The Great Works Project: Season Three, Episode Four script by Thomas Typewriter

scripts, The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 03, Episode 04

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2020

===========<:type:>============

FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “03-04”. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN IN THE UNDECORATED SPACE

The unroom, and by extension the screen, sits dark. A soft light turns on in the unroom Not.Seven. A few of the details regarding the unroom become visible: the wooden disc in the center of the room, the rows of grey carpet arranged around the disc, and the thin spindly lamps at the end of the carpet rows.

THE CAMERA IS CURRENTLY AT THE POV OF AN OUTER ONE SITTING ON A CARPET SQUARE LOOKING AT THE WOODEN DISC.

THE CAMERA LOOKS DOWN.

A hand comes into view. It is the hand of THE OUTER ONE. This will be same hand that suffered a papercut from the scriptbook in a previous episode. The ends of the fingers are not fully there anymore. Bits of flesh are missing, replaced by glowing text and numbers. The whole hand glitches. The Outer One rotates their hand examining the changes. The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING drifts in from off-frame.

THE CAMERA LOOKS UP.

The wooden disc sits empty and dim. Unseen lamps over the disc flip on. The TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE suddenly appears in the light.

TRANSITION FROM THE UNROOM TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

PAN IN FROM THE OUTER ONE’S POV TOWARDS THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

TRANSITION FROM THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE TO THE MID-STAGE

CONTINUE TO PAN IN ON THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE, SPECIFICALLY THE MID-STAGE AREA. THE CAMERA WILL CONTINUE TO ZERO IN ON THE MID-STAGE UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The curtains of Mid-stage part. As they open, the Mid-stage’s stage-lights turn on with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: EXT. OPERAHOUSE FRONT PORCH, DAYTIME

A wooden front porch runs along the width of the stage. A front door sits to the stage-right side. A canoe sits in the rafters of the porch near the stage-left side. Various planters, all empty, sit on the rails. An outdoor thermometer can be seen next to the door. It reads 31 degrees Fahrenheit.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER kneels on one knee in front of OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE. They are near the door. He holds up a small jewelry box.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Are you proposing to me?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yes, and before you answer let me say that your prospects with me don’t look good. Every studio has turned down my scripts, I really have no other job skills, and I will soon be completely broke. I strongly suspect something is broken inside me, something that you or me lack the skills to fix. I am at an utter loss.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Really. That’s your sales pitch. Marry me, my life is horrible. Am I the lifesaver for the drowning man in this scenario.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Among other things.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“And you thought I’d fall for that.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I really didn’t think that far. I just sat in my apartment after the studios dropped my script options and was thinking about what I had lost, and I was more scared that the most interesting, intelligent, thoughtful, sexy person would, could, be out of my life. (pauses) I love you, I need you, please marry me.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(leans over and kisses him on the top of his head) “Of course, I’ll marry you, you weirdo.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“AWESOME!”

He puts away the jewelry box, stands, then embraces Ophidia. She breaks away to ask a question.

OPHIDIA OPERHOUSE
“Let me see the ring?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“What ring?”

OPHIDIA OPERHOUSE
“The engagement ring. The one in that box?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I don’t have a ring. The jewlery box was for dramatic effect.”

OPHIDIA OPERHOUSE
“Will there be a ring in the future.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Maybe. Probably.”

They kiss.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA TRANSITIONS FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE. IT PANS UPWARD PAST THE TOP OF THE SETS OF MID-STAGE, ALONG THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS THAT LINES THE BACK OF THE STAGE, UP TO THE HIGH-STAGE. THE CAMERA ENDS ITS PAN FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The Narrator’s Door opens. Out walks Y-MOUSE, ice pack held to head with one hand, glass of water in the other. He puts down the glass and ice pack. Searching his pockets he finds a packet of medicine. He tears it open and pours the contents into the glass.

CUT TO EXTREME CLOSE SHOT OF THE GLASS Y-MOUSE BROUGHT OUT.

Two effervescing tablets fall in. The tablets bubble as they slowly sink to the bottom.

