175. The Quartet - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. CONCERT HALL BACKSTAGE - EVENING


• Orchestra members pour backstage chatting amongst themselves.


• RUSS walks in the center of a group of admiring musicians, clutching his violin case.


• AMY, a first violinist, throws her arm around him jokingly.


• AMY
• You were absolutely brilliant tonight.


• Russ chuckles.


• RUSS
• Bach and I always did get along.


• AMY
• You want to come with a few of us for drinks tonight?


• RUSS
• Sorry, I can't, I've got a prior commitment.


• AMY
• Oh I see how it is. Well, I'd love to pick your brain sometime.


• RUSS
• You know where to find me; you guys were amazing tonight. Thanks so much.


• He waves and pulls himself away from the group and heads for an exit.


• EXT. ALLEY - EVENING


• DODGER, ART, and MICKEY, a group of homeless musicians sits at the opening of the alley, using the street lamps to play, though most of them know their instruments so intimately they could play in total darkness if they had to.


• A fourth chair that sits empty.


• ART
• That boy's late again.


• Russ comes running around the corner still in his tux.


• RUSS
• Sorry guys, I'm late. We had a few encores.


• DODGER
• Oh, so he thinks himself a musician now this one. All established. They asked for an encore did they?


• RUSS
• Encores.


• ART
• Oh well look who's getting too big for his britches.


• RUSS
• Bring it old man.


• He sits in the fourth chair and tunes his violin.


• Art plucks at his cello sourly.


• Mickey inspects his viola then looks up.


• MICKEY
• So the Beethoven tonight, boys?


• ART
• Bah, tonight we're doing Arvo Pärt. You keep avoiding him Mickey.


• DODGER
• You and your modern junk. How about the Haydn or Paganini?


• RUSS
• Gentlemen, no fighting now.


• DODGER
• You shut your mouth, boy. Art, we'll play that noise of yours tomorrow if you shut your mouth about the Hadyn tonight.


• MICKEY
• You mean the Beethoven.


• They glare at each other.


• Dodger makes a decision and raises his violin; the other musicians snap to attention.


• He looks around the circle and they nod.


• DODGER
• Beethoven it is.


• He counts and raises the scroll of his violin and they begin playing Beethoven's String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor.


• Dodger stops them and stares at Russ.


• DODGER
• Your technique is sloppy. Kreutzer, now.


• Russ nods and begins to run through violin exercises skillfully, his fingers flying.


• He finishes and stops.


• RUSS
• You happy?


• Dodger makes a face.


• They begin playing again, the music causing curious glances from onlookers at the unusual quartet.


• The men look at each other, smile, and lose themselves in the music.


• FADE TO BLACK.