Hǎoqù 好去#

by Jordy R.

Inspired by the trailer for Beijing, California. 2010-05.

“…to communicate to the government of China our unconditional surrender.”


SCENE I

EXT. TELEGRAPH AVE. DAY

Many people walking through, busy, a little worn. STREET MAN enters USL, motions towards a passerby, then to audience, pauses, leaves. JON LEE enters SL, carrying a large potted plant with flowers. He looks around, moving downstage, trying to remember which way to go.

JON VILLALUZ enters USR, spots JL. He goes up and puts a hand on JL’s shoulder.

JV: Jon Lee?

JL: (exact same tone) JV?

BOTH laugh, try to hug. Of course the plant is in the way. BOTH laugh again.

JV: How’ve you been man?

JL: (cutting him off in excitement) Haven’t seen you since—

JV: Alan’s party.

JL: Yeah!

Pause.

JV: So where’re you going with, uh… (indicates plant)

JL: Oh, it’s my block’s Tribute Day.

JV steps back and looks him (and the plant) up and down. Approves, and steps back forwards.

JV: Well, good for you then. This is pretty—

JL: Yeah, I’m hoping it’ll be enough to keep us out of Relocation. …at least for now.

JV nods, understanding. Pause.

JV: Hey, you doing anything tonight?

JL: Nah, shouldn’t be…why?

JV: Oh, a couple of us are getting together to watch a movie or something after work… You know, those of us that’re still around here.

JL: Ah yeah. Sounds like fun. I’ll see if I can make it.

JV: Great.

Both start walking together off DSR.

JV: (more seriously) So, you’ve heard?

JL: Yeah…

Blackout.


SCENE II

INT. APARTMENT EVENING

There is a large table perpendicular to audience SR, a couch at SC, and a chair turned towards the couch on SL. The table has four tupperwares, a couple of plastic spoons, and a small stack of napkins. None of the tupperwares are very full.

JL sitting in the chair. JV on the SL side of the couch. KAT and SASHA are standing DSL, talking. TOM is DSC, messing with a TV. (projected above stage). NATALIE is opening the tupperwares and straightening the other supplies on the table. She counts the napkins and sighs.

A doorbell rings. NATALIE finishes opening the last tupperware, and looks up to see SANKET enter from USR.

NAT: Sanket! It’s so good to see you!

She gives him a hug, which he returns.

SANKET: You too, Natalie.

NAT: (leading the way in) I didn’t even know you were back in the area!

SANKET: Just got back last week. (His smile turns into a bit of a wince. Pause, then to everyone) Hey, guys.

ALL: (ad lib) Oh hey, Sanket. Good to see you. (etc)

SANKET: So, uh, where’s Paul?

NAT: (slightly crestfallen) He said he has to work late tonight, to make up for being sick and missing a day last week.

SANKET: (sympathy) Ah. Yeah.

TOM: (calling out) Okay, I think it’s working now.

TOM gets up from the TV and sits down on the couch next to JV. NAT and SANKET move behind the couch and turn to the TV. KAT and SASHA turn as well. A news report comes on.

KAT: What about the movie?

TOM: Oh. I figure we should wait until everyone’s here.

He looks up at NAT for confirmation, who smiles.

KAT: All right…as long as we’re all home by curfew.

NEWS: And today the Chinese government issued a special announcement revising the terms of the San Francisco Bay Area Settlement…

SANKET: (over the report) Who else is coming?

The news station fades to a Chinese flag, then to montages of the San Francisco city hall and Bay Area.

NEWS: California-shĕng-rén, Jiā-shěngzhǎng zuótiān wǎnshàng… (Subtitles: People of California Province, yesterday evening Governor Jia)

NAT: Ching-Ching, and maybe Amanda… (trails off, watching news)

NEWS: (continues. Subtitles: announced the New Repopulation Plan…)

KAT: Don’t they realize most of us still don’t understand Chinese?

JL: (sarcasm) That’s why there are subtitles, Kat.

KAT: Nr nr nrrr!

JV: (serious, unsettled) Quiet, guys.

NEWS: (continues. Subtitles: …to move several thousand tenants in housing found to be…)

TOM: Ey, does that voice sound…familiar?

The montage ends with a flagpole, panning down from the Chinese flag to show the California flag (without the words “California Republic”, of course). The doorbell rings but no one gets up to answer it. The flag cuts to show JIM in a suit, delivering the speech. ALL pause, disbelieving.

SASHA: Jim?!

JIM (NEWS): Duì Zhōngguó hǎoqù, dì duì Méiguó jiù yòu hǎoqù. (Subtitles: What is good for China, is also good for America.)

The doorbell rings again. Image begins to fade. TOM pauses the TV. CHING-CHING enters USR, but everyone is still looking at the TV in shock.

CHING: Hey, guys, what’s… (She sees the screen.) Is that—? It looks like… No—!

KAT takes the remote, rewinds to the start of Jim’s image. They watch the end of the announcement again.

