Search Committee Script 75 Pages !new! May 2026
Evening. Helen’s office. Claire brings tea. “You look tired.” Helen: “This committee is broken.” Claire hesitates, then: “I shouldn’t say this, but Dr. Vance’s CV—I called a number. It’s disconnected.” Helen: “Probably old.” Claire: “The reference from Stanford? That professor died in 2019. Vance listed him as current.” Close on Helen’s face. End of Act I. ACT II – CRACKS & LIES (pages 19–48) Scene 5 (19–24): Next morning. Conference room. Helen shares Claire’s finding without naming her. Martha: “Clerical error. This is sabotage.” James: “Or finally due diligence.” Amir: “I can verify his online footprint.” Martha warns against “witch hunt.” Trevor: “Why are you protecting him?” Martha snaps: “Because donors want him. You want this college to close?” Silence. Helen calls for a recess.
She died anyway. But the money? Still there. For the next person. You think principles kept anyone alive in my house? search committee script 75 pages
Thriller / Drama Format: 75-page feature screenplay Setting: Prestigious but financially struggling liberal arts college, Upstate New York. February. CHARACTERS (7 main) | Name | Role | Age | Trait | |------|------|-----|-------| | DR. HELEN RIVAS | Chair, History | 58 | Principled, exhausted | | PROF. JAMES KELLER | Senior, English | 62 | Cynical, alcoholic | | DEAN MARTHA CHO | Admin, Business | 49 | Ambitious, strategic | | PROF. AMIR SINGH | Junior, CompSci | 34 | Idealistic, tech-savvy | | DR. LISA MENDES | External, Education | 44 | Empathetic, observant | | TREVOR BANKS | Student rep, Senior | 21 | Angry, perceptive | | CLAIRE DUVALL | Secretary (non-voting) | 55 | Quiet, all-seeing | Evening
I’m sorry. But Vance is a predator. You’d be his tool. “You look tired
(long pause)
James—
Logline: A seemingly routine academic search committee for a new university president unravels when one quiet member discovers the leading candidate is a fraud—forcing the committee to confront their own ambitions, biases, and secrets before a unanimous vote destroys them all.