** Movie script and info ** Video from stage play ** Cast and crew ** Script ** Soundtrack ** Graphics ** PG bits **

Movie script and info

Here’s the latest screenplay (movie) script (Dec 31, 2025).

The summary/logline: Saul puts the “action” into climate action, flirting with young women and roping them into volunteering for a carbon tax ballot measure campaign. But then he falls for Grace. Is there hope for them, or for the planet? 

Feedback, suggestions, and  funding ideas are welcome! FYI the script for the screenplay is adapted from the stage play, which has the same summary/logline and is described in more detail below. (My notes page covers both.)

Pitch Decks: Base, Base-2up, Katherine, Katherine-2up, Flirting, Flirting-2up, Lance, Lance-2up.

Movie script reviews

Note that these were all different reviewers who were looking at various iterations of the script. (If you want an old version with IMHO-valuable hyperlinks, check out this now-outdated Google docs script.)

  1. Black List review Dec 2024 (overall score 7/10 on my first-ever script review, which is top 20% so boy was I excited): “immense potential to be a festival pleaser…  The script radiates positivity.“
  2. Black List review Sept 2 2025 (overall score 7/10): “a very poignant and intellectual love story in a grander sense… a chimera of a film that deserves the attention of Sundance in their championing of scrappy but truly creative and imaginative work.”
  3. BlueCat Screenplay Competition review Sept 2025: “delightfully dorky, goofy, and full of heart… with more sandwich-centered song lyrics than anyone would ever expect. It is a love letter to democracy, and an optimistic call to action to enact change in our own communities… This story is masterfully written… For all of its silly jokes and goofs, there are just as many poignant observations about the nature of people, the United States, and human relationships as a whole… [And] we must mention our protagonist, Saul. What a guy. He’s relentlessly optimistic, driven, and almost…slimy? It’s sort of funny to think about how a guy wearing a sandwich board and asking for signatures can pick up so many girls, but it’s undeniable that he’s got the rizz.”
  4. Scriptapalooza review Nov 2025 (“consider”): “[The] opening six pages are a masterclass in character introduction… a solid three-act structure with clear turning points… dialogue is consistently naturalistic and character-specific… Salt Lake City is beautifully rendered as a character itself… genuinely original… distinctive characters with unique voices, creative use of setting, thematic coherence around democracy and optimism despite long odds… This script has real potential. It’s smart without being pretentious, romantic without being saccharine, and politically engaged without being preachy. With [some improvements], this could be a really special indie film. The kind that plays well at Sundance and finds its audience through word-of-mouth. Keep pushing it. The bones are solid, now it’s about refining the execution.”
  5. FYI there were also some less positive reviews (some of them nonetheless helpful): Black List review May 2025 (overall score 5/10, disappointing after 6 months of hard work); Black List review June 2025 (overall score 3/10, yikes!); Austin Film Festival coverage July 2025 (“pass”, i.e., “we’ll pass on your script”; “definitely a standout conceptually amongst socially conscious indie comedies… The dialogue throughout is often humorous and clever“); Black List review Aug 2025 (overall score 5/10; “the dialogue throughout is consistently sharp, witty, and intelligent“); Black List review Sept 4 2025 (overall score 7/10; “the world-building makes the script more memorable… by adding a unique layer to a popular genre…the dialogue is well-written and full of humor and personality“); Black List review Sept 5 2025 (overall score 5/10; “a lighthearted romantic comedy with a political edge that makes it stand out from the crowd“); Black List review Sept 9 2025 (overall score 5/10; “likable leads… entertaining rom-com-themed hijinks and political commentary”); Black List review Sept 25 2025 (overall score 5/10; “a great effort to bring the world of signature gathering to life”); Black List review Oct 23 2025 (overall score 6/10; “What’s great about this film is that it has an incredibly distinct world… [Also,] Saul is an awesome protagonist…”); Black List review Nov 18 2025 (overall score 5/10); Black List review Nov 29 2025 (overall score 5/10); BlueCat review Dec 2 2025; Black List review Dec 6 2025 (overall score /5/10). Black List review Jan 17 2026 (overall score 6/10); Black List review Jan 30 2026 (overall score 6/10).

