44 Run for your Life!

Run for your Life! is a taut and timely audio drama about anxiety, paranoia, and the breaking point of domestic life under perceived political crisis.

Meet Leonard, a middle-aged adjunct law professor, who sees his deepest fears about an unraveling democracy confirmed when a court order is defied and he starts to believe his life is in danger. His wife, Joanne, a stylish clerk at Queens Borough Hall, struggles to keep him grounded in their comfortable New York life, even as she belittles his "adjunct" status.

Leonard desperately wants them to "flee America" to any place he feels is safe—Europe or Israel—but Joanne refuses to leave their home and life. The conflict escalates when Leonard decides that if they stay, he must get a gun for protection.

When Leonard's brother-in-law, Craig, and his wife, Rhoda, visit, Leonard’s political and personal anxieties boil over in a dramatic confrontation that forces a choice between fight and flight. A routine police visit to follow up on Leonard's new handgun registration is the final catalyst, pushing Leonard to the edge.

This episode culminates in a shocking climax that shatters the Meyer's marriage and forces Leonard to run—alone—leaving everyone wondering about the true nature of his fear and their safety.

Major Themes

• Political Paranoia and Anxiety: Leonard's deep fear that a perceived government crackdown is imminent, driven by defiance of a court order on voting rights.
• The Breakdown of a Marriage: The tension between Leonard and Joanne over their response to the crisis, culminating in their separation.
• Immigration/Flight vs. Standing Ground: The conflict between Leonard's desire to "flee the country" (emigration) and Joanne's resolute choice to stay in New York.
• The Role of the Intellectual/Academic in Crisis: Leonard's feelings of being a "minor player" and the dismissal of his professional status as an "adjunct professor" feed his sense of powerlessness.
• Gun Ownership as a Response to Fear: Leonard's decision to buy a handgun despite his wife's protest, and the police follow-up on the registration.

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Run for your Life!
by
Rick Regan
April 16, 2025