CUT BACK

Y-Mouse picks up the glass, giving it a swirl before drinking it. He then reaches for the ice bag, lifting it to his head. He takes a sip. The bubbles tickle his nose and he grimaces. He turns to the camera as if to say something, pauses, then changes his mind. Turning, Y-Mouse exits through the narrator’s door. It closes. The High-Stage curtains part. The High-stage lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER TURNING ON revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. ROOM 302 ON THE MEDICALSHIP THE FLUTE, DAYTIME

A stark room of space-age plastic accented by baroque woodwork. Three Medi-pods are distributed evenly across the room. Two smooth metallic doors sit between the pods. One door is the entrance door to room 302, the other is the door for the bathroom. A large curving window sits to stage-left running up and out of sight. Outside the window, a starscape tumbles by. On the other side of the room, stage-right, stands a vid-screen wall. PANACIA THERAPUETAE enters the room, Medical Maestro device tucked under her arm. She walks over to the furthest Medi-pod, removes the Medical Maestro’s stylus and presses it against the Medi-pod.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Maestro, status update please.”

The Medical Maestro’s display lights up.

CUT TO CS OF MEDICAL MAESTRO SCREEN

The top left corner of the display contains three lines of text.

PATIENT: Cedar Cornelius Waxwings
ADMITTED: 1 day ago
CONDITION: Stable

The rest of the display contains a thick line outline of Cedar. The left side of his face and chest blink bright red representing his injured areas. His left arm blinks a dark red.

CUT BACK

Panacia walks over to the next Medi-pod. She touches the stylus to its side.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Maestro, status update please.”

The Medical Maestro’s display lights up.

CUT TO CS OF MEDICAL MAESTRO SCREEN

The top left corner of the display contains three lines of text.

PATIENT: CARRO SHIP-TELLIGENCE BRAINBOX
ADMITTED: 1 day ago
CONDITION: Stable

The rest of the display contains a thick line outline of Carro’s rectangular brainbox. Circles of bright red blink across the outline

CUT BACK

Panacia walks over to the last Medi-pod. She touches the stylus to its side.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Maestro, status update please.”

The Medical Maestro’s display lights up.

CUT TO CS OF MEDICAL MAESTRO SCREEN

The top left corner of the display contains three lines of text.

PATIENT: Lucido Cinnabar Obsidian
ADMITTED: 1 day ago
CONDITION: Stable

The rest of the display contains a thick line outline of Lucido. His legs blink dark red.

CUT BACK

A panel on the wall starts to blink while Panacia reads the last status report on the Medical Maestro. A soft BEEP BEEP can be heard. She looks up and notices the blinking panel. Panacia walks over to the blinking panel. She touches it with the stylus from her Medical Maestro. The other end of the Medical Maestro she places against her head, much like a phone.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Maestro, answer call please. Hello. Oh hi Dad. Yeah they’re stable. Their injuries were pretty critical but the Medi-pods will be able to handle most of it. It will just take awhile. Sure. Sure. Okay. We’ll need to set up appointments with Iasa soon. Maybe in one week, but could be three or four.”

In the entry door we see ELDER GRIM walking past. He is wheeling an old man, MINTHRIL MUSTACHE, in a wheelchair. Panacia notices them

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
“Bubblegum! Those lollypopping kids of death are here. Dad, I’ve got to go.”

She puts the Medical Maestro in her pocket and chases out the door.

PANACIA THERAPUETAE
(off-camera) “Hey leave him along. Get! Get out of here!”

A few moments pass and then we see Panacia wheeling Minthril Mustache back down the hallway.
The 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 HIGH-STAGE TO THE CLOUD OF CURTAINS BELOW. IT CONTINUES FOLLOWING THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS DOWN TO THE TOP OF THE MID-STAGE SETS. GLIDING OVER THE TOPS FO THE SETS IT FINALLY SETTLES PROPERLY WHEN FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE’S BEDROOM

The view is of an overhead shot on Ophidia’s bed. Her two nightstands can be seen on either side of the bed. One has a lamp and alarm clock. The other has various stuffed animals. In the bed lay OPHIDA OPERAHOUSE and THOMAS TYPEWRITER in embrace. Ophidia is sleeping peacefully. Thomas is not. He looks up at the camera and stares, unable to relax and sleep. He stares up at the camera.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “What have I done?”

Ophidia moves in her sleep rolling over and putting her arm around Thomas. He looks down at her, puts his arm over hers. The tension in his face drains away.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “Maybe the best thing possible.”

The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-stage Curtains close.