Five observations based on the reviews and my own thoughts

  1. Budget could be modest, which is good! “The film could probably be produced for a reasonably low budget” [May 2025]; “Due to its limited locations and fairly limited cast, it would be relatively easy to shoot on a lower budget” [Aug 2025]; “The budget could be kept very low, which is a huge plus” [Sept 5 2025].
  2. The script is getting better! Example #1: early reviews often noted that there was too much dialogue (“Show it, don’t say it”, “exposition could be distilled”, “the story could be told much more succinctly” [Dec 2024];  “reads more like a stage play—mostly dialogue-driven with characters standing around and talking” [June 2025]; “very dialogue heavy” [Austin July 2025]); this criticism is less common in later reviews. Example #2: early reviews often criticized the detailed music suggestions (“The music cues overstep themselves and controls the editing/directing too much and should be cut or kept vague” [Sept 4 2025]; “The inclusion of song lyrics and timestamps is invasive and excessive” [Sept 5 2025]); again, this criticism is less common in later reviews.
  3. Characters are pretty good, but maybe develop them even more—how?? “Saul’s idealism is wonderful, and he gains tons of emotional investment for his plight. With Grace, we get the sense of an educated and well-informed character, yet has a tenderness that makes her empathetic” [Dec 2024]; “[A]n entertaining central relationship… Saul is a charming lead… Grace is a smart female lead” [May 2025]; “Saul’s playful, often flirtatious approach to signature-gathering contrasts nicely with Grace’s more earnest sincerity, creating both tension and charm… The supporting characters add levity and depth, particularly Lance” [June 2025]; “Saul works as a protagonist [but] there could be more to him than what is currently being presented… Grace’s character arc is verging on being a plot device. It feels like she has a lot more to offer… and could be further developed… Nikki’s sarcasm sometimes feels a bit one-note [and] it feels like more comedy could be mined from Katherine’s character… Lance’s character is great, he leaps off the page” [Austin July 2025]; “[Saul and Grace’s] character arcs and overall growth… could be more pronounced… The supporting characters are engaging, particularly Nikki and Lance, who both speak in incredibly unique voices” [Aug 2025]; “There are lapses in tonal control, tied to a character – Lance – who is very well-written, but comes off as a pure device, for he lacks a proper backstory” [Sept 2 2025]; “Lance has an entertaining arc” [Sept 4 2025]”; “Saul and Grace both feel like underdeveloped protagonists, with only one or two character traits and little interiority or depth. What are their true goals and flaws?” [Sept 5 2025]; “Saul and Grace share believable chemistry… fairly forgettable-sounding supporting characters” [Sept 9 2025]. “[And] we must mention our protagonist, Saul. What a guy. He’s relentlessly optimistic, driven, and almost…slimy? It’s sort of funny to think about how a guy wearing a sandwich board and asking for signatures can pick up so many girls, but it’s undeniable that he’s got the rizz” [BlueCat Sept 2025].
  4. Plot is okay (especially opening scenes), but maybe raise the stakes—how?? “There isn’t much conflict getting Saul and Grace together, and there may need to be more cosmic forces pulling them apart… [the characters] may need more ‘on the line'” [Dec 2024]; “the script loses focus and tends to wander without a clear direction… the drama risks feeling too simplistic” [May 2025]; “needs more tension and active conflict… the overall stakes feel relatively low” [June 2025]; “the drama… feels a bit manufactured” [Austin July 2025]; “Saul’s lines make for a hilarious montage where we get to see his talent for getting signatures in action. Saul’s single-mindedness about the campaign is a unique character trait that sets up the story well for the attraction to and eventual conflict with Grace… The plot itself is thin” [Aug 2025]; “The montage nature of the opening act establishing Saul’s practice is very gimmicky, and puts forth a “slick” rom-com ‘fastness’ that mischaracterizes the more sophisticated elements” [Sept 2 2025]; “The script shines brightest when diving into Saul’s little sub-culture… [Saul and Grace’s] first scene together really sells their chemistry and attraction to each other while also setting up Saul’s flaw in a subtle way… the fight between [Saul] and Grace feels manufactured and driven solely for the sake of plot” [Sept 4 2025]; “The script’s opening and final acts arguably read as the most engaging parts of the script” [Sept 9 2025]; “This script goes VERY light on conflict in the last 20-30 pages” [BlueCat Sept 2025]; “The story is too uneventful” [Sept 25 2025].
  5. Themes (serious and sandwich) are worth thinking about more. There’s a serious political/environmental/Sisyphus theme (about commitment and “try try again” and the challenges of committing to another person [romance] or to millions of other people [democracy]) that is good but could maybe be stronger: “The script introduces interesting issues about the environment and the responsibility of making democracy work” [May 2025]; “Against the backdrop of today’s political climate, the story uses the struggle for a climate change initiative as a poignant foundation for a romance. The recurring theme—likening politics and relationships to Sisyphus’s endless push uphill—feels especially resonant” [June 2025]; “The central issue Saul’s canvassing is focused on, climate change, is given very little oxygen in the script” [Austin July 2025]; “The premise invites us to contemplate questions around democracy and its pros and cons within the context of our political process.” [Aug 2025]; “The environmental angle is another big positive, lending a sense of importance to the story and creating an opportunity to spread positive political statements without becoming overly serious or severe” [Sept 5 2025]; “It is a love letter to democracy, and an optimistic call to action to enact change in our own communities” [BlueCat Sept 2025]. There’s also a sandwich theme that I love but not everybody does: “The sandwich-themed humor is comical but also gets repetitive” [May 2025]; “the sandwich jokes get tiresome after a while” [Austin July 2025]; “The sandwich-based humor gets old incredibly quickly and accounts for a massive percentage of the jokes in the film” [Sept 5 2025].