SASHA: But…how could Jim do this? I mean, it’s one thing to work for them. But to be the spokesperson—it’s like—

JL: (upset) It’s like what, Sasha? It’s like treason? Was Jim betraying something by taking this?

KAT: Jon…

JL: It’s not like he, he wrote it or anything! I’m sure, he—

JV puts his hand on JL’s arm. JL is crying. NAT standing with masked calm, but tears are coming down her face as well. SASHA is shaking her head. TOM is thinking, upset with the conclusion he’s coming to. CHING leans heavily on the table, hand to her forehead. SANKET stares at her.

SANKET: And do you know anything about this?

KAT: Sanket!

SANKET: What? It’s a fair question—she works for them.

CHING: As a translator, not a— (she breaks off) No, no, I—

CHING also starts crying. SANKET stands astonished for a second, then folds her in a hug.

SANKET: I-I mean come on, guys! Jonathan’s probably right! He’s probably just a- a pretty face. Th-they made him say that.

Silence.

JV: Wh…what are we going to do?

KAT: (rounding on him) “Do”, we…why are are we going to do anything?

JV: You’re just gonna take this?

KAT: What else are we supposed to do? Look around, Jon. This isn’t the United States! You can’t just start a protest. You can’t just…wait four years and hope the next guy’s better!

SANKET: We did that for twenty-five years…didn’t work out too well.

No one pays attention to him.

KAT: Look around. We can’t do anything.

SASHA: Jim can.

Silence. SASHA looks around to see what others think.

SASHA: Right? I mean, if he’s in position to give speeches like that, he’s gotta have some—

JL: (shaking head) No.
CHING: (cutting him off) Yes.

Silence.

CHING: That’s a real Director’s office he’s in. I’ve only been to one once. I think he’s really…

CHING’s face crumples again. Everyone else looks down.

NAT: Well, th-there’s only one thing we can do, then.

ALL look at her, one or two at a time.

NAT: Contact Jim.

Blackout.


SCENE III

EXT. PARK DAY

Trees scattered about SC and SL. A park bench in a clearing at SR, parallel to the audience. JERRY sitting on the bench, looking up as if at birds in trees. Faint smile.

Enter JIM SL, wandering through trees. When he reaches the clearing, he stops and passes a hand over his face. JERRY looks up to see him and the smile dies; he looks away.

JERRY: Chin-lǐshì.

JIM: (painfully) Just call me Jim.

JERRY: (taking a second) Congratulations on your promotion.

They both know he doesn’t really mean it. JIM sits down without meeting JERRY’s gaze.

JIM: I wish it hadn’t been you.

JERRY: (angry) Well, who else would it be, huh? Would you rather it’ve been Ching-Ching here, telling you how we all felt, seeing you there on TV?

JIM opens his mouth, but finds himself unable to speak.

JERRY: Or should it be someone else, cause—oh, but wait, none of them have permission to look at you, let alone request an audience with Chin-lǐshì—

JIM: (getting angry) Jerry…

JERRY: (breaking off) How could you do it? (pause) Work is one thing, but to be part of the system—

JIM: I’m trying to help!

JERRY: Oh. Oh, “help”! That’s what it is.

JIM: I was a history major, Jerry. I know what this is. If we don’t move to rebuild—

JERRY: (cutting him off) And is this how you want to go down in history?

JIM: (thinking, not happy with conclusion, but then making a decision) We need to make things better, Jerry. It’s necessary—

JERRY: Oh, is it? Fine, I guess I wouldn’t know, I’m not a director—

JIM: Shut it, just—

JIM jumps to his feet and points at JERRY, to avoid the impulse to hit him.

JERRY: Go ahead. I’m not afraid anymore. I used to be, back at the beginning of all this, but not anymore. (he stands up too, and steps into JIM’s space.) You know what they wanted me to do, right? They wanted me to tell you to work against this, but…you know what? Just—

JIM: (as if by rote, but painfully) Working against the Party isn’t going to do anything. Working with the—

JERRY: (shouting) Do you even hear yourself? What good is this gonna do, huh?

JERRY shoves JIM, not too hard, but clearly crossing a line.

JIM: (hard) I could report you for that.

JERRY: I bet you would, Director Chin—

JIM grabs JERRY and tosses him to the ground. BOTH stop and stare at each other for a second, breathing heavily. JERRY begins laughing silently in between breaths, just a little.

JERRY: Birdie and Al all over again?

JIM: (pausing, but unable to change his own fate) Maybe it is.

JIM turns and faces upstage, putting his hands behind his back.

JIM: Go home, Jerry.

JERRY slowly gets up, and stands looking at JIM for several moments. JIM eventually turns his head SL, away from JERRY instead of upstage.

JIM: I’m still on your side.

Silence.

JERRY: The real world doesn’t have sides.

Pause.

JERRY: The question is… Are you still one of us?

Pause. JERRY exits SR. JIM remains standing with body facing upstage, head to SL. Blackout.