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turning to page one
The theater is adorned with patriotic bunting.
Onstage, a Caliph's palace. A YOUNG MAN duels with scimitars against a huge, hideous AFRIT. A YOUNG WOMAN in chains cowers in distress. The young man gymnastically avoids being killed, then plunges his scimitar into the afrit's heart. The demon screams and topples to the ground. The audience gasps as a
flame-colored, bejewelled bird rises up from the dead afrit's heart.
The audience applauds. In the center box, Tad Lincoln is joining in, as is his companion for the evening, Tom Pendel.
Onstage, the bird flies off, the young man is freeing the young woman, when the scene is halted by the red curtain lowering, surprising actors and audience. The music dies, the gas lights in the house are being raised as the owner of the theater, LEONARD GROVER, steps out before the curtain and walks to the center of the stage, pale and badly shaken.
In the box, Tom Pendel glances quickly at Tad, who's fixed on the stage, eyes open, alarmed.
The audience knows something's wrong. Their rising murmur of concern dies immediately when Grover raises his hands.
LEONARD GROVER
(VOICE SHAKING:)
The President has been shot.
There are screams of horror from the audience; people leap from their seats.
LEONARD GROVER (CONT’D)
The President has been shot at
Ford's Theater!
The theater is a scene of complete pandemonium. People cry, jam the aisles, call to each other across rows of seats, shout questions at Grover, who's calling for calm, inaudible in the uproar.
Tom Pendel is frozen in shock, then turns to draw Tad close to him. Tad pulls away and begins shrieking, clinging to the