INT. THE MEYER’S APARTMENT - EVENING
LEONARD Meyer is a middle-aged man, with beaten down
attitude. He is an adjunct professor at CUNY School of
Law in Queens, NY. There are chairs in the front room and
a wine rack in the corner, filled with bottles.
JOANNE, his wife, is about his same age but fairly
stylish with swept blonde hair and a trim figure. She
works as a clerk in the Queens Borough Hall, in the
division of property records.
Leonard comes into the apartment, but Joanne is not home
yet. He takes off his coat and sits in the upholstered
chair. He pulls out his phone and scrolls, reading.
LEONARD
(muttering)
Assholes...
In a moment Joanne arrives. She comes in waving breezily
at Leonard.
JOANNE
Hello, dear.
LEONARD
Did you see what they did? Did you
see?
JOANNE
See what, dear?
LEONARD
They are defying the court order
on voting rights!
JOANNE
Honey, they can’t do that. You
know...
LEONARD
(interrupting)
But they will! They will! Who
knows what the next steps will be?
Jail? Deportation? Camps?! Are we
being rounded up, to be sent to
the Camps?!
JOANNE
(comforting)
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Honey, honey,
take a breath. Put the phone down.
Look at me. It’s OK. We’re OK.
LEONARD
For now. But when do they come for
us?
JOANNE
Nobody is coming for us. Nobody is
rounding up middle-aged academics
and clerks. It’s just for show.
LEONARD
How can you say that? You know the
history. My grandparents had to
flee. And they didn’t make it.
JOANNE
Honey, it’s not the NAZIs again.
LEONARD
The government MURDERED them!
Their own government. Now, is it
our turn? Maybe not you, but me?
Huh? Is it my turn to be sent to
Guantanamo, or God knows where,
and be killed, quietly,
efficiently and out of sight?
JOANNE
They are not killing people,
Leonard. These are court cases.
You are a lawyer. You know this is
all unconstitutional. You know
that.
LEONARD
But they are already defying the
court. And there seem to be no
consequences.
JOANNE
It takes time, dear.
LEONARD
Jo, I’m scared.
JOANNE
I know, darling. But how was work
today?
LEONARD
Work? Work? Who can think of work.
The whole department is poring
over the law codes, wondering how
we organize.
JOANNE
What is the dean saying? I mean,
you’re just an adjunct. It’s not
like you are running the place.
LEONARD
“Just an adjunct”? What is that
supposed to mean? Like I am not a
real professor? I have been
teaching for more than twenty
years.
JOANNE
Of course you have. Of course. But
isn’t it the leadership’s
responsibility to...lead?
LEONARD
No, I get it? I’m just a minor
player in the game of the big
leagues. I’m “just an adjunct”. I
get it.
JOANNE
Honey, listen to me. The system is
resilient. It’s tough enough to
keep the country safe. Isn’t it?
LEONARD
I don’t know, Jo. I don’t know. I
used to think so, but now I don’t
know.
JOANNE
But what can you do about it, I
mean, we, what can we do about it?
LEONARD
We can leave.
JOANNE
Leave?
LEONARD
We might not be able to in the
future.
JOANNE
You mean leave New York?
LEONARD
I mean, leave America.
JOANNE
What? And go where?
LEONARD
I don’t know. Europe. Israel.
Anyplace.
JOANNE
Anyplace? Leonard...
LEONARD
I don’t feel safe anymore. They
are rounding up anybody that they
don’t like. And you know what? I’m
one of them. I’m one of the ones
they don’t like. When do they come
for me?
JOANNE
Leo, we can’t just pull up stakes
and run. We have our life here. I
have my job. You have your career.
Our house. Our friends.
LEONARD
We can get a new house, new
friends. Someplace where they are
not trying to kill me.
JOANNE
Nobody is trying to kill you.
LEONARD
I’m not so sure.
JOANNE
Leonard, I’m not leaving New York.
LEONARD
Come with me.
JOANNE
I’m not leaving.
LEONARD
I’m afraid, Jo.
JOANNE
I’m not leaving.
LEONARD
Then, if we stay, I’m going to get
a gun. I won’t go down without a
fight.
JOANNE
What?! A gun? Are you crazy?
You’ve never handled a gun.
LEONARD
I can learn. I’ll practice. I’ll
go to the range.
JOANNE
NO! I will not have a gun in our
house. It’s just too dangerous.
LEONARD
I don’t feel safe, Joanne.
JOANNE
Well, you won’t be any safer if
you have a gun. Absolutely not.
LEONARD
Alright, alright. No gun.
JOANNE
Fine! Now listen, let’s go down
the street and get some dinner.
Get some fresh air.
LEONARD
Sure, sure.
JOANNE
We can go to Palermo. They have
that chicken parm you like. You’ll
feel better after you eat.
LEONARD
Maybe. But...let’s go.
They both exit.
INT. THE MEYER'S APARTMENT - WEEKEND DAY
Midafternoon sun is coming through the big front windows
and Joanne has the curtains pulled back. An open window
lets in fresh air and occasional street noises.
Joanne is preparing in the kitchen. Leonard is sitting,
scrolling his phone.
LEONARD
(to the kitchen)
What time are they coming?
JOANNE
(offstage)
Any time now. They will be here
