The Wig.

a short film by Elijah Benson.

Starring:

Jose Plaza-Merly as The Queen.

Jennifer Moradel as The Roommate

Special thanks to David Hasan.

(“Chromatica II” by Lady Gaga plays. A computer screen booting up. A password is entered. The mouse navigates to the browser and clicks it open. It loads. Google pops up. The user types “aliexpress” into the search bar. They click the website open. Various shots of the parts of the website. Hair Extensions & Wigs. Various shots of the many wigs available on the website. One of them is finally clicked open. Various shots of the item page. 18 inches. $45.46. 36 inches. $136.55. 24 inches. $61.30. Scroll down to the reviews. Five stars. Four stars. Five stars. Positive comment 1. Positive comment 2. Positive comment 3. Scroll back up. Local frenzy sale. Ends TODAY’S DATE. What’s today’s date? The sale ends today. Free shipping. Free returns within 15 days. Up to 4 x $15.33 with no interest. Buy now. ”911” by Lady Gaga plays.  Title screen: “T4T Productions Presents”. A mailbox. A hand reaches in, unlocks and opens it, places a package inside, closes and locks it. Title screen: “An Elijah Benson Film”. The same mailbox. A hand with a great manicure reaches in, unlocks and opens it, takes the package out, closes and locks it. Title screen: “The Wig”. A door. It opens and reveals the Queen. Although out of drag, she looks good. She enters, closes and locks the door behind herself, package in hand, sunglasses on head, purse on shoulder. She walks out of frame.) Title screen: “Starring ACTOR NAME as The Queen”. Stairs. She climbs down them and through the frame.) Title screen: “And ACTOR’S NAME as The Roommate”. Her bookshelves. They’re chalk full of nonsense. She walks by them and through the frame. Title screen: “And Mariah Carey as Mariah Carey”. Her purses. She takes her purse off and hands it with the others. She walks through the frame. Her shelf. She places the package down and walks through the frame. Her shoes. She daintily takes off her shoes and places them amongst the others. Her clothes. Her feet. Her clothes fall as she undresses. Her bathroom. She walks in and goes to the sink. She’s dressed in pajamas. The pictures on the walls of the bathroom. The products she uses. Her pills. Her face. She brings a makeup removing cloth up to it and rubs her face clean. The trashbin. The used cloth is tossed in. She gets a wig cap from her storage. She gets the package from the shelf. She sits on the bed. She removes her headphones. Silence. She forces her hair into the wig cap. She opens the package and removes the wig. It looks like a mess. ”SONG” plays. She puts it on and looks us in the eye, as if the audience were a mirror. She adjusts it. It still looks like a mess. She gets frustrated and gets up out of frame. A door handle. Her manicured hand reaches in, turns it, opens the door, and walks through it and out of frame. Stairs. She climbs them. Another bedroom door. Her manicured hand reaches in and knocks. Title screen: “Yes?” The Queen. She mouths, “Can you tell me if this wig looks okay on me?” Title screen. The door. Title screen: “Come in.” The door. It opens. The Queen walks in. The roommate. They mouth, “Bitch you look like a hot ass mess. Throw that shit out.” Title screen. The roommate. They mouth, “And stop ordering from those scammy websites. You never know what you’ll end up with.” Title screen. The Queen. She mouths, “Don’t tell me where to spend my money, hoe.” Title Screen. The Queen. She mouths, “Now, off to bed with you!” Title screen. The roommate. They mouth, “I’m going to finish my movie.” Title screen. The queen. She mouths, “And don’t talk back!” Title screen. The queen. She turns and leaves, wig on head. Title screen: “Hmph.” Stairs. She climbs down them and through the frame. The Queen in the bathroom. She looks at the audience as though it were a mirror. She tries to adjust it and make it work but it still looks awful. She gets frustrated and gives up. She tears the wig off her head leaving her with only a wig cap. The trashbin. The wig is tossed in. Silence. Title screen: “Cheap piece of shit.” A bed. The Queen lays down, now wearing a bonnet. Her hands clap twice. The lights turn off. She sleeps. Pan all the way to the trashbin. The wig. It moves. “SONG” resumes with intensity. The bathroom door. It creaks open. The wig crawls through it. The Queen’s bedroom. The wig crawls through it. The Queen’s bed. The wig crawls into it and onto the Queen’s body. The Queen’s face. The wig crawls and wraps itself around the Queen’s face. The Queen from a different angle, full body. She jerks awake. Title screen “AHHHH!!!” Her shelf. She struggles by it. Her shoes. She struggles by them. Her purses. She struggles by them. Title screen: “HELP!!!” HELP ME!!!” The roommate sound asleep. Title screen: “Cawwww shooooo. Cawww shooooo.” The Queen’s head wrapped with the wig. She claws at it, trying to release its grip but it won’t budge. Her drawer. Her manicured hands hastily open it and grab a pair of scissors. The scissors in her hand. The floor. Hair falls to the floor. Then the wig falls to the floor. The corner. The Queen cowers in it. She mouths, “Please! Stop! I’ll do anything!” Title screen. The wig. Title screen: “Anything?” The Queen. She mouths, “Within reason.” Title screen. The wig. Title screen: “Know any Mariah?” The Queen. She mouths sarcastically, “Do I know any Mariah Carey? Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back?” Title screen. Blackout.) 

Announcer: Ladies and faggots! Please welcome to the stage Mrs. Kristie Kream! 

(The Queen in closeup spotlight, She is wearing the wig. It looks awful but she looks great. She strikes a dramatic pose and waits for the music to begin. “Lead the Way” by Mariah Carey plays. She lipsynchs through the song, not missing a single note. This is filmed from several angles but all with great stillness. The queen spotlit from above. Her arms are stretched out to her sides. Title screen: “The Wig”. “The Devil Inside” by Sara Landy plays. Hard cut to the roommate sleeping silently. Title screen: “*Rustle rustle*”. The roommate. They stir but don’t wake up. Title screen: “*Rustle rustle* The roommate. They wake up and look around for a long while. Their room in stillness. The wig is quickly tossed in accompanied with “The Devil Inside” by Sara Landry at 0:39. Blackout. End.)