On the night of October 25th, 1929, the French writer Stendhal set about to write his classic novel Le Rouge et Le Noir, which had been inspired by the trial of a young seminarian, Antoine Berthet, who was charged with killing his mistress, a married woman from a provincial town. In Hilsman's dramatic comedy, we learn the story of the seminarian, a poor farm boy with a secret enthusiasm for Napoleon. Berthet is sent to tutor the child of a provincial mayor and, before long, begins an affair with the mayor's wife. When her husband discovers her affair, she ends their relationship and confesses her sin to the local priest. Enraged, Antoine follows her to a village church where he shoots her. She survives, but Antoine is put on trial. Frustrated by his failing literary career, Stendhal confides in his dearest friend, Mme. Jules Gaulthier, vowing to leave Paris to attend the trial of the young seminarian, she is aghast. Stendhal arrives at the prison and tries to persuade him to recant and save, but he refuses and is sent to the guillotine. Stendhal vows to tell his story, in what will become the classic novel, Le Rouge et Le Noir. Stendhal's life becomes entwined with the fate of the young seminarian. Frustrated by his failing literary career, Stendhal confides in his dearest friend, Mme. Jules Gaulthier, vowing to leave Paris to attend the trial of a young seminarian accused of shooting his married lover in a church, she is aghast. Stendhal arrives at the prison and tries to persuade him to recant and save, but he refuses and is sent to the guillotine. Stendhal vows to tell his story, in what will become the classic novel, Le Rouge et Le Noir. HOYT HILSMAN is an award-winning writer, journalist and former candidate for Congress in California. He has written screenplays for a number of studios and television networks, including Disney, Sony, New Line, Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS. His stage plays and musicals have been produced in theaters around the country and abroad, and have won numerous awards. He is the author of a series of political thrillers, including Nineteen Angels, which is currently in development as a feature film. Mr. Hilsman has been an active participant in the national political scene, as well as a candidate for Congress. He was a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention and later ran for Congress. Mr. Hilsman has written hundreds of articles and op-eds for national newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles Magazine, Variety, and The National Law Journal. He has been a regular theater and TV critic for Variety, is a recipient of the Apex Award for Excellence in Journalism and is currently a regular columnist/blogger for the Huffington Post