PS. Here’s the Oct 7 script and a flyer (old: Word, PDF).

Video of stage play premiere (summer 2024)

Below is a one-hour video from Sunday August 4. There’s a second one-hour video below if you’re a glutton for punishment, and here’s two Black List reviews of the stage play:

  • Black List review 6/21/25 (STAGE PLAY): overall score 5/10; “This sweet romantic comedy inventively mixes romance with politics… The playwright adroitly uses music to push forward scene transitions. Each scene ends with a carefully selected song segment that reflects its themes and dramatically moves the action forward.”
  • Black List review 7/21/25 (STAGE PLAY): overall score 2/10; “There is a strong sense of humor in the quirkiness of the characters, especially Lance… The dialogue doesn’t propel the story… There is little at stake in the play as it doesn’t seem to matter if the measure gets on the ballot. [YB note: I don’t need this kind of abuse; a 2/10 score is ridiculous.]

These two videos (above and below) are from the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, July 26 – Aug 4. FYI I think the cast and crew did a great job, but I also think the show could be even better with some modest revisions that are underway on the script, etc! Also here are two reviews, from The Utah Review (scroll down) and Utah Theatre Bloggers.

Video from Friday August 2 (IMHO the videography here isn’t as good—some key bits will be hard to get if you don’t already know the story—but I think this show was a bit better in terms of the acting and the audience response):

 

The amazing cast and crew

  • Addie Bowler (GRACE) is a senior in the Musical Theater Program at UVU. Instagram, headshot.
  • Guillermo Oviedo (SAUL) is a senior in the Musical Theater Program at the University of Utah. Website, Instagram, headshot.
  • Anne Louise Brings (NIKKI) is an award-winning actress from Salt Lake City, UT. Website, Instagram.
  • Meg Chamberlain (KATHERINE) is a proud SAG-AFTRA member and has performed from New York, NY to Portland, OR.
  • JayC Stoddard (LANCE) was part of the Great Salt Lake Fringe Audience Choice Award-winning show Exposure in 2017. (Ditto for director Josh Patterson!)

The rest of the team is director Josh Patterson, stage manager Annie Brantley (with assistants Yomara Montiel and Nik Peterson), production manager Tara Hogan; Clean The Darn Air campaign intern Lauren Reynolds; and writer/producer Yoram Bauman.

Script, synopsis, and ad-style summaries

Here’s the live script (comments welcome via email or use the Comment feature in the doc itself!) and here’s additional notes (older versions, notes from readings, etc.).

Synopsis: 

Saul puts the “action” into climate action, flirting with young women and roping them into volunteering for a carbon tax ballot measure campaign. But then he falls for Grace. Is there hope for them, or for the planet?

Directed by Great Salt Lake Fringe audience-choice-award winner (and Snow College theater professor) Josh Patterson, written by Yoram Bauman, PhD, “the world’s first and only stand-up economist“, and starring Addie Bowler, Guillermo Oviedo, Anne Louise Brings, Meg Chamberlain, and JayC Stoddard.

Seize The Initiative! A romantic comedy about falling in love… with democracy.

10-second-ad-style summary: 

  • NIKKI: You know how some men, they’re only after one thing?
  • GRACE: Mm.
  • NIKKI: What if signature-gathering is his one thing?

Hence the tagline for the show: “Some men are only after one thing.”

