puppet show

“The Great Works Project: Season Six, Episode Ten” by Thomas Typewriter

scripts, The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 6, Episode 10

by Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2025 jason arcand

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN


From the center of a blank screen scrolls upward rapidly the following text: “06-10”. It enters from the bottom of the frame and moves up, pausing in the center before continuing upward. It exits through the top of the frame.


FADE OUT
FADE IN


MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

DISSOLVE TO A PROPERLY FRAMED SHOT OF MID-STAGE OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

The curtains of the Mid-stage area of the TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE fill the screen. They are currently closed but soon they part. The stage lights turn on with the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIOS, DAYTIME
A long desk spreads across the stage. It has a monitor, keyboard, mouse and scanner on the desk. A stack of papers sits next to the scanner. Behind the long desk is a drawing table with an animator’s light-box at an angle to the desk. The long desk has a simple office chair while the drawing desk has a padded high stool. A doorway sits to the stage-left side of the desk. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the desk scanning pages. OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE sits at the desk behind him, drawing animation cells.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Ophidia?”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Yes.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Would you mind if I laid my head down a moment? I’m a little tired and my eyes are starting to hurt.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“No problem. Go ahead and rest.”

Thomas lays his head down on the desk.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM THE MID-STAGE AND PANS UPWARD. IT GLIDES OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS HANGING BEHIND. IT CONTINUES UPWARD FOLLOWING THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. AT THE TOP, THE HIGH-STAGE EMERGES. LOCK INTO PLACE PROPERLY FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-stage curtains open and the stage lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON.

HIGH-STAGE: INT. LANDING BAY 0610 OF THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, EVENING
A metallic wall runs along the back of the stage. It has two metal support beams bolted to the wall. A brown stripe runs along the wall from the center of the stage to the stage-left. The numbers “0610” are stenciled above. The stripe ends at two large elevator doors. A freestanding mirror is off to the side. On the opposite side of the stage is a large inner bay door and control panel. HYGIEIA FLAUTO stands at the controls. Dressed in a blue workers scrub, sanitary face mask, gloves, a tool bag with a wrench patch and a sanitation patch slung over one shoulder and a belt of a living bronze snake stands at a platform near the large bay doors. Meanwhile, both the elevator signal lights light up. The elevator doors open. PANACEA FLAUTO emerges. The mirror shimmers and a bright light shines out of it. IASO THERAPUTICIA steps through the mirror. The shine fades away and the mirror returns to normal.

IASO FLAUTO
“Sister.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Sister.”

HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Yes, yes, Sisters.”

A control box lowers down on a double cord, one coiled the other straight, to HYGIEIA. She grabs hold of it and presses a button causing the large bay doors to start to open. The doors slowly open with a mechanical rattle. The front portion of THE COUNT sparkship enters. Hygieia presses a second button on the control panel and the Count stops. There is a discharge of smoke and fog as the ship equalizes pressure. Panacea and Iaso walk over and stand by Hygieia.

HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Alright, the ship is docked. So what are we expecting here.”

Panacea pulls out her Med-corder and reads a file on the screen.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Dad said they were bringing in two youths, injuries unknown.”

HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Where does a sparkship find kids in space.”

IASO FLAUTO
“I don’t know but we better be on our best behavior because that ship is Musica’s boyfriend.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Musica, as in head of the Solar/Lunar fleet.”

HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“They’ve openly admitteing this? Finally time they did.”

IASO FLAUTO
(to Panacea) “Co-chair, remember she has a twin, but yes.” (to Hygieia) And no, not officially yet, but everyone knows.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Oh yeah, the bat girl.”

HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Be careful what you say, she might here you.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Wait, seriously.”

IASO FLAUTO
“She was the one who found your boyfriend with those bat ears.”

Panacea looks between the two of them. Hygieia nods yes. Iaso nods yes. Panacea starts to blush.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“He’s just a…I mean…He’s not my boyfriend. We just like hanging out together.”

Iaso and Hygieia exchange a look.

HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Guess Musica’s not the only one in denial.”

There is a BEEPING NOISE as a platform lowers from the front of The Carro.

HYGIEIA FLAUTO
“Time to shine ladies.”

