course. Ha! I almost forgot about that part. Bring it on."

MUS-1203 - Music Cue 3

Chris walks to the lectern in [6]

PRE-1201 - Chris: "Chris Wong. I have a question for Mr. Barclay."

Shubert: "Please."

PRE-1202 - Chris: "New businesses in Cat City is nice and all, but that place looks pretty pricey, I don't think any of us will be able to afford to even go there, so what's the point?"

Theodore: "Oh, don't worry, of course we thought about that. We'll make sure people will be able to go there."

PRE-1203 - Chris: "By making it cheaper?"

Theodore: "Of course not! The Gold Rush Mall is going to have ..."

VID-1205 - Slide 5 - A giant highway exit ramp crashes down from above, crushing another half block of houses to dust.

Theodore: "... its own dedicated exit ramp from highway 32! We're going to have customers from all over and beyond Los Lobos, and none of them will ever have to worry about crossing through any shady neighborhoods! IT'S GENIUS!"

SND-1203 - Audience 3

PRE-1204 - "What ... the ... actual ... fuck ..."

Shubert: "Time's up! Next question please."

MUS-1204 - Music Cue 4

Lucia walks to the lectern in [6]

PRE-1205 - Lucia: "Lucia Velásquez. You said that there's nobody living in those houses you're going to tear down. But that's not true. My brother's family lives right there on number 5541 Mary Jane Avenue and I know many more are occupied. What's going to happen to them?"

Andrew: "I'll take this one if I may."

Shubert: "Of course."

Andrew: "Mr. Barclay is absolutely correct. From a legal standpoint, none of these houses are inhabited. A few buildings are technically occupied by squatters and criminals, but they will be dealt with according to the law."

SND-1204 - Audience 4

PRE-1206 - Lucia: "But they have nowhere else to go!"

Shubert: "Time's up, next question please."

MUS-1205 - Music Cue 5

Robin walks to the lectern in [6]

Robin: "My name is Robin Halley, and as a local business owner, I have serious objections against the mall project."

Shubert: "You've got one minute."

Robin reads her prepared speech from a piece of paper.

Robin: "According to the summary, the South Market District Improvement Programme is supposed to be a series of grants and tax breaks supporting local business owners and making the district more attractive to investors. But the reality is that it is used to push projects like The Gold Rush Mall, which offers no advantage to the actual citizens of Cat City at all. To the contrary. We don't need fancy coffee shops selling overpriced latte macchiatos to rich canines from West Park. If you are serious about improving Cat City, invest in affordable housing, child care, education, and support the existing businesses run by the people who live there. In its current implementation, the Programme is a scam, and we are going to oppose it with all our might. Thank you. 59 Seconds. NAILED IT!"

MUS-1206 - Music Cue 6
SND-1205 - Audience 5

Andrew: "Perverted businesses like yours are precisely the reason why Cat City has become the cesspool it is!"

Robin: "Or maybe it's because this city is run by a bunch of super rich canine racists!"

Shubert: "Silence! You're in violation of the hearing procedures."

Robin: "Oh, so HE's allowed to trash talk me in public, but when I defend myself, I'm violating the rules?"

Shubert: "Mrs. Halley, I have to ask you to leave the room."

Robin: "So the law makes no difference between cats and dogs? The fuck it doesn't! It was written by dogs, for dogs living in dog's own country."

Shubert: "Security! Please show Mrs. Halley the door."

Andrew: "It's okay, let me handle this."

Andrew stands up from his seat at the panel and walks towards Robin in [6]

Robin: "Okay, you all heard what I had to say. I'm out of here."

MUS-1207 - Music Cue 7

Andrew: "Not so fast. You show up here at every goddamn hearing, reading off that same speech from that same piece of paper. I'm seriously fed up with you."

Robin: "Am I under arrest now?"

SND-1206 - Audience 6

Andrew: "Oh hell yeah."

Robin: "And what for? Using my right to free speech?"

Andrew: "You know that resisting arrest is a criminal offense, right?"

Robin: "I'm not resisting. I just want to know what I'm being arrested for."

Andrew: "I said stop resisting!"

Andrew grabs Robin and twists her arm

Robin: "Gaaah! I'm not resisting! Stop hurting me for fuck's sake."

Andrew: "STOP RESISTING!"

Andrew throws Robin to the ground head first, and puts his knee on her back, pinning her down.

Robin: "Aghhhhrhhghh ..."

The remaining audience flees to one corner of the room [1], watching in shock. But nobody says anything. 

Andrew hits Robin with his stick repeatedly

RATS-21 hit with a stick

Andrew: "STOP RESISTING! STOP RESISTING! STOP RESISTING"

Robin: "AAAArgh! NOOOO! AAAAH"

Andrew picks her up

Robin sways, half unconscious in shock

Andrew: "This is your own fault. I told you not to resist."

Andrew puts her in handcuffs and pushes her outside towards [7]

Andrew: "You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say will be used against you, yadda yadda. Now move."

MUS-1208 - Music Cue 8
SND-1207 - Audience 7

Shubert: "Okay. Any more questions?"

a moment of uncomfortable silence

Theodore: "Not even about the LUXURY BRANDS?"

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