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THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 01, Episode 07

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2020

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FADE IN TO BLACK

Across a dark field the following text scrolls up: 01-07. 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

A wooden disc, surrounded by rows of grey carpet squares, sits in the center of the unroom. Spindly lamps at the ends of the carpet rows barely illuminate the wooden disc.

POV OF AN OUTER ONE SITTING ON A CARPET SQUARE LOOKING AT THE WOODEN DISK

TYPEWRITER KEYS CLACK as unseen lamps turn on bringing the TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE into view.

TRANSITION FROM THE UNROOM TO MID-STAGE

ZOOM IN TO THE MID-STAGE

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The curtains open and the stage lights turn on with the sound of a LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING revealing…

MID-STAGE: INT. THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S APARTMENT’S STUDIO, AFTERNOON

Center stage sits a writing desk flanked by a lamp on one side and a waste can on the other. On the writing desk sits a typewriter and a stack of paper. Behind the desk, and off to the side, stands an askew bookcase topped by house plants. THOMAS TYPEWRITER is sitting at the desk, swiveling in his chair. Absently-minded chewing on a pen, he is reviewing a script. Turning the words over in his mind he looks for the answer to the question of what happens next. After swiveling longer than we expected he retrieves his flip phone. A smile slides across his face as he dials.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Hi Ophidia. It’s me. Yeah. I’m good. Well, stuck again but it’ll pass. You? Good, good. Hey I was wondering, would you like to see West Side Story tonight? Awesome. The 6pm…sure that’d be perfect. I’ll take care of the tickets. Just meet me out front. (pause) Cool. See you then. Bye.”

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS UPWARD OVER THE ID-STAGE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS BEHIND THE SETS. IT CONTINUES PANNING UP TO THE HIGH-STAGE AT THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. THE CAMERA STOPS ONCE THE HIGH-STAGE FILLS THE FRAME.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The Narrator’s Door opens. Y-MOUSE walks out into view.

Y-MOUSE
“128 sparkships in the Lunar/Solar fleet, all tasked with harvesting the lost crumbs of creation. Moving forward that which doubles and doubles. Each crew dedicated in purpose. (pause) well maybe not the crew of The Carro.”

Y-Mouse exits. The Narrator’s Door closes. The curtains open and stage lights turn on to the sound of a COMPUTER BOOTING ON revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: EXT. OUTER SPACE

A model of THE CARRO flies out across a fake starscape. The model, unlike in previous episodes, is much larger. It flies across the stage and we can see into the windows. LUCIDO OBSIDIAN and CARRO are playing Triple Checkers in the Observation Lounge at the front. Meanwhile, near the rear of the ship, through a porthole, we see CEDAR WAXWINGS walking down a hallway. He is still carrying the record player from the previous episode. The Carro flies off screen stage-right. The curtains close then reopen.

HIGH-STAGE: INT. CARRO STORE ROOM 601

A giant metal skeleton of a room, Store Room 601 has stacks and stacks of amphora-crates across the back of the stage. The door stands to stage left. The doors open and Cedar enters. He carries the record player to the nearest stack of amorpha-crates and sets it down.

An amorpha-crate is the way the Lunar/Solar Fleet store supplies on the sparkships. Each on looks similar to  a crate made in the shape of a large jar with tapered sides, larger at top. On the top of the amorpha-crate is a smaller top, similar to a top lip on a vase. Wood is the prefered construction material for amorpha-crates.

Cedar turns and grabs a clipboard from the wall next to the door. Cedar brings his portable cassette player from out of his pocket, headphones from a second pocket, and a cassette tape from a third pocket.

INSERT CS OF CEDAR PUTTING THE HEADPHONES ON.

INSERT ECS OF CEDAR PUTTING IN THE CASSETTE. CHA-THON’S UNDERGROUND MIX 3 IS PRINTED ON THE SIDE OF THE CASSETTE.

INSERT ECS OF CEDAR PRESSING PLAY.

Cedar starts to bop his head as he walks around filling out the form on the clipboard. He walks from stack to stack of the amphora-crates inspecting each and taking notes on the clipboard. By the third stack he tosses the clipboard. He reaches and turns up the cassette player. CHA-THON’S UNDERGROUND MIX 3 FILLS THE AIR as we hear what Cedar hears. A thousand different drums echo through a thousand different caves. Cedar starts to dance. From one end of the room to the other he moves with joy, his movements larger and larger. Soon he moves so out of control he knocks over a stack of amorpha-crates.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Yelp.”

Looking at the fallen crates, he notices a wooden crate hidden behind them. It bears an abstract fox-like symbol on its side.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“What’s this?”

He looks at each side trying to find an inventory number, but each side is blank save for the side with the fox symbol. Cedar pulls up the lid and looks inside.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Awesome. Lucido is going to flip when he sees this.”

Cedar then gets behind the crate and pushes it off-stage through the main door. The stage lights turn off with the sound of a COMPUTER TURNING OFF and the High-stage curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD FROM THE HIGH-STAGE TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, DOWN STILL MORE TO THE SETS OF THE MID-STAGE. IT STOPS WHEN FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: EXT. THE RETRO BOX OFFICE, EVENING

A small box office sits off-center stage-left on the stage. It is slightly angled from the audience, facing more towards stage-right than stage-front. Over the top of the box office the bottom of the marque, with it’s flashing lights, can be seen. SALLY SALLY JOHNSON sits in the box office reading the Orphans of Chaos by John C. Wright. Her name tag reads Sally with a small 2 at the end. It is placed in the same way as you would write some value was squared in mathematics. THOMAS TYPEWRITER walks on stage from stage-right. He approaches the cashier.

SALLY SALLY JONES
(still reading) “Welcome to the Retro.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Are you open?”

SALLY SALLY JONES
(marks page and sets down the book) “Yeah, yes. Sorry about that, it’s a really good book. (looks at Thomas)How can I help you?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Do you still have tickets available for West Side Story?

SALLY SALLY JONES
“Yes. Not a lot but there’s still some seats available.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Do you have two?”

SALLY SALLY JONES
“Yes.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Awesome. I’ll take two.”

SALLY SALLY JONES
“No problem. That’ll be $18.50.”

Thomas pays. Sally prints the tickets. As she does, Thomas leans over and looks at the book she was reading.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Is it any good?”

SALLY SALLY JONES
“Huh?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“That book. The one you were just reading. Is it any good.”

SALLY SALLY JONES
“Oh sorry. (shifts tone) It’s amazing.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“What’s it about.”

SALLY SALLY JONES
“It’s about these British kids who discover their school is not what it seems. The author incorporates all these ancient Greek myth with modern boarding school mysteries. It is really neat how he pulls it off.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(to self) “Classics. There’s that word again. (to Sally Sally) Could you write that book’s title and author down for me. I think I’d like to check it out.”

SALLY SALLY JONES
“Sure.”

She writes the info down on the back of his ticket, then hands Thomas his tickets. From stage-left OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE enters.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Thomas!”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Ophidia!”

Thomas waves her over

SALLY SALLY JONES
“West Side Story is playing on Screen one. Hope you enjoy.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Thanks. (turns to Ophidia) I’ve got the tickets. And a book recommendation.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Cool.”

Thomas holds the door for Ophidia as they go inside. Sally Sally takes out her book and starts reading. The stage lights turn off with the sound of a LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. Sally Sally turns on a flashlight to continue reading. The Mid-stage curtains close.

FADE OUT