soon.
Leonard looks up and out the front window, seeing CRAIG
and RHODA waving from the sidewalk. Craig, like Joanne,
is tall, blonde and stylish. Rhoda is shorter with black
hair and severe haircut.
LEONARD
Oh! They’re here.
Leonard waves through the window and goes to the door. He
welcomes them in.
RHODA
Leonard, how are you? Good to see
you!
LEONARD
Hello, hello.
CRAIG
How’s it going, Len?
LEONARD
Ah, what can I say? The world
today, you know.
CRAIG
Right. Yeah. Say, where’s my
little sister?
Joanne comes out of the kitchen.
JOANNE
There he is! Look at you.
CRAIG
Bunny, you look great.
RHODA
As usual, I must say.
JOANNE
Oh, stop! Come on in. Can I get
you something? Coffee? Craig, a
beer?
CRAIG
I’m all coffee’d up from the ride
over, thanks. Hon, do you want
something? A glass of wine?
RHODA
Do you have wine?
LEONARD
Do we have wine? Of course! The
best. From Georgia!
Leonard goes to a wine rack in the corner and pulls out a
bottle.
RHODA
Like, Atlanta, Georgia?
LEONARD
No! The country. Oldest wine
producing region in the world.
Eight thousand years! My wine guy
turned me on to it. Craig, you
have to try it! It’s orange.
RHODA
Orange wine?
LEONARD
They age it on the skins. Very
traditional.
Leonard sets out some glasses and pours some orange wine.
They all take a glass and try it. They all settle into
the chairs.
CRAIG
That’s nice. Very fresh.
LEONARD
I hope you like it. So, Craig,
how’s things at work? Rhoda, how’s
things?
CRAIG
Oh, you know, same old, same old.
Marketing production never stops.
But it’s changing now. Everybody
wants to be online.
RHODA
You know, pop ups, influencers.
It’s a different world.
JOANNE
But you’re in the middle of it
all. That must be exciting.
RHODA
You know what they say, it’s a
good business, except for the
customers.
JOANNE
(laughs)
Well, you’re in the City at least.
RHODA
I was going to say, I always love
coming over here. Astoria is so
nice in the spring.
CRAIG
And you can’t beat the directions,
corner of 23rd and 23rd, Queens!
LEONARD
House twenty-three! It’s like a
magic number.
JOANNE
We love it here.
CRAIG
And how about you, Len? Got to be
getting busy with the spring term,
right?
Joanne looks down and away. Rhoda notices.
RHODA
What? Did something happen?
LEONARD
No, no, nothing happened.
RHODA
Did you lose your job?
LEONARD
No, I’m still on faculty.
JOANNE
Adjunct. Adjunct professor.
LEONARD
(bitterly)
Right. But what’s happening up at
Columbia. It’s getting
frightening.
CRAIG
(laughs)
What? Like they are going to round
up the academics? Come on,
Leonard.
LEONARD
They are deporting people.
Citizens! Trying to rig the
voting. Destroy democracy!
CRAIG
You don’t really believe that, do
you? I mean, I think it’s hightime that the technocrats come
down off of their high horses.
LEONARD
You really think that? I mean,
it’s not like the intellectuals
are running the world.
CRAIG
Lenny, listen to yourself. The
regular people are tired of being
told how to live their lives,
raise their kids.
LEONARD
Oh, right! I forget. You’re in
marketing. Finger on the pulse.
Well, as a professor of law, I
must say, it’s all very unConstitutional and un-American.
CRAIG
Give it a few months. All this
will blow over. And the liberals
will be shown for what they really
are, a cult of hate for the
President.
LEONARD
I can’t believe you would say
that.
(shakes his head)
See, Joanne, see? This is what we
are facing. This is why we should
go.
RHODA
Go? Go where? Not, just leave?
JOANNE
He wants to ‘flee the country’.
RHODA
It’s not as bad as all that.
Surely...
CRAIG
Look, if you don’t want to be an
American, then you should go. And
you’ll soon find out how good you
had it here! I tell you that.
LEONARD
(intense)
Tell that to my grandparents! Tell
that to all the women and children
who were gassed at the Camps! Tell
them how good they had it!
CRAIG
You’re not serious! Gas chambers?
Honestly, Lenny, get ahold of
yourself.
RHODA
Mine were there too. I know,
Leonard, I know. Only my great
aunt was able to smuggle the
children out. And be safe.
CRAIG
And you are safe here!
LEONARD
For now, but for how long? Hmm?
Guantanamo? El Salvador? Dark
sites around the world. The US has
a lot to answer for.
CRAIG
Nobody is rounding you up,
Leonard. Get over yourself.
There is a loud banging at the door.
BANG-BANG-BANG!
Through the window a police car is visible at the curb.
JOANNE
The police?
RHODA
What do they want?
LEONARD
You see? You see?!
CRAIG
Len, sit down. Let me handle this.
They both get up and head for the door.
LEONARD
(angry)
This is my house! And I am a
lawyer. You are an amateur, at
best.
Leonard opens the door, where two policemen are calmly
waiting.
POLICE-1
Good morning, sir. Sorry to bother
you.
LEONARD
Is there a problem, officer? I’m
an attorney. I know my rights.
POLICE-1
Oh, that’s good. OK.
