SYNOPSIS:

ACT 1 Barrett, a rockstar, chases down an ex-bandmate to convince him to void his claim on some music set to launch a huge ad campaign, creating an unexpected windfall. The bassist signs begrudgingly, having fallen on hard times. Vicki, pushes and pulls her rock group, Orphan Martians, not only through her drumming, but her managing, booking, and web design. She anxiously awaits the results of a drumming competition she entered. The contest is being conducted by Lila Louds, one of the top rock music podcasters. Omar, a guitarist in Vicki’s band, feels betrayed by Vicki for entering the competition. As Vicki drums with one hand, the other refreshing the computer screen with the contest info, he tells her, “One hand in is the same as both hands out.” He wants her to commit to the band fully or get replaced. Their argument leaves Vicki with broken headphones and no way to hear the results of the competition. She storms off to find headphones to hear if she advanced to the final round. Vicki runs into her Aunt Hannah, who implores Vicki to reconsider her plan to leave town for a music conservatory and instead they’d prefer she attends their alma mater. Vicki scoffs, racing away to hear the contest results. Vicki picks a fight with a group of kids hanging outside the record store she works at. They steal a pendant necklace her mom left for her when she died. Her boss, Saule, a curmudgeon record store owner, chases off the thugs and helps her get to work. He needs her help loading his truck for the Chicago Music Convention that weekend. Saule gives her a box of junk she has left at the store. Among the stuff, Vicki finds her mother’s discman, with a CD demo inside. She goes to her band’s practice space to grab batteries to hear the CD, but finds her band playing with another drummer behind her back. Vicki sneaks home and overhears Hannah and her wife, Preeya arguing over some music publishing she knows nothing about. They let slip that Vicki’s father is still alive and involved in music. She races to Saule’s, with a plan to uncover the identity of her father at the music convention in Chicago. Act 2 Lila takes Vicki under her wing to help identify her father. The search reconnects Lila with a grizzled roadie, RAY, ex-guitarist who hates the limelight. Ray knows Vicki’s father, all too well, but harbors hesitations in connecting the pair. He proposes that Vicki help him prevent Barrett from using his music for a massive ad campaign in exchange for her father’s name. Hannah and Preeya embark on a mission with two goals: find Vicki and prevent Barrett from stealing music from the people that wrote it. Barrett travels the country securing contracts by any means necessary, including blackmail and brute force. Though under the thumb of his boss, the rockstar plots a path to put himself in charge of it all. On the road, Vicki learns about the sacrifice and commitment needed to succeed via stories from Ray’s past and through lyrics written for her by her mother. An unexpected van breakdown forces Vicki and Ray to busk in order to fix the vehicle. Vicki takes the spotlight, singing something she penned to mourn her mother. Lila raises awareness via her podcast listeners. The detour provides another invaluable lesson for Vicki, about the willingness to trust in those around you. Act 3 Vicki confronts Barrett. He makes her an offer: stop sniffing around his publishing deal and he’ll hire her as his drummer. To get a shot at stardom, Vicki must betray her band and new friends. Vicki realizes as much as she desires to perform onstage, she actually craves a true family and friends. Hannah helps Vicki prove Barrett didn’t create the song in question. In doing so, Vicki finds out that Barrett can’t be her father. A little known factoid about Barrett’s old band, indicates Ray is actually her dad. Vicki and Ray reconnect, this time as father and daughter. Vicki returns home and commits to fight alongside her band to bring their music to the world, only now as their vocalist. With help from Ray, Lila, and unexpectedly from Barrett, Vicki’s band finds success recording a song about commitment and friendship called, “Both Hands In.”

BOTH HANDS IN