Concept Poster for “Goodnight Angel”
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The Blank “Staged” readings offer an exciting opportunity for actors to get in front of working producers and professionals. Actors play characters from original scripts by talented new screenwriters. Not an audition, actors are cast for the night based on email submissions and are notified to come play a part for the readings. As they prepare for the next level of the staging process, we create an ideal environment for the screenwriters to see their words come to life and for actors to ply their craft.
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Goodnight Angel
Inspired by a true a story.
Written by Beverly Glover and Brent Brooks
“It’s time everyone sees the talent we have right here in Georgia, if given the opportunity I plan to use all the homegrown talent I can. I cannot wait for the table-read and see my script come to life! I am so excited!”
- Bev Glover, Screenwriter/ Producer
“This project is unreal and has tremendous potential. Helping Bev write and conceive this project has been a total blessing. Beverly has been through so much and everyone needs to hear her story. We have a terrific script and team that is ready to go.”
- Brent Brooks, Co-writer, Director
Genre: Drama
LOGLINE: Ansley is haunted by visions of unspeakable terror. Forgotten memories of brutal killings lead her to a small southern town where she must fight for her life to uncover truths that have been buried for years.
What: Blank STAGED reading of “Goodnight Angel”
When: Tuesday, Jan. 25th 2011, 7pm
Where: Blank Stage Studios, 585 Cobb Parkway south, Marietta GA. 30060, Studio C-1
Who: Chosen actors, screenwriters, industry professionals – please join us!
How: Review the roles below and send in your headshot and interest to TED RUBIN
THE ROLES
ANSLEY
[child: 5-8 years old - Caucasian]
A fun loving child and even as an adult was always able to make jokes. When she was a child, she was scared of the things her mom would threaten to do to her and she was scared of the beatings her father would give her. She was outgoing, spontaneous and personable as a child.
ANSLEY
[Adult: late 30's, early 40's - Caucasian]
As life went on, she could dissociate herself and push bad things into repressed memories. She is always able to find the good in people and make light of situations. Because of her mother’s poor parenting skills, she knew she did not want to raise her kids in the same manner.As an adult, you could describe her as a very caring, objective, funny, positive and an inspiring lady.
KATHY
[child: 7-10 years old - Caucasian]
Ansley’s older sister by 2 years and was good to Ansley when they were younger but got progressively envious of her and sought revenge toward their mother for what she did to them growing up. As a young person, she was standoffish and did things as she was told.
KATHY
[Adult: early 40's - Caucasian]
As she got older, she acted out in order to get the kind of attention Ansley was getting though she was prettier and did better in school than Ansley did. As an adult, as much as she despised their mother, the more she became like her.
MR. MABRY
[Early 40's - Caucasian]
A small man who was sometimes funny and a talented man who sang and played guitar and drums in a band and did not have an education further than the 3rd grade. He loved his wife. He was an entirely different person when he drank and he was an alcoholic. He abused his children physically, mentally and sexually. He would beat Ansley to the point that she would bleed. He was prejudice but wasn’t a member of the town’s KKK.
MRS. MABRY
[Early 40's - Caucasian]
She was cold, selfish and had a temper. She didn’t like children. She didn’t really love Mr. Mabry. She said she believed in God and took her daughters to church on occasion but she had so much guilt she never formed a relationship with God. She was obsessed over money and worked her whole life; she didn’t like to be around the house so she would rather work. She also did not socialize well with other people. She always preferred Kathy over Ansley and often bragged or praised Kathy in front of Ansley. She forced Ansley to do all the chores while Kathy never had to do much of anything. She left half of her money in a will to Kathy but none to Ansley. She obsessed over collecting things. She was never really happy in all her life and was most likely mistreated by her parents too.
IRIS
[Early 30's - African American]
A young black woman who worked for the Wilson family cleaning, cooking and gardening for them. She had large brown eyes that sparkled and sometimes reached deep down into your soul with gentleness, kindness and caring that could lift a person’s spirit and change their life. She was graceful and dignified and had a glow to her when she smiled. She had faith in God and knew that even the bad things that happened had reason and purpose behind that we could not understand in our limited view of the world. She would never let anger fill her heart because love would always prevail in her.
DENISE
[Early 40's - Caucasian]
School counselor at Wellborn High. She is in her early 50’s. She is very intuitive in seeing behind the mask people wear. Very fond of Ansley and admired Ansley for the volunteer work she does for the school but always felt there was something behind Ansley’s smile. Willing to actively seek to help people who were in need of it. She became a mother figure in Ansley’s life.
