SHELTER IN PLACE Excerpt - written by Gordon Blitz
Tagline: When a sudden security lockdown traps six strangers inside two public restrooms—three women in one, three men in the other—the forced confinement cracks open the private lives they’ve worked hard to contain.
INT-FEMALE BATHROOM (FB)-two private stalls, mirror over large washbasin area. A small patterned couch and end table; flowers on the table, perfume dispenser, complimentary basket with tampons, pads, hairspray, mints, etc. Curling iron or hair dryer, stitching kit or emergency toiletries basket, needle disposer, baby changing table, stain remover wipes, lint roller sheets, panty liners, and feminine wipes.
Three women are chattering laughing.
CUT To-MALE BATHROOM (MB)- Urinals against the far wall, one stall, several sinks. Large mirror over the sinks, condom vending machine, shoeshine machine, mouthwash dispenser packets, moisturizer, after shave dispenser, needle disposer, baby changing table, urinal mats, and splash guards.
Three men stand at urinals in silence. There are nods, awkward spacing at urinals, minimal eye contact.
CUT To-FB- GRACE (35, heavy-set, over-shares). She is an HR Coordinator. She is facing the mirror. MARGIE (40, pregnant, hospital nurse, a listener, absorbs too much) exits one of the stalls and goes to the mirror. RONNIE (50, stick thin, boundary pusher). She is a cosmetic consultant and is standing by Grace who is putting on lipstick.
RONNIE
Are you sure that's a good color for your skin?
GRACE
Why not? It goes with what I'm wearing.
RONNIE
Just saying. Here, let me see if it does anything for me.
Ronnie grabs the lipstick from Grace and puts it on her own lips, presses her lips together, then smiles.
RONNIE (CONT'D)
Look, it's perfect!
Ronnie hands the lipstick back to Grace.
GRACE
Let's see what Margie says.
RONNIE
Oh, god! With you everything has to be by consensus.
GRACE
That's just what I've been working on with my therapist.
Grace tries to use her iPhone and gets frustrated.
GRACE (CONT'D)
Hey, are your phones working?
Ronnie and Margie try using their phones.
RONNIE
Must be an issue with the cell tower. I'm not getting any reception.
Margie grabs her stomach.
MARGIE
Damn! This morning sickness is awful. How did you guys survive nine months of this?
GRACE
Remember, mine only lasted one trimester, and then I lost the baby.
MARGIE
Oh, I'm sorry.
GRACE
Don't be. I realized being a mother wasn't really something I wanted.
RONNIE
I knew that from the moment I met you. This woman has no motherly instincts. You don't own any pets, and whenever we hear children at restaurants, you make a sour face.
Ronnie walks over to the baby changing table.
RONNIE (CONT'D)
I can't imagine being in here and having to change a diaper full of shit.
GRACE
Ronnie, do you have any internal guard rails? You just spit out whatever you want to say and don't care about anyone else's feelings!
RONNIE
Don't you want me to be honest? But you . . .
Looking at Margie.
RONNIE (CONT'D)
. . . on the other hand, will make an exceptional mother.
GRACE
Look, you guys. I've got something going on that I need to talk to you about.
RONNIE
Okay, give us the gory details.
GRACE
Seriously. I just had that cancer test you know, to see if I inherited that gene from my parents. My mother and her mother both had breast cancer.
MARGIE
So, what were the results?
GRACE
It turns out that I'm at risk, but they won't tell me whether I should have a double mastectomy. It has to be my decision.
RONNIE
You mean some sort of joint decision.
GRACE
Oh, come on, Ronnie. This is important. My therapist won't even decide for me.
A knock is heard.
RONNIE
Who knocks on a bathroom door?
GRACE
Maybe it's the janitor doing the cleaning and refilling the tampons. Boy, oh, boy, everything else is in here; stain remover wipes, lint roller sheets, panty liners, feminine wipes.
RONNIE
I'm so glad I'm done with the curse, or is it still called the monthlies or periods or menstruating?
A second knock, louder, more urgent.
Margie clutches her stomach harder. There is a moment of silence as they all listen.
STERN MALE VOICE
Don't leave the restroom!
GRACE
Is it a shooter?
Loud alarm bells chime, followed by sounds of running, doors slamming.
BLACKOUT.
CUT TO-Int-MB. LATER
We hear the sound of GRANT (45, thin, dental hygienist, lonely) throwing up in one of the stalls. MASON (40, muscular, stoic, high school coach) is at a urinal, and LUKE (35, librarian, medium build, deep thinker) is staring into the mirror above the wash basin.
LUKE
(shouting to Grant)
Hey, are you okay?
GRANT
Yeah. I'll be out in a minute.
MASON
Leave the guy alone.
LUKE
Just trying to be a good neighbor. Looking out for my fellow man, just like anyone would do the same for me.
Grant comes out of the stall and goes to wash his hands.
LUKE (CONT'D)
Eat something bad?
GRANT
No, I think it's a stomach flu. Kinda' scary us having to stay locked in here for who knows how long. Both of you okay with that?
LUKE
Well at least we're fully stocked; urinal mats, splash guards.
MASON
(pointing)
What are those things?
Mason looks at the urinal mats and splash guards. Picks them up and quickly puts them down.
LUKE
Urinal sleeves and cartridges to help prevent blockages and control odor.
MASON
This is like a spa. I'm afraid to ask what that is (pointing at something else).
LUKE
Male sanitary disposal units for incontinence pads or related waste.
MASON
How do you know all these things?
LUKE
I'm a librarian.
MASON
Just hope we're not in here too much longer. I have a team I'm coaching at Uni High School. And my phone's not working.
Mason moves away from the urinal and goes to the sink to wash his hands.
GRANT
Yeah, no reception on mine either. But about you being a coach. Lots of my patients are teens. Get tons of boys with sports injuries. They never wear mouth guards.
Mason coughs, hoping to interrupt Grant. Grant ignores Mason.