The platform continues to lower. BARBARO BUFFO stands on the platform. Next to him is a rolling cart holding a burned Sat-Bot. The top portion of it’s double pyramid octahedron is open. Inside sit FINNOCCIO FORESIGHT and BALLERIA FORESIGHT. They are a pair of newborns cradled in a bed of fennel leaves. The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF. The High-stage curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA UNCOUPLES FROM THE HIGH-STAGE. A BIT OF THE NARRATOR’S STAGE ENTERS THE FRAME AS THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD. IT GLIDES ACROSS THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. DOWN AND DOWN IT PANS. THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS SLIDE INTO THE FRAME AS THE CAMERA FINISHES PANNING DOWNWARD. IT STOPS WHEN PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICK STUDIOS, DAYTIME
A long desk spreads across the stage. It has a monitor, keyboard, mouse and scanner on the desk. A stack of papers sits next to the scanner. Behind the long desk is a drawing table with an animator’s lightbox at an angle to the desk. The long desk has a simple office chair while the drawing desk has a padded high stool. A doorway sits to the stage-left side of the desk. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the desk, head resting on hands and eyes closed. OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE sits at the animation desk behind him drawing.

CUT TO CS OF THOMAS’ FACE AND HOLD THE SHOT FOR A MOMENT

FADE OUT

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO THE MANY SANDS

FADE IN

EXT. THE MANY SANDS, DAYTIME.
A fire sits in the center of the stage. Z-MOUSE and THE GHOSTLY sit around the fire conversing. Behind them sand dunes spread stage-left while grassy scrubland spreads to the stage-right. Just to the side of the fire stands a fancy stained lamp on a post made of old and worn boards. The lamp stick has a look to it denoting old and tall. As if it walked to this spot, set down roots like a tree, and branched out.

Z-MOUSE
(writing in notepad) “That is very interesting. And have travelers always reacted that way?”

THE GHOSTLY
“No. Sometimes, and mind you this is a very rare thing, they choose the other path.”

Z-MOUSE
“Do you think it is because they listen to what you have to say?”

THE GHOSTLY
“I’d like to think so, but most likely it is a mixture of dumb luck and listening. What about you? Do all your siblings listen to you.”

Z-MOUSE
“I don’t know. I’ve never really had any ideas to suggest. More of the deep thinker type.”

From stage-left THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters. He is dressed in a pizza delivery uniform and carrying a pizza box and six-pack of Satellite Soda.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Did somebody order a pizza?”

Z-MOUSE
“Thomas!”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Z-Mouse!”

Thomas walks over to the fire and sits down.

THE GHOSTLY
(to Z-Mouse) “Who’s this guy”

Z-MOUSE
“He’s kinda like my boss.”

THE GHOSTLY
“He doesn’t seem much.”

Z-MOUSE
“Don’t be fooled. There’s more parts to him than visible at first. That may not even be his true face.”

THE GHOSTLY
“I see.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Pizza anyone?”

Z-MOUSE
“I’ll take some.”

THE GHOSTLY
“Me too.”

Thomas opens the pizza box and offers it to Z-Mouse and the Ghostly. They each take a slice. He then offers each a soda. Z-Mouse nods yes but the Ghostly nods no. He breaks off one can and hands it to Z-Mouse. He then breaks off a second can. He opens the can and takes a sip. They sit around the fire eating pizza and drinking soda.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(extends hand to the Ghostly) “I’m Thomas by the way.”

THE GHOSTLY
(shakes his hand) “You can call me the Ghostly.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Good to meet you.”

THE GHOSTLY
“Likewise.”

Thomas sits down. Z-Mouse continues to eat his pizza while The Ghostly sips from her soda.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So what was I interrupting?”

PAN UPWARD TO THE SKY ABOVE THE FIRE. SPARKS DRIFT UP ACROSS A STARRY SKY.

Z-MOUSE
(off-stage) “Not much.”

FADE TO BLACK

“The Great Works Project: Season Six, Episode Nine” by Thomas Typewriter – a new script

scripts, The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 6, Episode 9

by Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2025 jason arcand

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN


From the center of a blank screen scrolls upward rapidly the following text: “06-09”. It enters from the bottom of the frame and moves up, pausing in the center before continuing upward. It exits through the top of the frame.

FADE OUT
FADE IN


GRIGIO COLORI
(voice-over) “Fade-in to exterior of the Unroom Not.Seven. Long shot of the revolving door to the unroom Not Dot Seven.”


FADE IN


EXT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN’S REVOLVING DOORWAY, TWIXTLIGHT


LS OF THE REVOLVING DOOR


The revolving door entryway to the Unroom Not.Seven sits center. The wall it is built into is not visible, giving the doorway the illusion of free standing. A bright round globe is attached to the invisible wall above the revolving door. The door itself is a cross shaped revolving door, made from two lines crossing at ninety-degree angles on a central round pipe. There are four sections in the door allowing up to four people to use the door at one time. Each section is glass panel with a horizontal hand hold or push bar mid-center. Above the push bar painted on the glass is the following symbol: “ .7 ”. The bottom of each interior glass panel has a rubber skirt. Semi-circular glass enclosures wing out from either side of the doorway. There is enough space between them to allow one person using the doorway to exit or enter at a time.


