Milton DeMedici, NFT

ACT I: Milton Schwartz fantasizes that his molar paintings and the art from his bicuspid period are simply transcendental. His wife, Joyce, however, wants him to stick to dentistry and give up his hobby in order to save money. He reluctantly agrees, until he meets Jean Bennett, an opinion columnist specializing in trends. Unbeknownst to Milton, Jean believes NFT's are like the Emperor's New Clothes, there's nothing there; certainly nothing to justify the prices. She bets a curator friend that she can find an unknown and make his art so desirable that the friend will insist on exhibiting his art.

Jean goes searching for her target, just as Milton's wife forces him to unload his oeuvre in a garage sale. Jean arrives in the nick of time to save one of his pieces and convinces Milton that with her help he can become a great conceptual artist. But only under the artistic name, Milton DeMedici.

Jean, in disguise, begins to haunt art dealerships throughout the city, informing them she is shocked to hear they are not familiar with the works of Milton DeMedici. His reputation and demand for his work blossom out of nothing. After gleefully informing Milt she sold his first piece and an NFT based on that piece for $50,000, he has to scramble to rescue it from the dump where his wife, a Philistine at heart, already consigned it. What's next? Tell the family? No, not yet. We need a big bang. The larger the work, the more important, and the more the artist can charge.

Without informing his wife, Milton hides his art supplies in the the room of his dental hygienist's blind son Jacob. Although he doesn't really understand the world of NFT's, Milton begins to appreciate other ways to express art, including digital works and art that caters to blind patrons.

ACT II: The event! "We interrupt our program with breaking news from New York. Bright, circular objects are rising up over the East River." And, as some panic, more watch a mysterious figure, to the tune of "Also Sprach Zarathustra," appear under a neon sign: "Presented by MILTON DeMEDICI." The tabloids react accordingly: "Art is Back"; "Who is Milton DeMedici?"

Milton, pleased beyond belief, still won't tell his family. After all, all the money he's made so far went into staging the event. The next step? An auction of new pieces generated by the event, and their NFT's. Everyone who is anyone of course is there, including Dmitri, the shady Russian art dealer who sold Milton's first piece. Jean, still in disguise, announces the millions raised by the auction of two pieces and their NFT's will be donated to charity. DeMedici's reputation swells. The other piece and it's NFT will be sold in DmitriI's gallery. A huge payday awaits Milton.

ACT III: But wait. That much money and the involvement of Dmitri has attracted the attention of the FBI. They already know Dmitri launders Russian money through his art sales. This guy DeMedici has got to be in on it.

Everything begins to fall apart. Milton's dental practice deteriorates just as he accepts art as his new calling. Dmitri arranges with two Russian thugs to pressure Milton to get out of the picture and let them pawn off art and NFT's made by them as original Milt creations. The FBI discovers his identify and plays a surprise visit to his home. After revealing all the money he made from his first sale, she tosses him out of the house. Then the Russians "ruin" Milton's latest masterpiece: a huge canvas of celebrities' toothy smiles.

Jean, Jacob, and Joyce to the rescue. Joyce reconciles and works to rebuild Milton's dental practice. Jacob, a law student, runs circles around the FBI during Milton's interview. And Jean works her magic in two ways: she hires some assistants to "prep" the last work Milton has at DmitriI's gallery, ruining it. And she allows her lawyer to eviscerate what's left of the FBI investigation of Milton, handing them the Russians instead.

But what about the bet? Thinking she's lost, Jean visits the gallery, only to see not only Milton DeMedici's "ruined" celebrity smile canvas, but a nice little work purchased off E-bay: "Extraction" by Milton Schwartz.