LEONARD
Do you need to come in?
POLICE-1
Shouldn’t be necessary. Just a few
questions?
LEONARD
Are you arresting me? I haven’t
done anything wrong.
POLICE-1
Standard procedure.
Mister...Meyer, is it?
LEONARD
Yes. Leonard P. Meyer.
POLICE-1
OK. Right. So we are following up
on a handgun registration, at this
address, in your name.
LEONARD
That’s not against the law.
JOANNE
A gun?! Leonard, what’s this all
about?
RHODA
A gun?! What’s going on? What do
you need a gun for?
CRAIG
Protection. Like any good
American. Second Amendment.
JOANNE
Leonard, you promised!
LEONARD
Jo, please. Let me talk to the
men.
JOANNE
You promised! You lied.
LEONARD
Jo, please!
POLICE-1
So we’re doing a follow up,
standard procedure. Just a few
questions.
LEONARD
What kind of procedure? You
investigate everybody?
POLICE-1
Well, when we see a new handgun
registration in our precinct,
Captain likes us to follow up. Get
ahead of any drug activity,
criminal activity. That sort of
thing.
LEONARD
But I haven’t done anything wrong.
POLICE-1
OK. So just routine questions.
LEONARD
As long as they are
Constitutional, go ahead.
POLICE-1
Any children or underaged persons
in the house?
LEONARD
No, no children.
POLICE-1
Is the gun in a safe place,
locked?
LEONARD
I...I haven’t gotten a safe yet.
POLICE-1
We don’t require it, but we do
recommend it. As soon as you can,
sir.
LEONARD
I see.
POLICE-1
Anyone in the home with a history
of mental illness or needing acute
mental treatment?
LEONARD
Well, I...I take an anxiety
medicine but you mean, like,
schizophrenia?
POLICE-1
Any suicidal thoughts?
LEONARD
No, never.
POLICE-1
Any homicidal thoughts? You have
any enemies or direct threats to
your home or your person?
LEONARD
No. Nobody. Just you.
POLICE-1
Me?
LEONARD
The police.
POLICE-1
(looking at Police-2)
The police? You want to defend
yourself from the police?
The two officers laugh.
POLICE-1
Alright. Just a few more
questions. Is the gun loaded at
this moment?
LEONARD
Yes. I’ve been practicing at the
range. But not in the chamber.
POLICE-1
Can you produce the weapon? We’d
like to verify model and the
serial number.
LEONARD
(suspicious)
You’re going to take it, aren’t
you?
POLICE-1
No, we’re not going to take it.
Where did you purchase the weapon
and how much did you pay?
LEONARD
Harry’s Pawn, on 40th. I paid five
hundred dollars.
JOANNE
Five hundred dollars?!
POLICE-1
Can you show it to me, sir? Then
we’ll be done.
Leonard goes into a bedroom and comes out with his
briefcase.
JOANNE
Leonard, what are you thinking?
LEONARD
Jo, please. Let me finish up with
the officers.
Leonard pulls the gun out of the briefcase and hands it
to Police-1.
POLICE-1
(impressed)
Smith and Wesson, forty caliber.
That’s a lot of gun, sir.
LEONARD
Yes.
POLICE-1
You sure you can handle it?
LEONARD
I’ve been practicing. Managing the
recoil.
Police-1 notes the serial number.
POLICE-1
OK. Everything matches. Here you
go. Be careful with that.
(hands gun back)
Sorry to bother you. Enjoy the
rest of your day.
The two policemen turn and leave.
Leonard stares at the group.
LEONARD
You see? You see? It’s beginning.
CRAIG
It’s a standard follow-up. Makes
the neighborhood safer.
LEONARD
Once you’re on the list, they send
the men right to the door.
CRAIG
Len, those are not jackboot thugs.
Those are NYPD. Local police.
LEONARD
I’m not putting up with this
anymore! Joanne, get your things.
We’re going.
JOANNE
What? No. I’m not going anywhere.
LEONARD
You are my wife. We should go
together.
JOANNE
I am not leaving our home!
Leonard pulls out the gun and aims at Joanne.
LEONARD
I said, get your things. We’re
going. Right now!
JOANNE
No! I’m not leaving. Shoot me if
you want to but I’m not leaving
this house!
LEONARD
Now!
JOANNE
No!
Leonard points the gun down.
LEONARD
Rhoda, you see what’s happening,
don’t you? This is the beginning.
It only gets worse from here. Come
with me. We’ll go to Israel.
RHODA
No, Leonard. I’m sorry, I just
can’t leave our daughter, our
life.
LEONARD
They will come for you too.
RHODA
And if they do, I’ve done my part.
I’m no martyr, but I am not going
to run away. We’re New Yorkers.
Leonard points the gun at Craig.
LEONARD
Rhoda, come with me. Or I swear to
God, I will shoot him!
RHODA
Leonard, put the gun down! Put the
gun down!
CRAIG
You’re crazy! You’re crazy!
Leonard looks around, then slowly put the gun back in his
briefcase.
JOANNE
Leonard?
LEONARD
I’m leaving. I’ll take the train
to Montreal and figure it out from
there.
Leonard turns and goes out the door, with only his
briefcase.
RHODA
Oh, my God!
JOANNE
I don’t understand why he is so
upset. Those men were just doing
their jobs.
RHODA
(shocked)
You’re not going to go with him?
Your husband?
JOANNE
(long pause)
No. He’ll be back.
CRAIG
He won’t. He’s not coming back.
Joanne puts her head in her hands and sobs.
END