GRIGIO COLORI
(voice-over) “Pan inward from outside the Unroom to inside to the Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage through a series of cuts.”


The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING drifts through the doorway.


TRANSITION FROM THE DOORWAY TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE


PAN IN TOWARDS THE DOORWAY AND THEN INTO THE UNROOM NOT.SEVEN THROUGH A SERIES OF CUTS. EACH CUT IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SOFT SOUND OF A PIECE OF PAPER BEING DRAGGED ACROSS ANOTHER.


INT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN, TWIXTLIGHT
The unroom Not.Seven is a room of indeterminable size. In front of the doorway are semi-circular rows of grey carpet squares. They radiate out from a wooden disc sitting near a possible center of the space. The TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE sits on the wooden disc, facing towards the grey carpet squares. The entire scene is softly illuminated by spindly metallic lamps at the end of the rows. The lamp’s cords snake off into the distance, of which you wonder the distance.


LS OF THE UNROOM FROM JUST INSIDE THE DOORWAY

PAN IN TO THE MID-STAGE AREA OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE THROUGH A SERIES OF CUTS. PAN IN UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE. EACH CUT IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE MODERATE SOUND OF A PIECE OF PAPER BEING DRAGGED ACROSS ANOTHER.


MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The Mid-stage curtains part, and the stage-lights turn on with THE LOUDER SOUND OF A PIECE OF PAPER BEING DRAGGED ACROSS ANOTHER and also A CLICK OF A LIGHSWITCH TURNING ON, revealing…


MID-STAGE: A STACK OF PAPERS

CS OF A STACK OF PAPERS.

A tall stack of cells or paper illustrations for Ophidia Operahouse’s short film sit before the camera. From stage-left, THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S fingers come into view and grab the top sheet. They drag and lift the top sheet out of the frame. It makes the PAPER SCRAPING ACROSS PAPER sound we have been hearing before now.

CUT TO

MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIO, DAYTIME
A long desk runs across the stage while a drawing desk sits behind the long desk. On the long desk is a computer monitor, small desktop, keyboard, mouse, a scanner, a bin, and a large stack of papers. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the desk moving pages from the stack of papers to the scanner. Thomas leans over grabbing the top page from a stack of papers to the side of the computer. He opens the scanner lid and places the paper inside. After closing the lid, he fiddles with the computer. The HUM AND WHIR of the scanner activating goes out. Thomas opens the scanner lid when it finishes. He removes the sheet of paper and places it in a bin to the opposite side of the desk. Behind him sits OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE at the second desk. It is an animator’s desk with full light table. Various pencils and squares and drawing guides sit on top of the desk. To her side is a shelf of pull-out bins. Various papers and extra drawing materials fill the bins. Ophidia focuses on her drawing, leaning over to finish a drawing while Thomas scans. As he scans his third piece of paper, Ophidia stretches in her chair. She gets up and walks behind Thomas, tenderly placing her hands on his shoulders. He reaches up one hand, the one not using the computer mouse, and places it on top of her hand.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“I’m going to stretch my legs and get a snack. You want anything?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Something to drink would be nice, if your offering.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Oh, I am offering.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(looking at Ophidia) “Then I am accepting.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Be right back then.” “Then I’ll be right back. “Be right back.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Okay.”
Ophidia exits stage-right. Thomas puts away the sheet he is currently scanning and reaches for a new one.

TRANSITION FROM THE MID-STAGE TO THE HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE AND PANS UPWARD. IT GLIDES UP AND OVER THE SETS, GLIDES OVER THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS, UPWARD AND UPWARD. ONCE IT REACHES THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS AND THE HIGH-STAGE LOCATED THERE, IT STOPS PANNING WHEN PROPERLY FRAMING HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-Stage curtains open then the stage-lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. PANACEA FLAUTO’S OFFICE IN THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, EARLY EVENING.
Panacea’s office is a desk sitting in the middle of the stage with the back walls lined by filing cabinets of various heights. On top of each filing cabinet are multiple stacks of books and papers. Crammed between the stacks of books, in any open spaces are various rolled up medical charts, boxes, and medical equipment. There is one succulent emerging from the filing cabinets on the stage-left, its long leaves dropping out causing a splash of color in the office. Panacea’s desk is a large metal affair, covered in stacks of medical charts and paperwork. Two spare Med-scanners sit on the side of the desk amidst a collection of empty coffee cups. PANACEA FLAUTO sits at her desk, feet propped up, reading through a stack of files. She has a small black and white Vid-screen, in an antiquated case, sitting on top of the files in one of the pulled out filing cabinet drawers. The Vid-Screen is on but not actually set to a channel yet. It is displaying a static snow signal. There is a KNOCK ON THE DOOR from off-stage.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Who is it?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
(off-screen) “Cedar.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Oh, come on in.”