MR. WEISS
[Early 50's - Caucasian]
Older gentleman who is the principal of Wellborn High School who does not have his own children. He is a strict disciplinary, honest, organized and caring. He genuinely cares for the children of the school and did not hesitate to be the father figure for Ansley as well as the kids in the school. He somehow achieved that balance of discipline, kindness, and fairness.
JONAS
[Early 40's - Caucasian]
A ranking leader from another town of the KKK in Alabama and is known for his brutality and ruthlessness. He is extremely redneck and religious.
Jonas’s Son (aka Stranger)
[Early teen and late 30's - Caucasian]
His father was a prominent KKK leader from Alabama. He grew up carrying the same strong beliefs his father had. Cold, sociopathic who has a complete lack of empathy than human-beings, and was worse than the other members, despite his age.
Jeffery McAllister (DA)
[Early 50's - Caucasian]
Heavy-set, Cheetos loving, has a larger view of the world as he grew up in a larger city, but has to desert that larger view to fit into the society he now finds himself living and working in. He is more of a champion of Jeffery McAllister than a champion of justice.
Gerald Justice
[Early 30's - Caucasian]
young black deputy sheriff in Bolton, GA. Accustomed to dealing with prejudice but has seen progress in the south as to how blacks have been treated and is hopeful that it will continue to get better. Strongly believes in treating people equally as you would want to be treated.
Sheriff Dendy
[Mid 50's - Caucasian]
Typical rural Georgia, redneck sheriff.
Bobby Mason
[Mid to late 20's - Caucasian]
Older brother of Jamie Mason who owns the only gas station in town. He is a member of the KKK and a redneck. He is not well-educated and he takes his brother, Jamie, everywhere with him.
Jamie Mason
[Early 20's]
Mentally handicapped younger brother of Bobby Mason. They owned the only gas station in Bolton, GA. They were followers in the KKK in town. He had more of a sense of right and wrong than the men in town but because of his handicapped, he followed them blindly.
Granny (Grandma Nora – African American)
[Mid 70's]
A hard woman who rarely smiles and has no teeth. Born in the late 1800s, she lived most her entire life in poverty. Her husband died young and has been widowed for a long time. She was not accepted in polite society. She was poorer than the poorest black families.
Harold Trotter
[Late 40's]
Owner of country store. He is a member of the KKK and was very involved in the local church. The men of the town gathered regularly to discuss politics, religion, business, etc. More of a follower than a leader when it came to the KKK.
Maxine
[4-6 Years old - African American]
Iris’s daughter. She is a young black girl who is well-loved by her family, which makes her oblivious to the hatred and prejudice that’s in the town. Her parents, Iris and Clyde, have shielded her from all this and so there is an innocence about her.
Clyde
[Early to mid 30's - African American]
Iris’s husband and a humble, large black man who has a really big heart and is a great husband and father. Has a desire to write some of the injustice he sees in Bolton. A reluctant leader of his co-workers because of his sense of justice.
Iris’s Momma
[Early 50's - African American]
A gracious, elderly black woman who has seen a lot of injustice in her life but still has the ability to see good in all people.
Mr. Collins
[Early 50's]
Owns a lumber mill in the rural town of Bolton. He thinks nothing of using people to fulfill his own interests as a boss. Views blacks as cheap labor rather than people and is the local KKK leader.
Lisa (reporter)
[Late 20's]
Perky, young woman who’s not from a small town but got a job with a small town newspaper. Has a larger view of the world since she is from a big city so she is more open than the people in the town. She’s persistent and relentless and has been looking for a good story to go after.
David Griffin
[Late 30's]
Ansley’s husband. He is a non-thinker, Southern Baptist, who is scared to step out of his comfort zone. He does not understand and is afraid of what is going on with Ansley. Self-centered and egotistical as he is more concerned about himself and his wants/needs than he is about Ansley.
Lauren
[18]
Ansley’s oldest daughter; several lines.
Linda
[16]
Ansley’s younger daughter; several lines.
Reverend James (mid 40’s) – 2 scenes
Grandma Rose (Gerald Justice’s grandma) (70’s) – 2 scenes
Mrs. Wilson (late 40’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Receptionist (late 50’s) – 1 scene
Board Member (late 40’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Board Member #2 (early 60’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Board Member #3 (50’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Sharon (mid 30’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Beverly (30’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Black Woman (late 20’s to early 30’s) – 1 or 2 lines
GBI Agent (late 30’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Wife (mid 30’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Man (kidnapper/townsman) (mid 30’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Driver (early 40’s) – 1 or2 lines
Old Man (60’s) – 1 or 2 lines
Store Clerk (20) – 1 or 2 lines
Young Boy (15) – 1 or 2 lines
Email Headshots and Interest
TED RUBIN:
Ted@blankstageproductions.com
or by phone: (404) 831-8510
Beverly Glover | Goodnight Angel | Fanpage | In-Development
Screenwriter Beverly Glover shares with us her unique journey of developing her first screenplay.
