———–<.thom.>———–
The Great Works Project
a puppet play in multiple parts
Season 01, Episode 02
By Thomas Typewriter
(C) 2019
———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN TO BLACK

Across a dark field the following text scrolls up: 01-02. It scrolls up from the center of the bottom of the frame, ascending vertically until finally exiting the center of the top of the frame.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN

POV OF AN OUTER ONE SITTING ON A CARPET SQUARE IN THE UNROOM LOOKING AROUND.

The unroom sits in darkness. Distance and scale is unsure. Spindly lamps off to each side fade on, slowly bringing details of the room to light. A large wooden disk sits in the center of the room with rows of grey carpet squares surrounding it. The disk stands shrouded in darkness, just outside the illumination of the spindly lamps. A CLICK sounds followed by TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING.

THE CAMERA TURNS BACK UP TO LOOK AT THE LARGE WOODEN DISK.

Unseen lamps over the wooden disk turn on illuminating the TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE (see note 1). Bearing a basic old time typewriter form, it is taller than wider, the keys forming the base, the cylinder forming the top, and in between is the stage area. Covering the stage area are a set of red stage curtains. The sound of KEYS TYPING stops.

THE CAMERA PANS IN TOWARDS THE MID-STAGE CURTAINS.

MID-STAGE – CURTAINS CLOSED

The curtains part and the stage lights click on with THE SOUND OF A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING revealing…

MID-STAGE : THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S STUDIO

A writing desk sits center stage, with an old fashioned mechanical typewriter and a ream of paper on top. On the stage-left side sits a wastebasket. On the stage-right side sits a lamp. In the background, on the stage-right side, sits a short bookcase topped by various house plants.

As we join the scene, THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at his desk typing on the typewriter. He loads a new page and types until he has filled the page. He removes the page and reviews it. His face scrunches up as if tasting something rank and sour. He tosses the page into the wastebasket at the side of his desk.

Thomas loads a new page and starts to type. When he reaches the end of the page he removes it from the typewriter. Reviewing it, he finds it no good and throws it away.

Thomas again loads a new page and starts to type. He reaches the end of the page and examines it. Finding this page also dissatisfying, he throws it away.

Thomas releases a MOAN and lets his head fall onto the typewriter. He hits his head against the typewriter multiple times.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Well…..that was stupid.”

Dizzily, he reaches for a new sheet of paper and awkwardly loads a it into the typewriter. He starts to type again.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS UPWARD, OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, UP ALONG THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, FINALLY STOPPING WHEN FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

An approaching CAR ENGINE can be heard off-stage. Y-MOUSE, in his Y-Mobile, drives on-stage from stage-right and drives across the stage, in front of the closed curtains. As it reaches the stage-left side, part of the side panel opens like a garage door. The little car drives in. The panel closes.

From offstage we hear the sound of a CAR ENGINE TURNING OFF, a TRUNK OPENS AND CLOSES, followed by FOOTSTEPS ON STAIRS. KEYS JANGLE and a DOOR UNLOCKS. More FOOTSTEPS followed by BAGS BEING SET DOWN, then FOOTSTEPS ON MORE STAIRS.
The NARRATOR’S PANEL opens and Y-MOUSE appears.

Y-MOUSE
“Sorry about that. I had to get some groceries and was running late. You can only imagine what traffic was like.”

He leans into the microphone.

Y-MOUSE
“Testing. Testing. Testing.”

At this point one of the HELPING HANDS(see note 2) pops up, wearing headphones, and gives a thumbs up.

Y-MOUSE
“Okay, We’re good. I’m going to start.”

The Helping Hand exits out of sight. Y-Mouse puts on his glasses and pulls out a script.

Y-MOUSE
“And today had started with so much possibility and excitement Biff thought to himself as he looked at the rain and gloom outside his window. He had promised his pet rock best friend Rockey today would be a special day. A day of adventure. A day of mischief. A day of irony. A grand day. Now what, he complained to his parents. They paused, a pause filled with sympathetic smiles and unstated love, before answering. Well, they said, why don’t you go up to your room and use that powerful imagination of yours. Come up with something ironic, something mischievous, something adventurous, something grand. So Biff and Rockey did just that.”

Y-Mouse turns and exits through the Narrator’s Door. It closes behind him. The High-stage curtains part and the stage lights turn on, to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING UP, revealing…

HIGH-STAGE – BIFF’S BEDROOM

Biff’s Bedroom is a modest sized room. A bed sits center stage flanked by a nightstand on one side and a dresser on the other. A window, with window seat sits off to the stage-left side. A door to the room sits stage-right. A round window is in the wall over Biff’s bed.
BIFF, a rabbit boy, and ROCKEY, his pet rock, are sitting on the floor in front of the bed, surrounded by scattered drawings, as the curtains open. Each drawing is of a different character Biff and Rockey pretend to be when playing. Rain dances across the window behind them, finding its own joy.

