“A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it’s better than no inspiration at all.” Rita Mae Brown
In a city of the distant future, a man who has retired from a vastly successful career has discovered an inspiration, and a deadline, that compels him to stage something extraordinary and unique that will prove to him the meanings of life and the complexity of the human soul that he regrets to have not yet seen.
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” Sam Levenson
Priding himself on both his intelligence and the incomparable influence he has gained over the years, he lays out the full plan of his project, with the only independent variable being exactly how much longer the clock will keep ticking for him.
“I can’t speak on behalf of the creator. I’m not a creator; I’m just a pawn.” Randy Harrison
With this invisible enemy both at his heels and silhouetted in the distance, the reclusive billionaire plots out a series of games spanning across the confines of the city. He sends out letters, instructions, bribes and whatever else is necessary to carefully selected Players that will become his test subjects. In the Plans, he is, of course, the puppet master that will be able to see all the pieces across the board and direct them as necessary.
“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Thomas Paine
And the Players? They will be tested as he sees fit in a conflict that is neither man versus man nor man versus ‘god’. In the end, the center stage does not belong to him, it belongs to each individual Player. Each has their own stage to dramatize and present to us, for us to understand their story.
“All the world’s a stage.” William Shakespeare
