Sherman Wills - Host of Game of Agreement
Donna
Vincent Wheeler- Main Character. 24 year old who lives with his parents.
Vincent’s Mother
Vincent’s Father
Alden - Mysterious man in a black suit. Time traveling funeral director.
Denny’s Employee
Denny’s Boss
Announcer
Judge 1
Judge 2
Judge 3
Judy
CIA Agent
The year is 2026 in New York City. Vincent and his family are eating dinner and are watching the TV on the nearest wall. They’re watching a 70’s gameshow called “The Game of Agreement,” a local knockoff of “Match Game.” You can hear the dialogue of the people on the show from the TV speakers.
On the TV, the host, Sherman Wills is asking a contestant a question.
Sherman: Okay, Donna, the question was: At the political convention, Tom said, "It's easy to tell which delegates are voting for President Ford. They're the ones wearing blanks."
Donna: Sherman I’m gonna say they’re wearing band-aids.
Audience Cheers
Vincent: (Looking at his parents.) President Ford?
Vincent’s Mom: He was Richard Nixon’s vice president, and became president when Nixon resigned.
Vincent: Ah… (There’s a pause as Vincent pretends to understand the joke from the question. But then, he confesses.) I don’t get it. Band-aids?
Vincent’s Dad: Ford was considered the band-aid President. Sure, he became the president to stop Nixon and Watergate, but it felt like slapping a patch on the problem rather than fixing the root of it.
Vincent: Yaknow, now that I think about it, they didn’t really tell us a lot about Watergate in history class. Just that Nixon got impeached and resigned over it. What even was that anyway?
Vincent’s Mom: Five burglars broke into the offices of the Democratic National Committee to steal some stuff. The President was informed about it, and instead of addressing it head-on the administration’s response was to try to cover it up. Nixon was impeached and would have been convicted by the Senate. He resigned instead to avoid conviction.
Vincent’s Dad: They probably would’ve gotten away with it if the president didn’t act so suspiciously when news of the break-in got to him.
Vincent: I wonder what they were trying to steal. And I can’t imagine what the backlash was like. Back then that was something brand new, a President leaving office abrupt during his term. Now, it feels like every other day the President’s getting impeached for something…
Vincent’s Mom: Yeah…
The table goes quiet, bringing back in the voices from the TV. The audience is applauding from the last question as Sherman moves on to the next.
Sherman: Let me tell you why I won't go out with the Pillsbury Doughboy. He's a blank cake.
The funky music plays again, Sherman eventually comes to the other contestant, Bob
Sherman: Alright, Bob, what did you write down?
Bob: He’s a fruit cake, Sherman!
Audience cheers
Vincent: (Groans at the mildly offensive answer.) Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like if I were on that show. I probably wouldn’t understand a single thing I’m being asked.
Vincent’s Dad: Well, you’re only 24. They’re making references from fifty years ago. Who’s asking you to know all that?
Vincent: Me, it makes me feel self conscious. I listen to so many 70’s bands and I don’t even understand the social context of their times. If I don’t educate myself I risk saying something ridiculous.
Vincent’s Mom: Honey I’m sure people at the time also didn’t know everything that was going on half of the time. There were people then who didn’t care who Queen or Elton John was.
Vincent’s Dad: Your mom would always make fun of me for not being able to name what song was on the radio…
Vincent’s Mom: He thought September was written by War.
Vincent: (Shocked.) Oh my god…
Vincent’s Dad: Hey, they both had horns! How was I supposed to know the difference? They all sounded like a party to me.
Vincent shakes his head as he takes another bite of dinner. On the TV, the funky theme music of “The Game of Agreement” swells as the show cuts to a commercial break. The family continues to eat, the sound of silverware clinking against plates filling the room.
Fade Out