60-second-ad-style summary: 

  1. Close-up on SAUL (Scene 1): “I meet hundreds of women every day…” 
  2. Zoom out to show that SAUL is wearing a campaign sandwich board and speaking at a campaign training session: “It’s like speed dating.” 
  3. Different camera angle, still on SAUL (Scene 1): “At best, you could meet the love of your life…” 
  4. Cut to GRACE, who (with NIKKI) is waiting to enter a concert venue and is speaking to SAUL, who is collecting signatures from them (Scene 2): “We’ve got an extra ticket to the show, want to come?”
  5. Cut to NIKKI, responding to GRACE: “Wait, you’re inviting Jimmy John to join us?”
  6. Back to SAUL at the training session (Scene 1): “…at worst, you might find someone you can  rope into volunteering for the campaign.” 
  7. Cut to GRACE, flirting with SAUL outside the concert venue (Scene 2): “I would like to see what you look like without a sandwich board.”
  8. Cut to SAUL, responding to GRACE: “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’d like to see what you look like with a sandwich board.”
  9. Voice-over narrator: Directed by Great Salt Lake Fringe audience-choice-award-winner Josh Patterson… 
  10.  Cut to KATHERINE, speaking to SAUL (Scene 3): “I know, I know. You’re just putting the ‘action’ into climate action.”
  11. Voice-over narrator: Seize The Initiative! is a romantic comedy about falling in love… 
  12. Cut to LANCE, at a wedding giving a toast (Scene 9): “I recently had a vasectomy…”
  13. Voice-over narrator: …with democracy.
  14. Cut to KATHERINE, speaking to GRACE and SAUL (Scene 6): “This campaign is doomed.”
  15. Voice-over narrator: Coming July 26 to the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. 
  16. Cut to NIKKI, speaking with GRACE (Scene 4): You know how some men, they’re only after one thing? What if signature-gathering is his one thing?

Soundtrack ideas

Here’s my dream soundtrack (still working on music rights!):

  • “Classic Hoagie” (Stretsch Armstronng, 1994). This song (by an Utah ska band!) plays as the intro to Scene 1 in the play (and during the opening scenes of the movie). Thanks to Scott van Wagenen for permission to use this song at Fringe and in the movie!
  • “9 to 5” (Dolly Parton, 1980—stage play only). The first 20 seconds or so plays after the first signature-gathering success in Scene 1.
  • “Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman” (Elizabeth Cook, 2007—stage play only). The first 20 seconds or so plays after the second signature-gathering success in Scene 1. 
  • “Do the Lasso” (Justin Champagne, 2020). The first 20 seconds or so plays after the third signature-gathering success in Scene 1, and maybe also at the end of Scene 8, maybe 0:21-0:34 or more. In the movie this song plays in the background during the “meet cute” outside the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre.
  • “Fight for Your Right (to Party)” (Beastie Boys, 1986—stage play only). The first 20 seconds or so plays after the fourth signature-gathering success in Scene 1.
  • “Wawa Hoagies” (Aaron Out, 2017, produced by Casimir Pokorny). [Note: Parts of the video contain profanity and a bit of mild nudity. ALT: Family Edit.] The section of about 0:25-0:59 plays at the end of Scene 1, and about 0:59-1:30 plays at the end of Scene 2. In the movie, these bits play before and after the “meet cute” outside the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre. Thanks to Aaron Brodsky for permission to use this song at Fringe!
  • “Sandwich Man” (Paolo Conte, 2004). The first 18 seconds plays at the end of Scene 3, and the next 12 seconds (or more) plays at the end of Scene 4. In the movie, this song plays before the confrontation scene. 
  • “You’re Not My Favourite Sandwich” (Elsa Birgitta Bekman, 2019). The first minute or so plays at the end of Scene 5 (and into the beginning of Scene 6), the instrumental bit at 2:16-2:30 plays at the end of Scene 6, and 3:34-3:57 plays at the end of Scene 7. In the movie, bits of this song play after the confrontation scene and then a few more times. Thanks to Elsa Birgitta Bekman for permission to use this song at Fringe! 
  • “Sandwiches Are Beautiful” (Bob King, 1980) in Scene 9 (and during the wedding scene in the movie). 
  • “Don’t Put Onions on Your Hamburger” (The Dellwoods, 1963—screenplay only). In the movie, this song plays at the end of the “meet cute” evening.
  • “Sandwiches” (Detroit Grand Pubahs, 2000—screenplay only). In the movie, bits from this song play in the scenes following the meet cute. 
  • “Cheeseburger in Paradise” (Jimmy Buffett, 1978—screenplay only). In the movie, a bit of this song plays when Lance and Saul meet again.
  • “The Hamburger Song” (Bobby Moore and the Rhythm Aces, 1966—screenplay only). In the movie, this song plays over the closing credits.

Graphics (and old Fringe info)

Here’s some updated graphics: a poster (PDF), a two-sided business card (PDF), a one-sided business card (PDF), and a square stand-alone image. All three of them are below.

