Script Synopses:

A SIGN YOU WERE ALIVE

A father, James, desperately seeks supplies and knowledge for his daughter, Chelsea, who’s hiding in her bedroom after a traumatic incident that seems to be linked to a mysterious illness, possibly a pandemic, and has turned Chelsea into a vampire. Internet research is getting James nowhere, and he wants to make sure his daughter doesn’t feel the need to isolate for his protection, so they tackle the issue by marathoning as many vampire movies as possible to get an idea of how their lives will need to change. As they watch movies, they share opinions, bicker, shout, and bond. Their relationship strains over generational differences and the tension of a father putting in his all to protect his daughter from further damage, but ultimately, they find ways to have fun through dire circumstances and establish a stronger connection than ever – even as the threat of mortality looms for one of them in unexpected ways.

HALLWAY HOUSE

Michael, Dianne, and Emily lived in the same hallway at college, where they met their freshman year. Now, years later, Dianne, who has no use for romance personally, is a successful romance novelist, and when their lives crash and burn, Michael and Emily seek refuge in Dianne’s huge house, which they call Hallway House. Their odd, intense friendship involves in-jokes and obscure references, especially to Algonquin Roundtable writers like Dorothy Parker and George S. Kaufman; Emily and Michael think this private language prevents them from forming strong connections with other people. Emily is dealing with getting away from her cheating husband, who visits and goes a final round with her. And Michael, after two years in Hallway House, must decide whether to give Connor, a younger guy, a chance. Connor makes Michael feel very old because Connor knows nothing about the people and works the three friends’ prize, as Emily exposes with her questioning – but maybe that’s okay, and maybe Connor should not be underestimated.

SEVEN HUNDRED SQUARE FEET

James and Gloria live in a West Side apartment in New York City. Their busy professional lives are immobilized by COVID-19, and they are forced to face the empty room where their son Paul lived before his death at age 7. They also have to confront the issues in their own marriage and a society that is breaking down before them. In the end, they find a way to reset.

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