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Private room. Vance and Martha. Martha: “They have documents. Withdraw.” Vance: “No. You’ll vote for me. You know what I have on you, Martha.” (Reference to her past scandal—he implies evidence she falsified data, which she didn’t, but the rumor exists.) Martha: “You’re bluffing.” Vance: “Try me.” Martha leaves. In hallway, she vomits into a trash can. Lisa sees her. “Martha. Come back to the committee.” Martha whispers: “He’ll destroy me.” Lisa: “Only if you let him. Tell us everything.”
Evening. Helen’s office. Claire brings tea. “You look tired.” Helen: “This committee is broken.” Claire hesitates, then: “I shouldn’t say this, but Dr. Vance’s CV—I called a number. It’s disconnected.” Helen: “Probably old.” Claire: “The reference from Stanford? That professor died in 2019. Vance listed him as current.” Close on Helen’s face. End of Act I. ACT II – CRACKS & LIES (pages 19–48) Scene 5 (19–24): Next morning. Conference room. Helen shares Claire’s finding without naming her. Martha: “Clerical error. This is sabotage.” James: “Or finally due diligence.” Amir: “I can verify his online footprint.” Martha warns against “witch hunt.” Trevor: “Why are you protecting him?” Martha snaps: “Because donors want him. You want this college to close?” Silence. Helen calls for a recess. search committee script 75 pages
James—
Logline: A seemingly routine academic search committee for a new university president unravels when one quiet member discovers the leading candidate is a fraud—forcing the committee to confront their own ambitions, biases, and secrets before a unanimous vote destroys them all. Private room
Claire distributes binders. Amir notices a discrepancy: Vance’s publication record has a gap year. Lisa dismisses it as sabbatical. Helen: “We’ll probe in interviews.” Trevor: “Or we could Google.” James laughs bitterly. Martha: “Let professionals work.” Withdraw
Thriller / Drama Format: 75-page feature screenplay Setting: Prestigious but financially struggling liberal arts college, Upstate New York. February. CHARACTERS (7 main) | Name | Role | Age | Trait | |------|------|-----|-------| | DR. HELEN RIVAS | Chair, History | 58 | Principled, exhausted | | PROF. JAMES KELLER | Senior, English | 62 | Cynical, alcoholic | | DEAN MARTHA CHO | Admin, Business | 49 | Ambitious, strategic | | PROF. AMIR SINGH | Junior, CompSci | 34 | Idealistic, tech-savvy | | DR. LISA MENDES | External, Education | 44 | Empathetic, observant | | TREVOR BANKS | Student rep, Senior | 21 | Angry, perceptive | | CLAIRE DUVALL | Secretary (non-voting) | 55 | Quiet, all-seeing |
