by Nathan Wada

Created on: August 11, 2009   Last Updated: August 18, 2009

LOCATION: A boardroom in a vapid Manhattan skyscraper. April. Pick a Wednesday, any Wednesday.

CHARACTERS

NATE: Your run-of-the-mill middle-aged corporate slug. Uppity and short-tempered, Nate has been running strategic analysis for a major consulting firm for seven years. Nate originally hails from Pukalani, Maui.

ACTION: It has been raining in Manhattan for nine straight days. Nate is attempting to conduct a board meeting. He's being his usual imperious self to his subordinates.

(Camera zooms in from a panoramic view of a rainy Manhattan skyline to the skyscraper that Nate works in. Camera zooms in through the window to a rear shot of Nate facing his staff with his hands on his hips. The faces of an intimidated staff stare intently at Nate.)

NATE: Alright, let's get this over with. Anderson, you're up first, what short term implications do we have coming out of the bearish Austrian bourse? Keep it short and tight, OK? And for crying out loud, would you please unbutton the bottom button on that suit? Didn't your daddy teach you anything?

(Anderson bashfully unbuttons his suit. Everyone's face remains stoic.)

NATE: (to a maintenance worker who is trying to set up the projector) You, there. Sir! We'd like to be able to use that projector today. You should have had that up and running 30 minutes ago.

(Nate exhales violently, puts his hands behind his head and turns around to look out the window at the rain.)

NATE: (Still looking out the window.) Rain is a metaphor, ladies and gentlemen. Rain, you see, cleanses. It purifies. It achieves this by removing all of the toxic and worthless particulates from the air. This is a very important function because even though rain removes much, that which is lost was never good for much in the first place. I trust the analogy is not lost on any of you.

After the rain of course, the air is pure and amenable to vitality and progress.

(Nate turns. The maintenance worker is still fiddling with the projector. Anderson is still getting his notes ready. Nate picks up his briefcase and slams it on the table. The staff members exchange nervous glances.)

NATE: (angrily) Refer to my previous comments concerning "toxic and worthless particulates." Front office will be receiving my recommendations shortly. I'm going out to lunch now and hopefully by the time I get back all of you will be ready to be professionals. Nobody leaves this boardroom until I get back.

(Nate storms out of the boardroom. He picks up his sky

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