BIFF
“Who should we pretend to be today? (Holding up the drawing of each character as he names them) Gentleman Bareknuckles and the Lamplighter Shepherd?”

ROCKEY
“Nope.”

BIFF
“Happy Hardware and the Rocket Crash Car?”

ROCKEY
“Too dangerous.”

BIFF
“Steam Punk and the Rockers?”

ROCKEY
“Too loud.”

BIFF
“Carl the Cave Bunny and the Dino-Store.”

ROCKEY
“Ugh.”

BIFF
“Mind Games and Headcheese.”

ROCKEY
“Definitely not.”

Biff pauses, searching for the perfect choice. He slowly scans the remaining pictures. Finally he picks a picture, holding it up to Rockey.

BIFF
“The Inner-Space Man and the Space Egg?”

ROCKEY
“Perfect”

Biff stands, clutching the picture to his chest. Rockey hops next to him. They both look upwards.

BIFF
“Where Biff and Rockey would spend the afternoon being bored and bottled up…”

The stage lights dim except for a spotlight on Biff and Rockey. The WARDROBE OF A THOUSAND AND ONE COSTUMES then lowers from the ceiling. It covers the duo. Lights flash inside the wardrobe while THUNDER ECHOES. Smoke drifts from the cracks. The light and thunder then stop. The wardrobe lifts back up into the ceiling, revealing Biff dressed as the INNER-SPACE MAN and Rockey replaced with the SPACE EGG.

INNER-SPACE MAN
“…the Inner-Space Man and Space Egg will explore and marvel at all the universe has to offer.”

The Space Egg opens its hatch to allow the Inner-Space Man to climb aboard. He tries to jump in but he can’t. His life support backpack keeps catching on the lid. He tries and tries, but keeps coming up short. Finally, the Space Egg retracts its legs to lean down. The Inner-Space Man is able to leap in this time but ends up falling in head first. His feet dangle in the air as the lid closes. The Space Egg lights up. It’s lights grow brighter, the HUM OF ITS ENGINES becoming audible as it starts to hover then fly off-stage.
Once the Space Egg has left the stage the stage lights turn off to the sound of A COMPUTER SHUTTING DOWN. The curtains close.

TRANSITION HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE.

THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD FROM THE HIGH-STAGE TO THE CLOUD OF CURTAINS, AND DOWN MORE STILL. IT FINALLY STOPS ONCE REACHING AND FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE – THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S STUDIO

Back in Thomas Typewriter’s Studio, we find Thomas Typewriter passed out on the floor. He must have hit his head harder than he realized. A Helping Hand comes up and pokes Thomas. Thomas does not stir. The Helping Hand tries again. Thomas still does not stir. The Helping Hand “looks around” then waves to someone off screen. The Space Egg flies in from above-stage and hovers over Thomas. The hatch cracks open and a piece of paper containing one of the drawings Biff held up earlier slips out. It floats down to land on Thomas’ chest. The hatch closes and the Space Egg flies off stage. The Helping Hand waves goodbye before retreating out of sight.

The stage lights turn off to the sound of a LIGHT SWITCH BEING FLIPPED and then the curtains close.

FADE OUT

NOTES
1 The Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage has a specific internal construction so when I use the terms Low-Stage, Mid-stage, High-stage, Back-Stage, Narrator’s Door and Cloud of Curtains I am referring to specific areas on the Typewriter Abstract. It may look like a single puppet stage made in the shape of a typewriter, but it is actually a venue of multiple stages. The basic idea is that a puppeteer could move his or her self within the stage use these other stages to signify other places or even other storylines. In the base, hidden by the keyboard is the LOW-STAGE. It is paneled in wood stained deep red, with dark curtains and candle light style stage lighting, giving the feeling of being underground or in a volcano. Above that, the area behind the main curtain, is the MID-STAGE. It is done in a more natural wood tone style. Mid-stage is the main or default stage. Behind the Mid-stage sets hangs the CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. It is the backdrop of the main stage area. It is a curtain with abstracted cloud shapes in shades of blue working from very dark along the bottom to very light at the top. Any sets or decorations used on Mid-stage will be in front of the Curtain of Clouds. If the Curtain of Clouds were to part like a stage curtain, the area behind would be the BACK-STAGE. It is is an empty space, usually dark and devoid. At the top of the Curtain of Clouds is the High-Stage. Its front is flush with the curtain with decorative panels on each side. The stage-left side panel of the High-Stage can open, or move aside. This is the Narrator’s Door. When the Narrator’s Door opens a microphone emerges.
2 The Helping Hands are like if the puppeteers break the fourth wall and put their hands up into the stage area, visible to the audience and the other puppets.