TITLE OVER:

FADE IN:

EXT. SHEARS PARKING LOT - DAY

The lot is now filled with cars. Adults of many ages, many of them looking decidedly unprofessional, file out of their cars and head for the entrance. They all wear their ID name tags, which bounce to and fro across their owners' chests. There is a sign posted at the entrance: "Shears Testing Center."

TITLE OVER:

Beneath the title shot, we hear scattered voices of people entering the building, some microphone feedback, and then an echoing voice on a microphone.

INT. SHEARS TESTING CENTER - DAY

Workers are slowly getting settled into their work stations. The workroom looks like a vast, converted warehouse space. There are endless rows of long tables. Each table has about a half-dozen computers, one for each worker to be seated at. At various places in the workroom are ugly partitions that divide the room impersonally. At the front of the room is an old podium, where the main supervisors frequently address the workers, and an ungainly-looking sound speaker, through which the main supervisors will be heard via the podium's microphone. Behind the podium is a roll-down screen that displays some kind of numeric grading scale, ranging from 1 to 4, with an explanation of each numerical grade; at the top of the scale is the legend "Scoring Rubric." Steve sits down next to JEFF, a tall man much younger than him. They trade smiles.

They shake hands.

Currently at the podium is MARIE, a main supervisor whose hesitant voice we heard under the opening title. Her unprepossessing demeanor belies her authoritative position. She clears her throat.

Across the room are all manner of workers, running the gamut from semi-professional to slovenly.

Almost as one, the workers each pull out a placard and noisily plop it on top of his or her computer and sit at attention, like kids waiting for the next instruction.

BILL GRASSO steps up to the podium. He is a middle-aged, slightly beefy guy with grey hair and eyeglasses, wearing a windbreaker. He is a frustrated public speaker who clearly relishes every chance to hold any audience hostage.

A few hands go up.

Steve cringes in his seat, guessing what is to come.

Steve slumps in his seat to avoid the glares of the unamused blonde co-workers near him. A few workers laugh nervously.

The Group A workers applaud as LANA, a somewhat heavy-set but professionally dressed woman, steps up front and meekly smiles and waves.

More mild applause as SHILENE, an older, scowling woman, dutifully steps up front.

Applause is notably louder as Adrienne, the most youthful-looking of the group leaders, demurely walks to the front. Steve is shocked -- it is the same Adrienne who witnessed his final day of teaching.

Adrienne tries to smile but is nonplussed at being singled out.

The group leaders sit with their groups.

As Bill gives these instructions, we notice a variety of unique bottled liquids on workers' desks -- a bottle with a strainer, a bottle of salad dressing, a small fishbowl.

Steve and Jeff take this news big when they notice a nearby FEMALE WORKER whose blouse is so low-cut that her badge is firmly lodged in her cleavage.

Steve stifles a giggle, as he realizes he has found a co-worker who shares his cynical viewpoint.

A rough-looking, female FRONT DESK ASSISTANT is seen doing just that, forcing a timid male worker against the wall, spread-eagled, as she digs through his satchel.

The assistant pulls a cell phone out of the satchel, grins in smug triumph, and quickly shoves it into her own pocket.

Lana, Shilene, and Adrienne join Bill at the front. Bill turns to the workers.

Bill hands a page of "script" to each of the women, who prepare to act it out.

Shilene approaches Adrienne, who pretends to be typing at a computer. Adrienne reads mechanically from Bill's script, but Shilene seems to be getting into this acting job.

Shilene props her foot up and rests her heel on Adrienne's desk.

Adrienne appears a bit shocked at the verisimilitude of Shilene's "performance."

Shilene draws her face down to Adrienne's.

Shilene chucks Adrienne's chin with her thumb, Bogie-style.

Shilene winks at Adrienne and walks away. After Adrienne regains her composure, she dials an imaginary telephone, picked up on "the other end" by Lana.

Lana pulls out a pre-printed page of sexual harassment issues and reads them like a laundry list.

Lana slams down her imaginary telephone and looks straight at her captive audience.

Shilene, Adrienne, and Bill hurry to "center stage."

Bill puts his hand on Adrienne's shoulder.

Bill grimly turns to the workers.

In an instant, Bill returns to his formerly cordial self.

Scattered applause.

More mild applause as the "actresses" smile weakly. Two male CO-WORKERS comment to each other.

Some workers check out their computers with new-found interest.

One WORKER, who obviously has not been paying attention, is playing solitaire on his computer while Bill speaks.

Bill pulls a cord behind him, pulling down a screen which bears poster-sized photos of two inordinately wholesome-looking children, flashing perfect smiles, with the names "Johnny and Jenny Tester" boldly emblazoned beneath their photos. As many voices "ooh" and "aah," Steve and Jeff roll their eyes.

As the rest of the workers applaud mightily, Steve and Jeff remain unmoved, looking as though lemons have lodged in their throats.

Workers get up from their seats and start to move around and talk. Steve approaches Adrienne, who is chatting up members of her group.

But Adrienne is approached by PHIL -- an elderly, short, greying man whose baseball cap covers his omnipresent dome. He walks in huge strides to make up for the ground he has lost in life.

Phil subtly starts to lead Adrienne away.

Steve looks on as Phil, now at his desk, has an elaborate conversation with Adrienne.

Clock on wall reads 10:30. Marie is in a training session with the workers. She is standing at the podium next to a state-of-the-art projector which shows the same prompt-and-response on the screen behind her that is shown on the workers' computers.

A few hands go up. Marie calls on a FEMALE WORKER.

Steve and Jeff look at each other and mouth, "Sort of?"

Other workers murmur their assent.

General chatter.

The room goes up in a roar.

The workers settle down somewhat.

More grousing. Jeff raises his hand.

Still more grousing, to which Marie seems oblivious.

More grumbling again.

The workers grudgingly get up and head outside.

EXT. SHEARS PARKING LOT - DAY

Jeff lights a cigarette as he and Steve compare notes.

Jeff and the other workers head back inside, with Steve trailing them.