 

Front / back (note that these are vertically-oriented):

 

Below here are some older (outdated) graphics:

Here’s three options for the poster (one-flag, ring, two-flags):

 

Here’s an older poster (needs some veggies!):

Here’s some other / older graphics:

 

 

Also here’s some old text about Fringe:

The six shows (at The Ballroom in Trolley Square) are:

  • F July 26 at 9:00pm  **  Sat July 27 at 4:30pm  **  Sun July 28 at 6:00pm
  • F Aug 2 at 7:30pm     **  Sat Aug 3 at 3:00pm     **  Sun Aug 4 at 6:00pm

Ticket option #1: You can get tickets from the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. They sell single tickets for $15, or you can get a multi-pack of tickets (3 for $35, 10 for $85) that you can use all for the same show or for all different shows. (Fringe shows range from plays to stand-up comedy to burlesque, each with a description and a rating from PG—the rating of our show—to R. See “How to Fringe” for details.) See below for Specific directions to the venue.

Ticket option #2 (with goodies!): IMHO the Fringe website is a little confusing, so another option is to get tickets from me (plus goodies!):

  • For $25 per ticket you’ll find waiting for you at the show a beautiful 11 x 17 show poster, plus I’ll get you set up with all the tickets you want—as long as they’re not already sold out! (I take Venmo @standupecon, or email/text me and we’ll figure it out: yoram@standupeconomist.com, 206-351-5719.)
  • If you want to support the show even more, kick in an extra $100 to have your show poster signed by the cast plus get a signed copy of my Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change!
  • Want to do even more? For $500 you can get your name on the show poster as a supporter. (Just like Betty Tanzey, Dave Kozin, Dennis J. Mullen, Hazen Babcock, Mandie Weinandt, and Toby Adelman, who are on the show poster right now!) Added bonus for $500 donors: If the play ends up in Hollywood then I’ll do my best to list you as a co-producer: if I walk the red carpet then you walk the red carpet!

Don’t live in SLC? For just $50 I will mail you a beautiful 11 x 17 show poster, for $150 the cast will sign your poster (or you can upsize to a 14 x 22 “window card“-sized poster or get a signed copy of my Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change), for $500 you can get your name on the show poster as a supporter… and for considerably more we might be able to bring the show to you! We’re exploring shows around Utah and Idaho, on the west coast, on the east coast… and anywhere in between, so let’s talk! (yoram@standupeconomist.com, 206-351-5719, and PS I take Venmo @standupecon.)


Specific directions to the venue in SLC: Give yourself extra time to find The Ballroom in Trolley Square because we only have an hour for the play, so we will start right on time! If you’re driving, I strongly recommend these exact steps: (1) From 600 South, turn north onto 600 East, then pretty much right away—after about 100 feet—turn right into the (free) underground parking lot for Trolley Square. (2) Continue straight and go down the ramp to the lower level, then find a place to park near the bottom of the ramp because that’s where the elevator is; you will see the word “ELEVATOR” painted in giant letters. (3) Take the elevator to the top level. (4) As you exit the elevator, The Ballroom will be immediately behind you. (You will be facing south as you exit the elevator, and you will probably see a sign in front of you saying “Alliance Theatre”. Don’t go that way! The Ballroom is to your north.) See this graphic, and/or see the “Attend” page of Great Salt Lake Fringe.

PG bits

Here’s my account of PG bits, i.e., parts that are even the slightest bit risqué (note that many of these can be edited if needed):

  • Scene 1: There’s a suggested clip of music from “Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman” (Elizabeth Cook, 2007); this song is about women’s empowerment, not sex, but still: balls. Also, BOB/LANCE says “I like dirty air” with a suggestion that perhaps he could say it in a sexy/dirty way.
  • Scene 2: LANCE drinks beer. NIKKI makes a sandwich joke about “condiments”, a play on words with “condoms”. And the suggested end-of-scene music involves smoking, drinking, and flirting.
  • Scene 3: Lots of double entendre at the beginning when GRACE and SAUL talk about signature-gathering being “hot”, “You were amazing last night”, etc.
  • Scene 4: There’s a line about how in politics “it helps to have a sausage and some white bread.”
  • Scene 6: LANCE drinks beer, and LANCE and SAUL talk about The Myth of Sisyphus, an essay by French philosopher Albert Camus about whether suicide is an appropriate response to the absurd futility of life. (He argues that it isn’t: “One must imagine Sisyphus happy. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.”)
  • Scene 8: At the end, GRACE and SAUL (back-to-back, both wearing sandwich boards) rub up against each other, and GRACE  says something suggestive in response to a question from SAUL (“What are going to do between now and then?” / “I’ve got some ideas”).
  • Scene 9: LANCE drinks beer. He also tells a vasectomy joke.