Golden State

On a late-night talk show in the fall of 2003 Arnold Schwarzenegger announces his candidacy for Governor of California. Two months later he wins despite having no qualifications for the job beyond playing a hero on screen.<p>With Arnold's rapid rise to power as a seductive backdrop Golden State follows adisparate quartet of characters in the capitalcity of Sacramento as they feed off this anything-goes atmosphere and undertake avariety of misbegotten schemes of their ownall in pursuit of this same kind of validationand fulfillment.<p>There is tightly wound realtor Missy Carverdetermined to find Arnold his Sacramentodream estate and secure the partnership she's sure will make her feel complete; Spencer Brine a depressed obituarist whosestar-crossed love for a local stripper provideshim the inspiration for an unlikely rise throughthe paper's ranks; widower Todd Tisdale lost in former glories who pins his hopes for saving his struggling tuxedo shop on befriending Arnold no matter what it takes;and finally Rowena Pickett a directionlesstanning salon employee who only wants tofind love-even if it's with a prison pen palshe can't touch.<p>As these characters' lives intersect oftenin unexpectedly fateful ways David Prybil'sdarkly humorous work examines both therough underbelly of dashed hopes and theenduring power of the American Dream.