TOXIC ORANGE

"Toxic Orange" is written in the form of seven black-out scenes. It takes place after a global pandemic, during which oligarchs set up The Party, the single political branch running the world. The story follows Adam, a hard worker who wants to be accepted into The Party. He has plans to meet Shanise, with whom he hopes to spend the night. Adam is about to leave when his bad boy, gator wrestling older brother, Zack shows up. Adam's plans are further ruined by a ninja burgler intent on stealing Adam's cache of contraband toilet paper, and Tony, a tough Party "enforcer" hot on the trail of  leader of The Resistance.  Unknown to them all, except Adam, a new virus has attached itself to oranges.

ADAM, mid-20s, compulsively clean and organized. Constantly doing the right thing. Dictatorial rulers with "The Party" have recently promoted him as Director of Cross Content Laugh Tracks for its TV news. A nerdy sci-fi fan, Adam is sexually frustrated and needs a girlfriend.

ZACK, late 20s, Adam’s bad-boy, disheveled older brother who wrestles alligators at GatorTown. He loves Adam and is protective over him despite the incessant teasing he dishes out. He needs a place to stay.

SHANISE, late 20s, a young woman who has been exploiting Adam’s need for a girlfriend. She is smart, independent and tech savvy. Believing the ends justify the means, she leads a volatile political cell for "The Resistance."

JODEY, mid-20s, the younger sister of Shanise. A burglar by night, she plays guitar and sings part time at a resort in Kissimmee by day. A closeted sci-fi nerd, she dreams of being in the movies. While Jodey is not sexually frustrated she needs a boyfriend.

TONY, 50s, a part-time enforcer for The Party and part-time acting teacher who really wants to direct. He speaks in the clichés of movie tough guys. He always carries his screenplay for a gangster movie. He wears a fedora.

MONICA, a disembodied voice on the TV’s “smart box.”

Adam's apartment in Orlando, Florida sometime in the future...far off hopefully.  There is a  large smart TV on the wall. A signed photo of Isaac Asimov and a signed photo of Frank Herbert hang on the wall. A bookshelf holds a collection of science fiction books. A small, working closet holds a hoard of Charmin, Lysol and Purell. There is a working window with a fire escape outside it. The apartment is clean, tidy and very organized…for now.

          ADAM Lysols doorknobs and sprays it all about.

ADAM

Please do not call me L’il Bro. I’m like…grown up? Tall as you!...I’ve got

an essential job!...A good laugh track is a designated community control

device….and I’m good at it….Keeps the streaming audience happy…

ZACK 

(off)

My job’s essential too. Keeps everyone else happy.

ADAM

(To himself)

I’m sure…(To Zack) Just don’t call me L’il Bro.

          The shower stops. ZACK re-enters, pulling on a clean

           GatorTown T-shirt. ADAM crosses to kitchen fridge.

ADAM

Okay…help yourself to any of this. Or the stuff in the cabinets.

          ZACK sees orange on table by the front door.

ZACK

Sweet! You got oranges. Where did you get them?

(Picking up orange 

I haven’t seen these since before--

ADAM

(Amazingly frightened and urgent)

Stop! Put / that down!

ZACK

I mean it’s Florida but you can’t find / one damn orange

ADAM

Careful, do NOT touch your face. Now, wash your hands. Wash your

hands!

ZACK

Why are you so worried? The virus is gone…

(Pause)

The Party knows something the rest of us don’t?

ADAM

Zack. They think there’s a new variant…attaches itself to citrus. They’re still

doing research so they don’t know how lethal…No one knows if the

vaccines work against...

ZACK

Shit…

          ZACK puts orange back where it was, holds up hand. ADAM

          sprays Lysol on it.

ZACK

What the hell are you doing with them?

ADAM

(Hands Zack a sterile glove) 

Put this over that disgusting bandage.

          ZACK tries to put on glove. He can’t. The brothers frequently

           talk over each other.

ADAM

I got them to celebrate a promotion. They’re black market….And I know

how to be careful. I just need to isolate them for a couple days, spray ‘em

with Lysol, wash them…you know. I still do that with all my food

anyway…just to be safe.

ZACK

(Having hard time putting on glove)

This is all fake government control shit

anyway, right?

(Pause) 

Right? 

ADAM

You can wrestle gators but can’t figure out a sterile glove?

ZACK

Shut up.

ADAM

You shut up.

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