Excerpt from Screenplay

1950- Sharon’s home where she grew up

Sharon: Mom! Mom! 

Sharon’s mom comes from upstairs to the living room

Sharon’s mother: What, child?! Can’t you see I am busy. 

Sharon: Look what I found in the magazine, Andrea Hill is at the Ritz Carlton offering singing lessons. 

Mother: Sharon, darling, you’re 10 years old, you know that you have no talent and will just have to marry well. You meet men at good colleges which means you have to study. Plus you wouldn’t even be let in with the clothes you wear.

Sharon: oh, okay. Math isn’t very fun though. 

Mother: Well being dumb is also not very fun.Focus on your studies.

Sharon’s mother walks away and grabs the laundry basket from the floor near the stairs.

Sharon looks back at the magazine 

1964-The Ritz Carlton Plaza NYC- Act 1 Scene 1

Enter Marjorie and Sharon in  lobby of The Ritz with Marjorie’s face in her planner 

Marjorie: Your fitting is at 3:00pm sharp. Lina Stone is designing your wardrobe, so god knows you can’t be a second late. If you knew how hard it was for me to get her to even look at you, you would buy me a mansion.

Sharon follows Marjorie into building

Sharon: How much time do I have to rest?

Marjorie: Not too long. So let’s find the front desk and then you can get to your room to nap for a little.

Sharon: Marjorie, I just flew in from Paris, I’m exhausted.

Marjorie: If you are tired now, wait till you see what I have planned for you. Remember your albums aren’t selling much, but I got you covered.

Sharon: Oh great (sarcastically). How long do I have to rest?

Marjorie: You can rest for…

Checks her clock

..Two hours. Plenty of time.

They go to front desk

Marjorie: Sharon Light—checking in.

Marjorie snaps her fingers at concierge walking

Marjorie: Excuse me. Can we get two glasses of water? Also here are our bags. Thank you.

She turns back to concierge

Concierge: Ms. Johns, Ms. Light. Pleasure to meet you both. My bellhop will take you upstairs to your suite. Enjoy your stay.

Marjorie: We hope to.

Sharon: Thank you.

Marjorie follows bellhop headed toward elevator

Sharon: Wait, Marj. Our waters… You told the boy to get them to us.

Marjorie: I am sure they will send it up, now come on, aren’t you trying to rest?

Sharon follows behind

In elevator

Bellhop presses button

Awkward silence

Sharon: Beautiful day out. I love the summer in the city.

Marjorie shakes her head

Bellhop: Me too

Sharon sees the bellhops bracelet 

Sharon: Did someone make that for you?

Bellhop: yes! My daughter made it for my birthday that just passed. 

Sharon: that’s so sweet

Bellhop: do you miss your family at all?

Sharon looks down at the ground. 

Sharon: well it’s a very nice bracelet 

Elevator opens and Sharon and Marjorie get out. Bags have not arrived yet.

Sharon: It is always so beautiful! And look at the view. People look so small from up here.

Marjorie chuckles

Marjorie: Rest up because I will be waking you up an hour before your fitting. You have two hours to rest and then thirty minutes to look… 

Looks Sharon up and down

…Presentable

Sharon awkwardly smiles

Marjorie: Well I will let you be. Don’t get too comfortable now. 

Sharon (whisper to self): On a daytime flight where I was used to the time.

Marjorie: Don’t worry honey, I told you that I have big plans for you. If you are tired now, wait till you see what’s coming.

Marjorie goes to her room and Sharon makes her way down the hallway.

Sharon gets into her room and looks happy to see a bed. She looks in the mirror and stares at her reflection. She looks at her flaws and then takes a deep breath.

She puts up an image of Glinda Swan.

Sharon: One day I’ll be like you, Glinda.

Process

I am writing a screenplay and decided I wanted to submit an excerpt for the anthology. My mentor and I worked so hard to edit it together and make it the best version of itself. I am in the process of writing the full screenplay, which is not yet finished.