The Deniers, a Musical in 2 Acts by
SYNOPSIS - Several decades into the future, “Climate Liabilities Commission” agent Shea McCleary is hot on the trail of the vigilante group “The Planet Paladin Fellowship,” which has targeted Olivia Levingston, one of the few remaining Climate Science Deniers left in society, for execution. Shea’s stake in protecting Olivia heightens when she discovers that Olivia is the estranged mother of her high-school “one...
SYNOPSIS - Several decades into the future, “Climate Liabilities Commission” agent Shea McCleary is hot on the trail of the vigilante group “The Planet Paladin Fellowship,” which has targeted Olivia Levingston, one of the few remaining Climate Science Deniers left in society, for execution. Shea’s stake in protecting Olivia heightens when she discovers that Olivia is the estranged mother of her high-school “one-that-got-away,” Alan Nolan, who has lately become his mother’s caretaker. Alan, as the son of a Denier with a monumental climate lien debt, must endure relative poverty and little hope for his dream of starting a family.
After a heated confrontation with the Planet Paladin Leader, Shea moves Alan and Olivia to the safety of the CLC Commissary, but a confused Olivia escapes, and is caught by the Paladins, who attempt to film her execution -- drowning by raised ocean tides -- for her climate change denial crimes. Shea breaks up the execution, but delays rescuing Olivia from the rising ocean due to Olivia’s disrespectful rants about Shea’s profession, and rants about “conspiracy” climate science in general, during which Olivia dies of a heart attack from the stress of the situation. Alan is mysteriously sent a clipped video of Shea leaving Olivia to drown, and is furious about it, escaping Shea’s custody himself, not knowing she was merely threatening to leave unless Olivia promised to stop her denials and repent, for the good of her son’s future.
After subplots involving Shea’s deputy’s secret love for her, a Planet Paladin Leader’s embarrassing secret, and a colorful free-church and speak-easy for Denierkin, Alan is captured by the Paladins, now joined by one of Shea’s superiors, Commissioner Green 9. Faced with a secret alliance between the Vigilantes and her own Government, Shea must choose between joining with a world bending towards revenge, or striking out on her own to find a true path of Justice for all human beings ...
After a heated confrontation with the Planet Paladin Leader, Shea moves Alan and Olivia to the safety of the CLC Commissary, but a confused Olivia escapes, and is caught by the Paladins, who attempt to film her execution -- drowning by raised ocean tides -- for her climate change denial crimes. Shea breaks up the execution, but delays rescuing Olivia from the rising ocean due to Olivia’s disrespectful rants about Shea’s profession, and rants about “conspiracy” climate science in general, during which Olivia dies of a heart attack from the stress of the situation. Alan is mysteriously sent a clipped video of Shea leaving Olivia to drown, and is furious about it, escaping Shea’s custody himself, not knowing she was merely threatening to leave unless Olivia promised to stop her denials and repent, for the good of her son’s future.
After subplots involving Shea’s deputy’s secret love for her, a Planet Paladin Leader’s embarrassing secret, and a colorful free-church and speak-easy for Denierkin, Alan is captured by the Paladins, now joined by one of Shea’s superiors, Commissioner Green 9. Faced with a secret alliance between the Vigilantes and her own Government, Shea must choose between joining with a world bending towards revenge, or striking out on her own to find a true path of Justice for all human beings ...