An Introduction to a Feature-Length Screenplay

Persona

An Introduction to a Feature-Length Screenplay

by

Matthew Orobko

FADE IN:

A clock. It’s ticking. We see a man wearing a suit sitting at a desk in a white room. He looks straight ahead. He seems like he is waiting for somebody. There is a stack of notepaper in front of him, a pencil lying on top of the paper and an electronic pencil sharpener in the corner of his desk. Suddenly, a door in front of him is opened and an orderly brings in a man in a straight jacket. The man in the straight jacket sits down in a chair 10 feet from the desk. The orderly stands beside the chair. The man sitting at the desk smiles and picks up the pencil. He sharpens it. The noise from the sharpener echoes throughout the room.

MAN AT DESK

Let’s begin.

The man in the straight jacket nods. The man at the desk reaches under his desk and pulls out a file from his suitcase.

MAN AT DESK (CONT’D.)

Your name is Gregory Morrison. You are 36 years old. You have two children. You have one wife and two ex-wives. Is this information correct?

GREGORY MORRISON

Yeah.

MAN AT DESK

Before you were brought here you had no history of mental illness, is this correct?

GREGORY MORRISON

No. I mean yes but no. I mean I’m not crazy.

The man at the desk rolls his eyes. The orderly tries to contain his laughter.

MAN AT DESK

As I read this report made by Dr. Neil Nietzsche I see that he has diagnosed you with multiple personalities. Is this correct?

GREGORY MORRISON

Is it correct that I have multiple personalities or that he wrote that?

MAN AT DESK

That you have multiple personalities.

GREGORY MORRISON

Yes.

Pause. The man at the desk sighs.

MAN AT DESK

Could you describe them to me?

GREGORY MORRISON

Sure.

He clears his throat.

GREGORY MORRISON (CONT’D.)

In one I am Gregory Morrison. Two Kids. One wife. One ex-wife. In the other I am Dr. Neil Nietzsche. I work at the Messiah Mental Health Hospital as an admitting doctor. In the third personality I am Rick Olson. I also work at the Messiah Mental Health Hospital where I am in charge of admitting patients to the hospital.

It’s at this moment that we see the name plate on the man at the desk’s desk. It says: RICK OLSON. We see a wide view of the three men. There is silence.

And then, we see Gregory Morrison in the corner of a white-padded room laughing, talking to him self. It is here that we

FADE OUT.

THE END

‘PERSONA’

BY

MATTHEW OROBKO