FADE OUT

“Sometimes the PAIN slips out, for BETTER AND WORSE” by Thomas Typewriter

From the Easel of Thomas Typewriter, paintings
“Sometimes the PAIN slips out, for BETTER AND WORSE” by Thomas Typewriter (watercolor, ink and gesso on stretched canvas. 20″ x 16″)

The Great Works Project: Season Three, Episode Three script

scripts, The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 03, Episode 03

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2020

===========<:type:>===========

FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “03-03”. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. THE UNROOM NOT.SEVEN

The unroom Not.Seven fades into view. A large room of an indefinable undiscernible size. A large wooden disc sits on the floor near what could be the center. Radiating out in waves from the wooden disc are rows of grey carpet squares. Spindly tall metallic lamps, with cords snaking off into the distance, stand at the ends of the rows. The lamps cast a soft light across the wooden disc and carpet squares, but not much else of the unroom. THE OUTER ONE sits on one of the carpet squares looking at a paper cut on one of their hands.

POV OF THE OUTER ONE

CUT TO CS OF THE PAPER CUT

The tip of the finger with paper cut is a translucent blue. Abstract text in a different shade of blue can be seen gliding over the changed area. A change, a glitching, appears to be spreading out from the paper cut. The Outer One stares at the paper cut for a few moments before the sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING drift in from outside their focus.

TRANSITION FROM THE UNROOM TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

THE CAMERA TILTS BACK, RETURNING THE OUTER ONE’S POV GAZE TO THE WOODEN DISC.

The wooden disc sits empty. Unseen lamps over the disc turn on and the TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE appears in the center of the wooden disc.

TRANSITION FROM THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE TO THE MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS INWARDS TOWARDS THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE’S MID-STAGE AREA. IT MOVES IN TILL THE MID-STAGE’S CURTAINS FILL THE FRAME.

The Mid-Stage curtains open. Surprisingly the stage lights are already on.

MID-STAGE: DISHEVELED AND DAMAGED

THOMAS TYPEWRITER and a HELPING HAND stand center stage, surrounded by broken sets and scattered props. Thomas is trying to sweep up the mess into a dustpan held by the Helping Hand. He turns and looks at the camera.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(sweeping the floor) “Give us a moment to tidy this up will you.”

The curtains close and the sound of the stage being CLEANED AND RESTAGED can be heard. The curtains reopen, with the stage lights off. Once the curtains have fully opened, the stage-lights turn on with THE CLICK OF A LIGHT SWITCH TURNING ON revealing…..

MID-STAGE: EXT. OPERAHOUSE’S FRONT PORCH, DAYTIME

A wooden front porch runs across the width of the stage. A storm door sits off to the stage-right. A canoe sits in the rafters of the porch near the stage-left side. Various planters, all empty, sit on the hand rails. An outdoor thermometer can be seen next to the storm door. It currently reads 36 degrees Fahrenheit. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-left. He walks along the length of the porch to the storm door. He RINGS the doorbell. No answer. He RINGS the doorbell a second time and waits. Still no response. Thomas looks around in confusion. He RINGS the doorbell a third time and waits.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS STRAIGHT UP. IT MOVES UPWARD PAST THE TOP OF THE MID-STAGE SETS REVEALING THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS BEHIND. THE CAMERA FOLLOWS THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS UP TO THE HIGH-STAGE AT THE TOP. THE CAMERA STOPS ONCE THE HIGH-STAGE IS PROPERLY FRAMED.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

The High-stage curtains part. Once fully opened, the stage lights turn on, with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON, revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. FOYER OF GRIM MANOR, DAYTIME

Welcome to the domicile of the current Grim Reaper of this reality, Grimson Grimaldi, and his family. An imposingly large front door sits in the center of the stage, flanked by cascading stained glass windows on either side. An elaborate staircase, with handrails made of various bones, runs along the stage-right side of the front door. On the stage-left side sits a large wall covered in various pictures of the Grimaldi Family. The staircase and the picture wall each have openings leading to other rooms in the house. A chandelier made of a large dinosaur skull covered in candles hangs above it all.
A silhouette of a figure can be seen through the stained-glass windows walking up to the door. The DOORBELL RINGS. A brief pause then it RINGS a second time. ELDRED GRIMALDI, eldest of Grimson’s seven sons, pokes his head out from the entryway under the stairs.

ELDRED GRIMALDI
(yelling upstairs) “Dad, Door!”

The DOORBELL RINGS again

ELDRED GRIMALDI
“Dad! Someone’s at the door!”

