Reality

A BLACK SCREEN.
We hear the sound of cell doors opening. Closing. Someone
walking with chains on their legs. Music. Muffled voices.
The screen lightens and we find Glen Tringle, sitting at
an industrial picnic table. We hold on him. A hand comes
into frame offers him a cigarette. He takes it. A lighter
comes in, lights the cigarette. He smokes quietly. He
seems gentle, normal. We freeze on him. Screen fades to
black.
On Screen;
In 1988, before MTV’s The Real World, a Delaware TV
station, an ABC Affiliate, aired what has come to be
known as the first example of “reality T.V.”
CUT TO:
EXT. FENCED AREA – DAY
Glen stands by the fence smoking. No one else is around.
On Screen;
The show, called simply “TOWN” featured several residence
of Wilmington, Delaware going about their daily life.
BACK TO:
EXT. FENCED AREA-DAY
Glen walks slowly near the fence. He looks at the camera
occasionally and smiles.
On Screen;
Glen Tringle, an accounts manager for a small insurance
company was one of the “stars” of that show.
FADE TO:
EXT. PICNIC TABLE – DAY
Glen sits facing the camera, the interviewer sits on the
other side, we never see him.
INTERVIEWER
Thank you for talking to us today,
Mr. Tringle.
GLEN
Glen. Please. Glen. Mr. Tringle
… that’s … oh that, so formal.
INTERVIEWER
All right. Glen. (Pause) So, you
don’t seem to be … well, you’re
not like a normal T.V. star do
you…
GLEN
Well … Now, I am but, no. Not
when it all started. No, that was
… no.
INTERVIEWER
How did it … do you want to talk
about how it started?
GLEN
Well … I remember Katy said …
Katy Delico, she was …uh …
well, back then we called them
secretaries which now … I guess
that’s not PC. But, that’s what
she was. Just great … uh … you
know … go getter, did it all,
really great gal. She said she was
going down to WTRC, the uh … the
local TV station because they had
an audition for this new idea,
this new TV show …
INTERVIEWER
“Town”?
GLEN
Yes, that’s right. I mean, at the
time … we didn’t even know it
had a name.
INTERVIEWER
You auditioned?
2.
(CONTINUED)
GLEN
Yes. Well, no, no actually, not at
first. I … uh … no, I would
never have. Not then. No.
INTERVIEWER
Why not?
GLEN
Well … back then I was … shy.
I was the wall and the flower …
you know. I wouldn’t … no. No.
Pause. He thinks about it. Thinks back on it.
INTERVIEWER
So how did you come to be on the
show then?
GLEN
Katy wanted to give it try, she
had done some … some of the
shows over at the Sandlewood
community play house and she …
she thought this would be, you
know, a step … in her career.
Anyway, that day her car broke
down and …I was coming out of
the office and she was in tears,
she was … the poor kid, she was
going to miss the whole … the
… uh … the audition so, you
know, she was a good kid and I
offered to give her a ride.
On screen;
Only fourteen people went to the audition. The producers
wanted a cast of twenty-five then settled for a cast of
eight. Katy was not in the cast.
GLEN
So … I took her and I walked her
inside because she was so nervous
and … and … (laughs) she
wouldn’t let go my hand. So … I
just went in with her, to support
her. So …
Pause. He thinks about it, smiles, comes back.
3.
CONTINUED:
(CONTINUED)
GLEN
Anyway … she, uh, she went into
the room and was in there for, oh,
I don’t know … six, eight
minutes and then she comes out and
she is just crying and … and uh,
her face is red. I sat her down
and gave her my hanky. Got her a
… a nice drink of water and
tried to calm her …
INTERVIEWER
The audition didn’t go well for
her, did it?
GLEN
No. No she … uh … (He leans
forward and speaks like a seasoned
pro) The thing, with film, there
is a stillness you need to find.
She was all stage, she was just
too big, she wasn’t real. You need
to be real. Still. Simple. So much
of it is done with the eyes, you
know.
He looks deep into the camera, holds, then breaks it.
GLEN
See. Like that. That’s how …
well, I didn’t know it, at the
time, I didn’t get it but now,
after all the time on TV, the
films … you learn the … the
craft.
He says nothing. Silence for some time.
INTERVIEWER
So … you ended up on the show?
GLEN
Yes, right. So Katy is upset and
… you know, like I said, a very,
very sweet girl. I didn’t
understand Hollywood back then …
not like now … so I didn’t get
why they had to be so mean to this
kid so … well, it seems crazy
now but … I just walked into
that room and gave those men a
piece of my mind.