Panacea puts the folder away and starts to move the paperwork from her desk. CEDAR WAXWINGS, inside a Medi-pod, rolls into the room from stage-right. He enters holding a bag of food from the ship’s cafeteria.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I didn’t know which salad you preferred so I got both. Sorry if that is a problem.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“That’s no problem. That was nice of you.”

Cedar sets the bag on the desk. Panacea reaches into the bag and pulls out two containers of salad and two cans of Nutri-Soda. She reads the labels on both salads and picks one.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Did you grab any napkins.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“No, sorry. Was I suppose to?”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“That’s okay. I’ve got some in my desk.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“From all your desk dinners.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Hey, I have a lot of paperwork with this job.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I can see that.”

Cedar holds up his hands in mock surrender. Panacea shakes her head but smiles. She reaches into a drawer and pulls out some napkins. She then turns to the Vid-screen and turns to Channel 200 “The Bird House”. The title credits for the movie “North by North by Northwest” play across the screen.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
(while trying to grab the other salad off the table) “So what’s on tonight?”
Panacea pushes the other salad to the edge of the desk, so as to be closer to Cedar’s reach. Cedar is then able to pick up the salad container.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Soap Bubble Medical Theatre is on hiatus this week, so I thought we’d watch this oldie, North by North by Northwest. Ever seen it?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
(pouring salad container into a drawer that opened on the front of his Medi-pod) “No, what is it about”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“It is about a young boy who decides to travel the world looking for new parents but is mistaken for a spy and pursued by shadowy agents.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Sounds interesting.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“It is. Just watch and you’ll see.”

They turn towards the Vid-screen as the opening sequence for “North by North by Northwest” plays.

NORTH BY NORTH BY NORTHWEST OPENING SEQUENCE:
INT. ATTIC PLAYROOM, DAWN
Open on a nondescript Attic that has been converted to a children’s playroom. The rafters have been covered in a medium-dark paneling with a the top half painted in white to increase the feeling of openness in the space. Green vines and leaves are hand painted along the edges of the white painted areas to add a soothing decorative element. A window is situated at each end of the playroom. The window facing the dawn has shafts of sunlight pouring through it, illuminating strips of the room. A short table with a train set sits in the center of the space. Around the room, various toy vehicles sit scattered among various buildings made of building-block toys. The selection of toys and buildings can vary but there will need to be a cab, a commercial plane, a crop-duster prop plane, a bicycle, a dogsled, a car, a cruise ship, a skyscraper with reflective windows, Mount Rushmore, a country manor, a mall, an igloo, and a hotel.

PROGRESS THROUGH A MONTAGE OF CLOSE-SHOTS OF THE TRAIN AND THE SPECIFIED TOYS AND BUILDING MODELS. EACH SHOT DISSOLVES INTO THE NEXT. END THE SEQUENCE ON AN ANGLED SHOT OF THE SKYSCRAPER.

MATCH DISSOLVE FROM THE IMAGE OF THE MODEL SKYSCRAPER TO A SHOT OF AN ACTUAL SKYSCRAPER. THE PLACEMENTS AND ANGLES OF THE WINDOWS NEED TO BE THE SAME BETWEEN THE MODEL AND THE REAL BUILDING. THE FIRST DETAIL TO COME IN WILL BE THE REFLECTION OF TRAFFIC IN THE WINDOWS. ONCE THE DISSOLVE COMPLETES HOLD THE SHOT TO SHOW THE TRAFFIC AND COMMUTERS IN THE STREET SCUTTLING BY.

CUT TO

EXT. HITCHLEH REIBEL CITY, RUSHHOUR
Hitchleh Reibel City is a large metropolitan city in the midst of rushhour. Countless people are getting off work and heading home for the day. They flood out of buildings at the heart of city, that stab at clouds, to huddle in buses, subways, cabs and cars that flow through routes branching like veins. The oxygen is leaving the city to be distributed to the outlying districts.