The DOORBELL RINGS a fourth time.

ELDRED GRIMALDI
(to self) “Just great, he’s still sleeping.” (Shouts) “Don’t anybody else bother themselves, I’ll get it.”

Eldred walks out and opens the front door. Outside he finds POSTMAN #33 FROM THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE waiting. Suppliers of the notices of who will die, the Dead Letters Office dispatches its fleet of postmen to the Grim Reapers of all the realities. Postman #33 hands him a package.

POSTMAN #33
“Thank you.”

Postman #33 turns and leaves. Eldred Grimaldi shuts the door. He opens the package and pulls out a scroll with “Updated Book of the Dead” printed on the outside. Unfurling the scroll, he takes a moment to read it.


ELDRED GRIMALDI
(to self) “Hmmm no Obsidian or Waxwings. Really thought they’d be on here after their ship blew up last season. Oh well.” (Shouts) “Anyone wanting to help collect the dead meet me out front in two minutes or else I am leaving without you.”

Eldred leaves through the front door. His silhouette can be seen through the stain-glass windows walking off stage-right.

Eldred Grimaldi’s six brothers race out from the other rooms and upstairs. EMHREN GRIMALDI, ENNER GRIMALDI, and EOVEN GRIMALDI run out from the entryway under the stairs. EPPLIS GRIMALDI, EQUES GRIMALDI, and ELDRITCH GRIMALDI emerge from the entryway by the family photos. If it helps, the birth order of the seven brothers from oldest to youngest is Eldred, Emhren, Enner, Eoven, Epplis, Eques and Eldritch. Eldred appears to be in his mid-twenties while Eldritch appears seven years old.

The silhouette of a carriage pulls up in front. The siblings run to the front door and open it. Eldred Gimaldi sits outside on THE CART OF SOULS pulled by a ghostly steer named SQUANDERED CHOICE CUTS. The brothers hop into the pile of hay in the back of the cart. Elder shakes the reins and Squandered Choice Cuts starts to walk pulling the cart off-stage. The front door swings closed with a loud SLAM.

THE GRIM REAPER GRIMSON GARIBALDI
(from off-stage, upstairs) “Boys, is there someone at the door?”

GRIMSON GARIBALDI, an unlit joint dangling from his skeletal mouth, enters at the top of the stairs. Dressed in a red bathrobe, he looks around.

THE GRIM REAPER GRIMSON GARIBALDI
“Must be hearing things.”

He walks down the stairs and over to the phone. He pulls out a coupon, uncrumples it, then dials the phone. RINGING RINGING…then CLICK as SHELDON SMALLBREADS, employee of the month at Pizza Squad take-out pizza, answers the phone.

SHELDON SMALLBREADS
(voice over)“Hello and thank you for calling Pizza Squad, the only pizza place that offers pizza as a topping choice. How can I help you today.”

THE GRIM REAPER GRIMSON GARIBALDI
“Do you honor coupons that are found under my fridge?”

SHELDON SMALLBREADS
(voice over)”What?”

THE GRIM REAPER GRIMSON GARIBALDI
“Like, I dropped a grape and it rolled under the fridge. I would of let it go, but it was the last grape and I was really into grapes that day, so I rolled the fridge out, got a broom and dustpan because it was all dust and stuff and found a coupon stuck to the floor in something sticky. Never did find that grape though. Man, I could really go for some grapes now. Anyway, I can’t read the expiration date and it is really crinkly. Like is there a maximum amount of crinkleness before it is unacceptable? Is it okay if part of it is still sticky?”

SHELDON SMALLBREADS
(voice over)”Uhhhhh…”

THE GRIM REAPER GRIMSON GARIBALDI
“And lastly does it have to be a Pizza-Pizza coupon? This one I found is for a free burger at Star Sprinkles. Burgers, Pizzas, they’re both round, so that works right?

SHELDON SMALLBREADS
(off-stage) “Uhhhhh…what.”

The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF while the High-stage curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD, TRANSITIONING FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE. IT MOVES DOWNWARD ALONG THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, OVER THE TOP OF THE MID-STAGE SETS, AND FINALLY STOPPING FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: EXT. OPERAHOUSE FRONT PORCH, DAYTIME

THOMAS TYPEWRITER stands in front of the front door waiting for someone to answer. Having already tried the doorbell three times, he knocks on the door. No answer. He knocks again. Still, no answer. He leans in attempting to peer through the window in the door, hoping to spy someone in the house, when….

