Michael Kemmerling

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

A once-powerful, but now ailing movie director nears the end of his life. As he awaits death, he slips into a "dream" and is shown three "snippets" of the movie of his son's life. At first suspicious, then curious, and ultimately captivated, he watches his son's growth from mid-teens to mid-thirties as the son pursues his life-long love, Isabelle. The two constants through these snippets are his pursuit of Isabelle and the imagined voice of his father, telling him that he is worthless and unwanted. It is not until the story reaches its conclusion, that the old man discovers the surprising truth about his son and himself.

16 year old Bret lives with his indifferent father and a stepmother who abhors him. After yet another fight he leaves home. He meets two guys and a girl who are drifting around. He feels attracted to Roxanne and they decide to continue together to LA. Unfortunately Roxanne gets busted by the police, so Bret is on his own again. In LA he meets some nice guys who offer him lodging. However they are involved with (male) prostitution...

Can Los Angeles of the 30’s be effectively placed alongside modern 21st century Los Angeles? As a true experiment, Awake and Sing mixes periods and genres taking pleasure not in easy solutions, but in the search for a form or way of telling that has to be tried out, discovered.