1000 Words

NEWSPAPER EDITOR: Lexie Scharnberger

JAMES HART: Sam Christenson
ELIZA WILLIAMS: Nina Russell
SARAH: Lexie Scharnberger
ASSISTANT: Nina Russell
MARY: Sam Christenson

Scene 1
Hart- Good afternoon, Sir.
Newspaper editor- Hart, I have an assignment for you.
Hart- Yes? What might that be?
Editor- I need you to give me a story. Front page news. We need to sell more papers. Weve gotta
get a story thats gonna sell papers.
Hart- What exactly did you have in mind, sir?
Editor- I dont know. Go find something interesting! Something that inspires people! Go now!
Hart- Goodbye, sir.
Editor- [waves hand dismissively and grunts]
Scene 2
Eliza- What a lovely day, isnt it, Sarah?
Sarah- Id say. Simply beautiful, Eliza. [sips tea]
Eliza- And those buildings! Just gorgeous, arent they?
Sarah- Such a wonderful city. Whatever could be wrong with it!
Eliza- [sips tea]

Scene 3
Editor- [shouts] This? This is what you give me? I tell you to find me a front page story and you
give me the hardships of the immigrants! No one cares about the immigrants! I want news!
[tosses story on desk into a large stack of papers] Youre dismissed, Hart.
Hart- Yes, sir. [leaves]
Editor- [sits at desk for a moment, running hand through hair. picks up briefcase and exits.]
[Assistant comes in office, grabs pile of papers for printing, grabs pile with harts photo story.]
Scene 4
Hart [sitting in square, reading paper] There must be some mistake! My story - it got printed!
[Nearby, Eliza and Sarah are sitting in square, reading paper.]
Eliza- Whats this? Who are these people?! These immigrants are suffering!
Sarah- What? Who are you talking about, Eliza?
Eliza- Oh, this story, here, look! These immigrants are starving! Look at those little boys in that
picture, and how filthy they are! Someone needs to help them!
Sarah- [sarcastically] Yes, you should do something.
Eliza- I simply must!
Scene 5
Mary- Thank you again for offering to help out, weve had a shortage in volunteers lately
Eliza- Of course! I recently had a revelation that these poor people needed assistance, just look at
them!
Mary- Im glad to see that youre so passionate about this. Anyway, there is a family that needs
assistance in one of the tenements. Weve agreed to help clean their apartment. You wouldnt
mind paying them a visit, would you? Heres the address. [gives paper to Eliza]
Eliza - Second floor, got it.

Scene 6
Editor- [curtly.] Hart.
Hart- Hello sir. [fidgets with straps on camera case uneasily.]
Editor- Please take a seat, James. [Hart sits.] While reading todays issue, I saw something
very...funny. Your immigrant story was on the front page! Somehow, it got printed. Why is that?
Hart- I dont know sir, Im just as surprised as you are.
Editor- I dont believe you. Give me one good reason why I shouldnt fire you right this minute.
Hart- Please sir. I didnt print the story. It must have gotten in the wrong pile.
Editor- [thinks for a moment about his decision] Fine. You can stay.
Hart- Thank you sir. [leaves hastily.]
Scene 7
[Eliza is walking in the square toward the tenement. when she arrives at tenement, she is met
with hart. he is standing in front of a blackened, distorted shape that fills the space where the
tenement previously stood.]
Eliza- My goodness! What - what has happened? Ive been coming here these past few weeks what happened?
Hart- There was a fire. [snaps picture] No one above the 1st floor made it out.