4.
CONTINUED: (2)
(CONTINUED)
INTERVIEWER
Ben Callup, who was one of the
producers of the show, who has
since passed away, soke about that
day. For the papers.
GLEN
He did, yes, yes he did.
INTERVIEWER
He said, and I am quoting here;
“Glen was a natural, when he
walked into the room, he was shy
but so forceful, so passionate
about his friend that, once he had
said his piece and left the room,
we all looked at each other and
knew …”
GLEN
A natural. He said that? A
natural. Well, sure, I guess I was
… a natural.
Quiet while Glen thinks about being a natural. Silence
for a while. He repeats “a natural” several times.
INTERVIEWER
So … they put you on the show.
GLEN
Yes. I was cast and I was one of
the eight people who were on the
show. Naturally.
On Screen;
The show lasted only one season, twelve episodes. It had
a small, but loyal following. It simply chronicled the
life of the eight people.
GLEN
People would stop me, you know, in
the market or … at the Shell
Station … say hello, say they
liked what I was doing … they
were friendly.
5.
CONTINUED: (3)
(CONTINUED)
INTERVIEWER
You liked that?
GLEN
Not … not at first. I felt …
on display but, as the show
continued … you know, we filmed
it and then … later it aired …
and when it first was on … on
the t.V. and people … they’d
approach me, I didn’t … well,
you know I wasn’t used to it just
yet.
INTERVIEWER
But, you got used to it.
GLEN
Sure. Sure. You have to. You have
to … people want to … to be
near someone famous so, you just
… it’s part of the job. You have
to give them what they want.
On Screen;
Glen received fan mail. More than any of the other cast
members. During the run of the show, people noticed he
changed on screen and off.
INTERVIEWER
Do you feel you changed?
GLEN
Changed?
INTERVIEWER
People say … friends, family
members, viewers and even the
people connected with the show
commented that you changed.
He thinks about this, seems a little taken aback by it.
Resolves.
GLEN
I don’t … change … isn’t the
right word. You know. I think …
here’s what I think happened. I
opened up. I began to show my true
…the true artist in me and …
6.
CONTINUED: (4)
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
and … people weren’t … ready.
They weren’t ready for that. You
know? There’s this notion that …
that, if you’re one way … if
you’re one person, you need to
…to be that person. Stay that
person … until you die. But …I
… my artist … my soul came
out. It was released and … uh
… I didn’t … I didn’t feel the
need to hide it. At all. No need
for that.
Silence. Hold on Glen for a long moment.
FADE OUT.
ON SCREEN;
After the one season, the station decided not to
continue. The seven other cast members returned to their
regular lives.
FADE TO:
EXT. PICNIC TABLE-DAY
INTERVIEWER
The show was canceled.
GLEN
Yes. That one … “Town” was
canceled. Yes.
Pause
INTERVIEWER
You had some trouble after that,
didn’t you?
He hesitates. Struggles.
INTERVIEWER
Did you miss it. You missed the
fame?
Another pause. He seems to be getting a little upset. He
calms a bit.
7.
CONTINUED: (5)
GLEN (CONT’D)
(CONTINUED)
GLEN
I’m famous still. I’m famous now.
I’m … you know, you’re here and
… this is an interview. People
… regular people don’t get …
you know, no one wants to … to
talk to a nobody.
Pause
INTERVIEWER
What happened after the show
wasn’t picked up again?
He struggles again.
GLEN
I was … yes, I was a little
upset. But it wasn’t … not me
…for me … I was upset because
of the people … the people who
wrote to me … the people who …
they wrote to me … they stopped
me on the street. So … I felt
badly for them. You know. The
people.
Pause. He struggles. We hold on him for a while.
On Screen;
Glen approached the producers of “TOWN” about doing a
show about him, called “GLEN”. They said no. Glen began
“shooting” the show himself.
INTERVIEWER
Talk about the show “GLEN” …if
you would.
GLEN
It’s a good show. It’s doing
really well.
INTERVIEWER
It’s … the show is still going
on?
8.
CONTINUED:
(CONTINUED)
GLEN
Of course. Of course it is.
Haven’t you … haven’t you been
watching it?
INTERVIEWER
No. I didn’t even know it was
happening.
GLEN
Oh. Well … you’re … you’re in
the minority there … the silent
minority. It’s … we’re doing
great.
INTERVIEWER
What station is it on?
Pause. Long pause.
GLEN
It’s … it’s on the television.