So Beverly, please tell us about yourself!
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia and have lived here all my life. I have three wonderful daughters, a grandson and two granddaughters who have brought much light and laughter into my world. I stayed at home many years raising the girls and spent a great deal of time doing volunteer work. I have also worked as a bookkeeper but ever since I can remember I have had a passion for writing. I sometimes write to touch people’s hearts but I also love comedy. My other favorite interests are acting, flower gardening, history, science and religion. My dog Rose, a German Sheppard/hound mix, is a faithful companion.
Tell us about ‘Goodnight Angel’
“Goodnight Angel” is a moving story based on some occurrences in my life. Based on a few facts, we took great literary freedom in crafting a story that explores the best and the worst in humanity. In the late 1950’s Ansley Mabry was a little girl visiting her great grandmothers in a small rural town in Georgia. Ansley, her sister Kathy and her mother were staying in Bolton for the summer. Ansley’s Dad worked in Atlanta during the week and came to Bolton on the weekends. Ansley and her sister were victims of physical and sexual abuse by their father who was an alcoholic.
This summer Ansley met a kind and gentle black woman named Iris who befriended Ansley and became aware of the abuse she suffered. Iris became a safe haven for Ansley until one night Ansley’s world was shattered by the brutal murder of Iris and her family by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Unable to deal with the event the memory was pushed deep into the recesses of her mind waiting to resurface years later.
As an adult Ansley becomes close to Denise Howard, the school counselor, and Mr. Wise, the principal of the high school Ansley’s two daughters attend. Ansley decides to confide in Denise about problems she has and the memories of the murders and abuse begin to surface. As Ansley tries to cope with the horrible realization of her past, her husband finds it difficult to support her and Ansley must find the courage to confront her past with the help of Denise and Mr. Wise.
Ansley contacts the District Attorney in the county where the murders took place who is at first very interested and then suddenly loses all interest in her story. Ansley decides to go to Bolton for a week to find out what she can and meets Gerald, a deputy sheriff, who had heard rumors of her story and decides to help Ansley with her investigation. As they begin to uncover some of the pieces of the puzzle they have attracted the attention of one man in particular who will do anything to stop them from finding solid evidence. Tied to the brutal memory of the murder is also a memory of Iris loving her with such a pureness of heart it is enough to motivate Ansley to continue her search for the truth.
How did you get the screenplay developed?
Several years ago I met Brent Brooks, the owner of Blank Stage Studio, through an acting class I was taking and worked as an actor on several projects he directed. I told Brent my story and we began working on a screenplay. The writing was going very well and we had written one third of the script when I was involved in a head on car collision. Four months after the accident, while still in an arm brace and a knee brace and going through physical therapy, my husband and I divorced. During the divorce and for a couple of years after I would pull the screenplay out and try to work on it. Although I made some progress, there was still much to do. Last year I connected back with Brent and began to work again in earnest and the screenplay is now finished. The writing was very difficult at times because of the emotional content of the subject matter but it was also very much a healing process for me.
What is your process as a writer?
I began with writing ideas down on note cards and arranging them in a time sequence. At one time I taped the note cards to a bedroom wall as a makeshift storyboard which helped me get a better perspective on the sequence of the story. I broke the story down into three parts and wrote each section one at a time. I found myself playing out scenarios and dialogue in my head until I hit on something I liked and then I would put it on paper. Once I began the actual writing of the script I would often receive inspiration After completing all three sections we went through and made additions and changes to the script. At this point we took the script to several Blank Stage Screenwriters’ meetings where it was read aloud and critiqued by other screenwriters. We then took the script and again made additions and changes. Although the script is “complete”; we still review and look for ways to improve it.
What other films is your script like?
“Goodnight Angel” has elements that are similar to “The Color Purple” and “Mississippi Burning”.
Owner of Blank Stage Productions, Brent Brooks has served as a Director and Executive Producer in the film and television industry for well over 12 years with commercial work appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “Regis and Kelly”.
Art of Suicide, winner of the “Best Underground Film” award at last year’s Indie Fest, is Brooks’ second independent feature film and showcases his talent as an “actor’s director”. Brooks was also honored with a “Davey Award” by the International Academy of the Visual Arts for his documentary The Artisan Resource Center: A Creative Enterprise.
Using the story structure outlined in “Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey” Brooks has pioneered a new film brainstorming technique called “ImprovAstorm”. Brent also manages “The Blank Page” screenwriting meetings and the “Under Budget”, producer’s meetings.
