A Spine-Chilling Thriller

BASED ON MEDIEVAL TORTURE RITUALS

Screenings:

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO
August 6th, 2020 
8:30 PM
High in a tree, the mutilated body of a gruesome murder-execution dangles above two American Indian gangbangers beating the shit out of two rival gangsters. Once they're caught, 25-year-old Oneida Indian FBI Agent Megan Little Valley is brought in to interrogate the gangbangers and handle the investigation. At the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation's police station, Agent Little Valley bumps into disgraced New York City police officer Richie Eccles, a burnout white boy who grew up on the Pyramid Lake Rez. He fucking hates himself for the court's "justified"  ruling of his killing of a 12-year-old black kid. For some reason, Richie still loves the Rez and its crazy citizens. 

Harvard-educated outsider Megan gets no help with her murder investigation from the Rez folk. However, as the murder-executions start piling up, she must partner with  Richie to solve the grisly serial killings. Their mutual hatred is tempered only by their desire to stop the escalating bloodshed. Megan believes the killings are inspired by Renaissance artworks which depict public executions and tribal legends. Richie thinks she's crazy - an over-educated Ivy League liberal pretending to be an  Indian. He realizes too late that his "flower children" parents lie at the heart of the murder-executions. 

Two highly educated serial killers, hiding in plain sight, stalk Megan as she pieces the crimes together. The serial killers taunt Megan and Richie and force the law officers to doubt themselves and their allegiances. In a gruesome twist, both Megan and Richie question why they ever wanted to be cops. In the end, the pair must fight each other to save their lives. 

A Burn Out White-Boy Cop, an Ivy League Female FBI agent, and Multiple Serial Killings...

Two Native American gang-members get caught roughing up rival gangsters at the scene of a gruesome murder. 25-year-old FBI agent Megan Little Valley is called in to handle the investigation. Disgraced 31-year-old former New York City police officer Richie Eccles joins her. White-boy Richie grew up on this Rez and endured daily ass-kickings. Although, he's taken up drinking and drugs and living on his parent's couch, he wants to help and escape his troubled past.

Cop/Gender Rivalry

Outsider Megan Little Valley gets no help on her investigation from the other Native Americans. She is forced to partner with Richie to get anything done. They hate each other, but these two strong-willed officers' verbal and physical battles are tempered by violent serial killings and their shared concern for the tribe.

The Ritual Sacrifices

The serial killings are based on Pyramid Lake tribal legends acted out through Renaissance artworks of public executions. Richie realizes too late that he and Megan have been short-sighted. Cultural arrogance and benevolence like theirs is driving the ritual executions. The ferocious killings push them to question their reasons for being law enforcement officers and ultimately, to fight for their own lives.
THE MULTI - AWARD WINNING SCRIPT

Accolades: Stage - Reading at Stanford University and University of Nevada Reno

"Congratulations on a powerful and well produced staged reading of 'Black Warrior of Pyramid Lake.' It was a well acted and paced reading... The majority of people in the U.S. have no clue about the degree of violence on reservations (domestic violence, violence against women, gang conflicts, criminal related businesses, etc.) I thought the wit, artistic strengths and popular form (Ala 'Breaking Bad,' 'The Wire,' etc.) gave non-indians an insight into self-destruction that has now become one of the forms genocide has taken. I brought two friends, one of whom is a leader within her tribe, the Northern Chumash. They both really liked the performance and appreciated the rejection of romanticized portrayals of Indians."
​-Elisa Marina Alvarado (Artistic Director of Teatro Visión)
"'Black Warrior' was inspirational - proactive, witty, unpredictable, entertaining - it captured the promise and peril of Rez life!"
-Karen Biestman (Associate Dean and Director of Stanford's Native American Cultural Center)
"Thank you for inviting me to experience the incredibly talented ad evocative work! I hope the discussions about the solutions [to these many issues] will happen soon. The work is, wow, extraordinary!!!"
-Naomi Brown (Stanford University Psychologist)
"Man, that was INTENSE!! It was dark, it was funny... The characters were real and interesting and kept me engaged throughout the whole thing. Very nicely done."
-Bill Burnett (Executive Director of Stanford's Design School)
"Bravo! We thoroughly enjoyed the powerful presentation. The actors did a great job and sustained the pace from beginning to end so that it crackled with energy and suspense...We look forward to learning the actors' names so we can watch for them in the future."
-Sandy Citrin (Stanford AVP for Student Life)
"Amazing! A tour de force performance!"
​-Rush Rehm (Professor of Theater - Directing)
"I especially love [the] characters and I could completely see this expanded into a full TV show and be able to spend more time with all the characters. Congratulations on such a great piece!"
​-Mona Thompson (San Francisco based Improv Coach and Creative Facilitator)