Pause. Silence.
INTERVIEWER
Do you … do you want to discuss
why you’re here?
GLEN
I’m here for the interview. I am
…I’m granting you an interview
which … you know, with the
production schedule … that’s not
… that’s not easy.
Silence.
INTERVIEWER
Two years ago, you walked into the
T.V. Studio, during a taping of a
telethon to raise money for autism
and you opened fire with a machine
gun.
Pause.
GLEN
Right.
Pause.
9.
CONTINUED: (2)
(CONTINUED)
INTERVIEWER
Thirty-five people were killed.
Another seven died in the
hospital. Dozens were injured.
Pause.
GLEN
Right. Right. I … I remember
that episode. It was … that was
a very … a hard episode to …
to do.
Pause.
GLEN
I remember … when I got the
script … when the writers handed
me the script I said … I told
them that I thought it was dark
… you know … maybe too dark.
Pause
INTERVIEWER
Glen?
GLEN
We talked about that one a lot.
They said … the writers and the
producers said that it was the
direction the show needed to go in
… you know … there are …
there are trends in T.V. Shows and
…, we felt … that maybe we
were a little behind the trends so
.. You know, we needed to catch
up.
On Screen;
Glen was arrested and stood trial for twenty-five counts
of first degree murder, seven counts of man slaughter and
twelve counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to
death. His lawyers appealed trying to plead insanity. A
circuit court judge ruled Glen competent and the sentence
was upheld.
INTERVIEWER
You have been sentenced to death.
Your appeal has been denied.
Pause
10.
CONTINUED: (3)
(CONTINUED)
GLEN
Right. Right. Those … those were
very … those were good episodes.
Pause.
INTERVIEWER
Glen … in two days, at midnight,
you’re going to be taken to a
gallows where you will be hung by
the neck until you are dead.
Pause
GLEN
Right. Right. (pause) so … they
gave you advanced copies of the
script? That’s good. That’s …
you know … you can’t share that,
right? You can’t … you don’t
want to spoil that for the fans. I
know it’s not going to be easy but
… you gotta keep that under your
hat.
Pause
INTERVIEWER
You’re being put to death for the
killing of all those innocent
people. You’re going to Die, Glen.
Pause
GLEN
Right. Right. Sure. That’s …
right. (Pause) See …that’s what
I like … that’s what a lot of
people like about the show. The
writers … they aren’t afraid of
… of a challenge of … you
know, taking a risk so … it’s
going to be … well, we’ll end
the season with this … a cliff
hanger, we call it and then …
you know … next season will be
full … there will be a lot of
surprises … a lot of … you
know.
Pause
11.
CONTINUED: (4)
(CONTINUED)
INTERVIEWER
Do you have any regrets? Do you
have anything you want to say to
the families and the friends of
the people you killed?
Pause
GLEN
Well … I mean, I want to thank
them. It’s not easy … that was a
hard day a … a very long shoot
and they were all very patient, as
I recall. I mean it could have
been a nightmare but …I remember
it going very … it was a smooth
day. So, I want to thank them for
that. Most times … you know, the
extras … that’s what we call
them … they go kind of unsung so
… thanks goes out to them.
Pause
INTERVIEWER
Glen … there is no T.V. Show.
He looks confused by this. He says nothing.
INTERVIEWER
This is … this is real life,
Glen, you’re going to be put to
death.
Pause
GLEN
Right. Right. It’s going to be …
we are all predicting serious
ratings on this one. Which is what
you want for the end of the season
but, you know, it gives us real
challenges to … next season we
have to … we have to come back
strong.
Long Pause. Glen smiles.
INTERVIEWER
All right, well … thank you for
talking to us today.
A hand comes into frame. Glen takes it, shakes it.
12.
CONTINUED: (5)
(CONTINUED)
GLEN
My pleasure … always have time
for the fans and … I am a fan of
the press so … my pleasure.
INTERVIEWER
Thank you.
GLEN
Right. Right. Now, remember …
you know … don’t … don’t go
spoiling the ending for the fans
… keep it under your hat.
INTERVIEWER
All right.
Glen smiles and waves at the camera. The image freezes
and fades to a dim image. Over the image;
Two days after this interview, the State of Delaware hung
Glen Tringle by the neck until he was pronounced dead at
12:37 A.M.
Words fade out. Then; These words fade in;
The execution was televised.
Words fade out. Then; the image gets sharper, Glen
smiling, mid wave and these words;
The execution broke all network viewing records.
END