INT. OMAR'S APARTMENT, LIVING AREA
As "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" plays on the stereo, MARK and STEPHEN put down the tray of drinks as OMAR, GREG, and ERIC approach. Noting the movement inside, CORY PHAEUS peers inside, then draws KELLY and JILL's attention inside as well. Just as the song reaches the lyric "Now put you hands up," the five men are suddenly standing in a line, positioned as the dancers of the song's video.
At the line "I'm up on him, he up on me," MARK and GREG suddenly collide and tumble into the Le Corbusier "LC2" tan leather chair. As the song continues the amiable nature of the dancing suddenly takes a competitive turn with precise movements and looks of concentration on the three remaining men's faces while MARK and GREG raucously sing along and THE LESBIAN CHORUS nods along to the beat. By the second chorus, STEPHEN and ERIC leave OMAR dancing solo.
GREG
Figures that our single lady would be the last one standing.
OMAR [turns at the remark and lunges rhythmically toward GREG]
So sick of your constant ...
MARK [moves toward OMAR and struggles to make eye contact as OMAR continually looks away and fixates his on GREG.]
Omaaaar ...
OMAR [stopping the dancing and finally meeting MARK's gaze]
Look. I know he's kidding, but does he have to be such a fucking bitch all the time?
ERIC
Greg's more of a dick.
STEPHEN
Or an asshole.
GREG
Oh, jeebs. I'm sorry. Totally sorry. Oof, I'm just fucking with you.
OMAR (calming)
But you're constantly fucking with me. Constantly. It's just ... ugh.
THE LESBIAN CHORUS enters from the Balcony. CORY stays in LIVING AREA while KELLI and JILL head to KITCHEN.
CORY PHAEUS
Trouble in Boyland?
ERIC
How's that Pride Parade, ladies? Are you all prided up?
CORY
I keep getting distracted by the show in here. So, like, from the way you guys act, I'm guessing you've all dated each other at one point? Or you're like some five-way relationship or something.
MARK
That's not ...
ERIC
Well, let's see ...
OMAR
I dated Mark ... well, lived with Mark. And before that I used to hook up with Stephen. And Eric. Before they were [makes finger quotes] "Stephen and Eric".
GREG
And I used to hook up with [finger quotes] "Stephen and Eric," and then they introduced me to Mark.
OMAR
Actually it was [finger quotes] "Omar and Mark".
MARK
And [finger quotes] "Omar and Mark" were sort of ending things. And suddenly there was my little piggy, Greg.
STEPHEN (to CORY)
And I'm basically a whore. I've slept with everybody but you.
KELLI AND JILL (unison from kitchen)
And us.
STEPHEN
And them, but, you know, whatever. It's just sex.
CORY
Is it? Because it seemed a little intense in here.
The doorbell rings as the music changes to "Happy House" by The Juan Maclean. Camera follows Omar who opens the door to reveal DEVIN, holding a bedraggled cake box.
DEVIN (beaming a gigantic smile and extending the cakebox outward)
Happy pride, Omar!
OMAR (to DEVIN)
Yeah, um, happy ... I'm sorry. Who are you?
NEXT: Carb crashes!
Rod Townsend was standing next to Andrew Sullivan outside Spiritus Pizza one mosquito-frenzied Provincetown night and mulled over introducing himself as a fellow "writer on the Internet," but he then thought about how long it had been since he had turned in an episode of "The Pride," which was, in his mind, related. So he didn't say hello and instead left with his deejay friend and consumed assorted drugs, after which he spent the rest of the night laying out the rest of the Act I in episodic form. The Pride is his first screenplay.
That Juan Maclean song is hot...in the next episode are they all gonna have like one big huge orgy? Or maybe that's the final scene.
I wanna know who plays who? Like what actors in what roles? Or pornstars?
Also, thanks for writing more!
Your casting notes would be appreciated as I am Hollywood-ignorant. You could refer to the first episode for some physical details: http://www.theawl.com/2009/06/the-pride-part-one-a-screenplay-by-rod-townsend
I have more in my notes, but, please ... NO ZAC EPHRON!
Could you post the character breakdown? Otherwise I am going to have to go with the cast of Star Trek.
Or at least Quinto.
From Episode One with some extra notes:
OMAR: A tanned, darkly-hairy muscular hand
- I'm thinking a clean-cut Arabic guy. There's a stand-up comedian named Oscar Aydin that I think of for him.
STEPHEN: "mid-thirties, preppy and fit"
ERIC: also mid-thirties and very similar in look to STEPHEN
- Stephen could very much be Quinto. In fact I love this and will probably always picture it as so. Eric should sort of just be an imperfect duplicate of Stephen. There's a party promoter, Duane Roggendorf that comes to mind for him. Neither looks trustworthy. Overaware of themselves.
MARK and GREG: Both are late twenties, scruffy and bearded, shirtless and wearing cargo shorts;
- These would be your muscle-bears. They look like, well, friends of mine. They're the gays that you never see on the cover of Out, but you always see at the Piers or Whole Foods or on the ferry out to the island. But there's trouble behind their smiles.
DEVIN: mid-twenties, super-fit African American
- Devin is named after a friend of mine that died of AIDS about three years ago this month. And this character, largely unseen is mostly based on him. Think Cuba Gooding, Jr. but years ago, and younger.
Stephen - Zachary Quinto
Omar - Jake Gylenhaal
Eric - Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Mark - Chris Pine
Gregg - Jeremy Rennar
Devin - Brain White
Oh fukit! Brian White.
I would, and always will, put James Franco out there.
Also Zack Petrick.
Wow....I came back here to specifically suggest James Franco! He's sooooo dreamy!
Could it also involve a reunion of the Queer as Folk cast? Because, you know, similarities....
Similarities? Really? Kill me.
DAMN IT - how do I keep missing these episodes?! Oh wait, last one was July 10...WTF?! And what's the deal with the pic - how come the guys heads are cut off? Time to go catch up...THX.