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(off-stage) “Thomas is that you?”

Thomas looks around.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(off-stage) “Over here.”

Thomas turns and looks over the rail. He spots Ophidia off-stage and waves.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yeah, it’s me.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“What are you doing here?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I came here to see you. (looks around) Should I go down there or are you coming up here.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Stay there, I’ll be right up.”

Thomas waits. The front door opens and Ophidia steps out. They hug.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Sorry about that. I was downstairs animating and I couldn’t hear the doorbell. Were you waiting long.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“No, not long”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Good. So what did you want to talk about.”

Thomas kneels down onto one knee. He reaches up, taking one of Ophidia’s hands in his.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Are you about to do what I think you are?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Well, this is very stereotypical, so yes. Ophidia,…”

ZOOM IN ON THE COUPLE

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Ophidia…no one wants my scripts, I am broke, I am not getting any younger, You can definitely do better, but…”

Thomas pulls out the jewelry box.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So, what do you say?”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“I say that’s a horrible proposal.”

The stage-light turn off with the sound of a LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-stage curtains close.

FADE OUT

“What FOXES will you meet IN THE CROWDS?” by Thomas Typewriter

paintings
“What FOXES will you meet IN THE CROWDS?” by Thomas Typewriter (watercolor, ink and gesso on stretched canvas, 20″x 16″)

From the Easel of Thomas Typewriter…11-06-2020

paintings
“Look at how she DANCES IN A WORLD of roses and stains” by Thomas Typewriter (watercolor and gesso on stretched canvas, 16″ x 20″)
The SOUND, the LANDSCAPE” by Thomas Typewriter (watercolor and gesso on stretched canvas, 20″x16″)

The Great Works Project: Season 03, Episode 02 script

The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT
a puppet play in many parts
Season 03, Episode 02

By Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2020

===========<<:type:>>============

FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “03-02”. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN IN THE UNDECORATED SPACE
The unroom Not.Seven fades into view. Squares of grey hued carpet sit on the floor, arraigned in expanding rows around a central circular wooden disc. Spindly lights help illuminate the grey-hued space.

THE CAMERA IS SITUATED IN THE UNROOM AT THE POV OF THE OUTER ONE SITTING ON ONE OF THE CARPET SQUARES LOOKING AT THE WOODEN DISC IN FRONT OF HIM OR HER.

The wooden disc appears empty but then unseen lamps turn on. THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE slowly materializes in the center of the disk.


TRANSITION FROM THE UNROOM TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS IN TOWARDS THE MID-STAGE AREA OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE. THE CAMERA STOPS PANNING ONCE THE MID-STAGE IS PROPERLY FRAMED.

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED.
The pleated curtains of Mid-stage fill the picture frame. The curtains part and the stage lights turn on with the CLICK OF A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: EXT. PORCH OF THE BEIGE HOUSE, DAYTIME
The Beige House is a large block of a home in a rural setting. The back of the house runs across the stage, brown siding broken by a storm door and a simple window. The storm door opens onto a rail-less wooden deck. A clothesline hangs off the stage-right side. Various BIRDS SING AND CRICKETS CHIRP in the background. THOMAS TEENAGER bursts on stage through the storm door. Gripping his head, he walks off stage stage-right. The curtains close. It soon reopens revealing…


MID-STAGE: EXT. BACK PASTURE, DAYTIME
Tall blades of alfalfa and wildflowers spread across the stage, gently swaying in the soft breeze. The SINGING OF SONGBIRDS AND CHIRPING OF CRICKETS floats louder across the stage. THOMAS TEENAGER enters stage-left. Gripping his head, he stumbles to the center of the stage.

THOMAS TEENAGER
“No. Not now.”

…All sound fades away…

THE RIGHT SPIRITUAL, a glowing right-handed arm reaches down from the top of the stage. It grips Thomas Teenager by the back of the neck. THE LEFT SPIRITUAL, a glowing left-handed arm descends from the top of the stage. It is holding a pitcher filled with liquid light.
Thomas attempts to struggle free, but the Right Spiritual tightens its grip. The Left Spiritual sets down the pitcher of the stage. It then opens the top of Thomas Teenager’s head like a jar. Picking up the pitcher, it pours the glowing liquid into Thomas’ head.

