Ban The Bullet (script)

Ban The Bullet script written by Salvatore Riggio A physically and psychologically abused sixteen year has access to an AR-15 assault weapon. What could go wrong? Ban the Bullet is a story about teenagers in a typical Florida high school facing everyday conflicts with friends and family. But everything changes when an “active shooter drill” is not a drill. Alan, a black fifteen year old, has moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. In his previous high school, his best friend was killed in a school shooting while sitting right next to him. As a result of this trauma , he has nightmares , a physical aversion to violence, and panic attacks. He wants to be “normal” again. Cheryl is a very assertive, bright sixteen year old. She falls in love with Alan. She wants to be free to make her own choices including dating a black boy. Ms. Goldman is an American History teacher. She lives with her same sex partner, Mika. She wants to be free to marry Mika and live openly and free to be a good teacher. Mitch is a sadly conflicted sixteen year old bully. He and his mother, Daisy, are victims of his abusive father, Vince. He desires Cheryl and wants to be loved. Pete is a thirteen year old freshman. He lives with his grandmother, Mary. Alan is his best friend. Pete wants to understand himself and others, and to be treated with respect. Patti is Cheryl’s best friend. She lives with her mom, Terry. Terry has an alcoholic boyfriend, Jack. Patti wants her mother and herself to be safe from Jack. Billy is Mitch’s best friend. Billy is generally a good kid. Funny. Resourceful. He wants to be a good friend and family member. Vince, a racist homophobe, is an abusive father and husband. He has disowned Mitch’s older gay brother, Stuart. He takes Mitch to gun shows and is teaching him how to assemble an AR-15. Vince wants Mitch to “be a man”. Alan and Cheryl fall in love. Will their inter-racial relationship make them targets of violence? Will Mitch make good on his threat “to kill” Pete after Pete beats him up? Patti is slapped by Terry’s alcoholic boyfriend, Jack. Terry throws him out of the house. What will alcoholic Jack’s response be to her rejection? Violence? Billy’s father, Tom, has lost his job, and he is taking out his frustrations on the family. Tom plays a violent video game, Bulletblast, that makes him even more aggressive when he loses. Will Tom’s frustration lead to real life violence? Ms. Goldman allows her students to discuss current events openly. This leads to controversy and parental complaints. She is placed on probation. Then she is outed by one of her students. Will she be fired? Is it possible that once again Alan could be a victim of gun violence? Will his love affair with Cheryl have a happy ending? Or will it be a Romeo and Juliet tragedy? The story ends with a Memorial Service. But...for whom the bell tolls?