The Wolf of Los Angeles

Chapter 8: Alpine Community Theater

By the time the bus reached Park City, Hawk and Brandon had hit it off.

The two exchanged phone numbers, and Brandon invited Hawk to stay at his place.

Park City was a renowned skiing destination in the U.S. Brandon’s parents worked at a ski resort in the mountains and rarely came down during the busy tourist season.

Unable to resist Brandon’s enthusiasm, Hawk agreed.

The main reason was that he didn’t want to stay in a $50-per-night hostel crammed with six people.

Forget about star-rated hotels—Hawk had called around while in Salt Lake City. The cheapest single room at a hotel was $455 per night, and even budget motels charged $285 per night.

Even at those rates, rooms were scarce.

Park City had only one main street, with buildings scattered along the slopes in an orderly yet uneven fashion.

This part of the community had visibly older houses. Though the town was small, there were still class distinctions.

After the bus departed, Hawk glanced across Main Street. There, a large theater named the Big Salt Lake Cinema displayed numerous movie posters at its entrance.

Brandon, slinging his laptop bag over his shoulder, looked in that direction and said, “The Sundance Film Festival is essentially an independent film marketplace. During this time of year, every theater in Park City runs screenings for over sixteen hours a day.”

Hawk withdrew his gaze. “Every independent filmmaker hopes to create a miracle.”

“This way.” Brandon led the way into the roadside Alpine Community while introducing it as they walked. “Park City doesn’t have a big population, and this is one of the largest neighborhoods. The conditions might not look great, and folks here aren’t wealthy, but the sense of community is really strong.”

Hawk observed as they walked. The community was built along a gentle slope, with small, standalone wooden houses for each family. There were almost no ethnic minorities in sight.

Two young men approached them, greeting Brandon from a distance. “Hey, you snuck back again for the festival?”

Brandon replied, “The theater group’s annual festival meetup—I can’t miss it.”

One of the men, dressed in a down jacket, said, “Our group has never produced a star. Every meetup is split the AA way, and since people don’t have much money, there’s been a lot of grumbling.”

“That’s because no one’s willing to sponsor it.” Brandon shrugged. “Without support from someone influential, if the meetups stop, the group will completely fall apart.”

“The leader, Larson, hasn’t organized anything in over six months.” The one in the knit cap glanced at Hawk and asked, “Your friend?”

Brandon quickly introduced them. “This is Hawk Osmond, a media professional in the entertainment industry and a friend I met in Salt Lake City.” He then introduced the other two. “This is Damian, and this is Lewis.”

Damian bumped fists with Hawk. “We’re unemployed drifters.”

Hawk replied seriously, “I was, too, not long ago.”

Damian and Lewis burst out laughing.

Brandon pointed up the slope. “Let me get Hawk settled in first. Catch up later.”

“We’ll come find you in a bit,” Lewis said.

Brandon seemed to have a great reputation in the community, with people constantly greeting him along the way.

Hawk followed him into his home, a modest standalone house with three bedrooms.

Since it had been unoccupied for a long time, all the furniture and beds were covered with dust sheets.

Hawk helped Brandon tidy up and took the opportunity to ask, “Does your community theater group host regular meetups?”

“The biggest one is during the film festival every year,” Brandon said, scratching his head. “Didn’t I mention it on the way? Sorry, I must’ve forgotten.”

He gave a rough explanation. “During the festival, we watch one or two movies together, then have a potluck party where we discuss the group’s plans for the next year. It’s AA-funded. In the early years, everyone was really enthusiastic, hoping the group would produce a star. But after all this time, not even a single professional actor has come out of it—it’s been a huge letdown.”

Hawk found the concept of an American community theater group fascinating and asked, “How many people are in the group?”

Brandon replied, “The group was founded during the 7th Sundance Film Festival. This year is the 18th, so it’s been over ten years. In total, more than 200 people have joined at one point or another. But participation in the meetups has dwindled. Last year, fewer than fifty people showed up, and no one wants to foot the bill.”

Hawk understood the mindset of pooling money and joked, “What if someone covers the cost?”

Brandon laughed heartily, playing along with the joke. “Big-time blogger, are you offering? I guarantee if you do, 100-plus people, families and all, will show up.”

Hawk replied honestly, “I can’t afford that.”

It was nearing noon when Brandon took out his phone. “I’ll order some food.”

Hawk stopped him. “I’ll go buy it.” He wasn’t about to let Brandon provide both lodging and food. “I noticed an Alpine Pizza place nearby. How’s the food there?”

“It’s pretty good,” Brandon said.

Hawk grabbed his wallet and phone and opened the door, only to find Damian and Lewis standing outside.

“Hey, man, just got here and already heading out? Did Brandon suddenly change teams and harass you?” Lewis joked.

Hawk spread his hands. “I’m going to grab lunch.”

Lewis bumped fists with Damian. “Fantastic, we’re crashing the meal!”

Brandon, coming over from the living room, flipped Lewis off. “Don’t ruin my reputation. There’s a girl I like at State, and I even invited her to the film festival.”

Damian snorted. “You said that last time you were here. Your goddess, right? You chased her like a horny mutt, but she wasn’t interested and turned you down repeatedly.”

Brandon, usually full of words, fell silent.

Hawk thought of the pretty girl at the bus stop but didn’t comment, heading out to buy pizza instead.

Damian and Lewis walked inside and asked Brandon, “Is Hawk really in entertainment media?”

“Of course! He’s an incredible entertainment blogger!” Brandon’s energy returned, and his words raced ahead of his thoughts. “He knows a ton of Hollywood secrets.”

Sensing gossip, Lewis pressed on. “What kind of secrets?”

Brandon quickly covered his mouth but couldn’t keep the words bottled up. Finally, he blurted, “Okay, but this is top-secret. Don’t tell anyone! Winona Ryder—you know, the lead actress from Edward Scissorhands—she’s a kleptomaniac. She steals stuff all the time.”

Damian and Lewis gaped in shock and started bombarding him with questions.

Not long after, Hawk returned with two large pizza boxes and a 12-pack of canned beer. He opened the box, handed each person a can, and raised his own. “To new friendships—cheers!”

“Cheers!”

After finishing his beer, Lewis asked Hawk, “Did Winona Ryder ever steal a male celebrity’s underwear?”

Hawk didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to Brandon with a look of mock heartbreak. “This was supposed to be confidential!”

“I’m sorry,” Brandon apologized quickly. “I couldn’t hold it in.”

He looked genuinely guilty. “That was wrong of me. Hawk, if you run into any trouble in Park City, just let me know.”

Damian chimed in. “You shared such jaw-dropping gossip with us and even treated us to drinks. If you need anything in Park City, just say the word.”

Lewis added, “If we can’t handle it, we’ll find a whole crew of people who can help.”

Hawk didn’t hold it against them and instead changed the subject. “On the bus ride here, I noticed screenings had already started in some places. How about we check them out this afternoon?”

Opportunities wouldn’t come knocking on their own—he needed to actively seek them out. The money-making plans he had in mind required the right film crews to implement.

Brandon immediately agreed. “I’ll take you. No problem. I’ve got connections with the organizing committee.”

As a local, Brandon had a wide-reaching network in town.

The four of them ate pizza and drank beer, chatting in a lively and relaxed atmosphere.

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