THOMAS TEENAGER
(screams)

THE SCREEN FADES TO WHITE.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA STARTS TO PAN UPWARD, THROUGH THE WHITE. THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS EVENTUALLY EMERGES THE HIGHER THE CAMERA PANS. IT KEEPS PANNING UPWARD, MOVING ALONG THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, TILL REACHING THE HIGH-STAGE. THE CAMERA STOPS ONCE HIGH-STAGE IS PROPERLY FRAMED.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The Narrator’s Door opens and out steps Y-MOUSE. He steps forward, and wobbles. He grips the side of the Narrator’s Door to steady himself.

Y-MOUSE
“Ughh. (pauses) Did everything go too bright for you too? Feeling nauseous, Give me a moment.”

Y-Mouse leans over and takes a couple deep breaths.

Y-MOUSE
“Let’s try this again. Is a moment the movement of a clock, bits of now slipping by, or is it something more. A distance of self applied over a landscape oh no…”

Y-Mouse covers his mouth. He jerks. Y-Mouse swiftly exits via the Narrator’s Door. It closes.
The curtains part and the stage lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING UP revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. THE SPACE EGG
THE INNER-SPACE MAN sits inside the interior of the SPACE EGG. A control panel and view screen sit in front of him. The control panel has a simple LED display in the center. It bears a circle bisected horizontally by a line design motif. The view-screen bears the same design motif. Various shaped hexagonal buttons surround the LED screen on the control panel.
The Inner-Space Man, sporting a long grey beard and long grey hair, is slapping his face. His body is completely mobile, except for his head, which is frozen looking slightly downward at the control panel.

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“Come on, come on…”

He grips the sides of his head and tries to twist it free.

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“Why is my head taking longer?”

THE SPACE EGG
(sounding like a slowed down record) “Don’t know. None of this makes sense to me.” (Note that any dialogue the Space Egg speaks also scrolls as text across the LED screen in the center of the control panel.)

THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“Hang tight my ovidian ovoid friend. A little longer and I’ll finish my metamorphosis from frozen dinner to free range chicken ala king. And then it’ll be your turn.”

THE SPACE EGG
(continuing to sound like a slowed down record)”No rush. Not like I am going anywhere.”


The Inner-Space Man continues to rub his head in an effort to lodge it loose from it’s frozen state. As he continues, one of his ears twitches. The stage lights turn off to the sound of A COMPUTER TURNING OFF. The curtains close on High-stage.


TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD FROM HIGH-STAGE. IT FOLLOWS ALONG THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, WHICH SLOWLY FADES TO A SCREEN OF ALL WHITE. THIS WILL BE THE REVERSE OF THE EARLIER TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE. ONCE THE SCREEN HAS BECOME ALL WHITE.

MID-STAGE: EXT. BACK PASTURE, DAYTIME

DISSOLVE TO AN EXTREME CS OF THOMAS TEENAGER’S FACE, SPECIFICALLY HIS CLOSED EYES.

The sound of BIRDS SINGING AND CRICKETS CHIRPING slowly returns. Thomas’ eyes blink open.

CUT TO FRAMING SHOT OF MID-STAGE

THOMAS TEENAGER is lying in the middle of the stage, having fallen over into the alfalfa and wildflowers. The RIGHT SPIRITUAL and LEFT SPIRITUAL can be seen retreating from view. Thomas sits up, wiping away stray tears. He sits a moment and listens. Listens to the birds. Listens to the crickets.

THOMAS TEENAGER
(sighs)

Thomas stands. He takes a moment to steady himself and his viewpoint. He watches as BIRDS enter from stage-right and fly across the stage. They dance in the air around him. A smile slowly spreads across his face. The birds exit stage-left. Thomas Teenager follows them leaving stage-right. The stage lights turn off to the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING. The Mid-stage curtains close.

FADE OUT

From the Easel of Thomas Typewriter…

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“PROGRESS lacks SYMMETRY” by Thomas Typewriter (16″ x 20″, watercolor & gesso on stretched canvas)

This has been a much better week at the easel than the previous couple of weeks. I finally figured out how to work with the absorbency of the new canvases. It only took a dozen botched paintings.

The title for the painting comes from how in my art, and also my life, that there never feels like an even progression. Improvement comes from a thousand little tiny ticks. Maybe in the next painting I’ll figure out better ways to use red, but it may take me ten more paintings before I’ll figure out blue.