PROGRESS THROUGH A MONTAGE OF SHOTS OF PEOPLE LEAVING BUILDINGS, WALKING IN LARGE GROUPS DOWN STREETS, GETTING ONTO BUSES, GETTING ONTO SUBWAYS, GETTING INTO CABS, AND GETTING INTO TRAINS.

CUT TO CRANE SHOT OF GRANTWOOD AVE

NORTH NORTHERLY, a young child of around eleven dressed in a youth ice hockey uniform, is walking down the street.

IRIS IN ON NORTH NORTHERLY

CUT TO A MONTAGE OF NORTH NORTHERLY WALKING ACROSS VARIOUS STREETS AND BRIDGES AND PATHS IN THE CITY AS HE MAKES HIS WAY TO…

INT. THE ROSE & COMPASS MALL, DAYTIME
The Rose & Compass Mall is a large multi-story mall. Glass lined ceilings overlook three levels of shopping. Tiled floors lead to small landscaping beds, tranquil fountains, and a sensible layout of escalators.

FOLLOW NORTH WALKING ACROSS THE MALL TO THE MESSAGE CHAIRS THROUGH A SERIES OF MEDIUM SHOT AND LONG SHOT CUTS.

The Message Chair section of the mall is near the end of one wing of the Rose & Compass Mall. It is located in the common area outside the Old Timerz achor store. On one side can be seen a Skolnic’s Ice Crem Sandwich Parlor, a Huskyberry clothes store, a couple Satelite Soda vending machines and a few benches. The Messaging Chair section itself has four messaging chairs with accompanying coin operation slots. Three of the chairs are occupied by SOUTH SOUTHERLY, WEST WESTERLY, and EAST EARLY. South is a young girl of around ten dressed in a little league baseball uniform. West is a young boy of around ten dressed in a youth football uniform. East is a young boy of around nine dressed in a youth track outfit. They are all in the middle of a circle of chair messages. North walks up, puts some money in the unoccupied chair, and then sits down. The chair starts to shift and then vibrate as the messaging mechanisms kick in.


NORTH NORTHERLY
“Oh, I needed this.”

SOUTH SOUTHERLY
“Tell me about it. I had the worst day.”

WEST SOUTHERLY
“Sorry, but no way you had the worst. I had the worst.”

EAST EARLY
“With all due respect, your both wrong. I had the worst.”

SOUTH SOUTHERLY
“You two don’t know what your talking about. How about you North. You going to claim you had the worst and then we get into this whole one-upmanship thing.”

WEST WESTERLY
“I’d never do that.”

EAST EARLY
“You’d absolutely do that.”

NORTH NORTHLY
“I don’t get it. Just don’t understand.”

WEST WESTERLY
“Understand what?”

NORTH NORTHLY
“Why don’t they like me? I get perfect grades, pitch perfect games, and deliver a perfect Shakespearean soliloquy. What did I do wrong? These are all traits of values to others but not them.”

In the background of the frame, MALL CLERK enters searching for someone.

MALL CLERK
“Mr. Carlson? Mr. Arthur Carlson?”

SOUTH SOUTHERLY
“I stand corrected, your having a worse day.”

WEST WESTERLY
“Worse than mine.”

EAST EARLY
“Definitely.”

MALL CLERK
“Mr Arthur Carlson? Is there a Mr. Arthur Carlson present?”

North leans forward in the messaging chair and throws his arms up in exasperation.

NORTH NORTHLY
“I don’t understand! Owww.”

North recoils his arm and grips is shoulder wincing in pain.

SOUTH SOUTHERLY
“Are you okay?”

WEST WESTERLY
“That looks like it hurts.”

NORTH NORTHLY
“I might have thrown out my shoulder in the game due to the stress of my ongoing existential crisis.”

EAST EARLY
“At least its not an ontological crisis.”


The Mall Clerk sees North gestures and walks over to him.

MALL CLERK
“Mr. Carlson, I have been looking all over the mall for you.”

NORTH NORTHLY
“I’m not Carlson. “

MALL CLERK
“Sorry.”

NORTH NORTHLY
“Do you know somewhere I can buy some aspirin?”

MALL CLERK
“Second floor over by Ramblewoods is a drugstore.”

NORTH NORTHLY
“Okay. Thanks.”

CUT TO

MS OF THE SOFTLY-DRESSED MAN AND LOUDLY-DRESSED MAN

Down the hallway, near the escalator and maps, stand the SOFTLY-DRESSED MAN and the LOUDLY-DRESSED MAN. They are observing the Message Chair Area.

LS OF THE MESSAGE AREA FROM THEIR ANGLE OF VIEW

The events of North Northly walking up to the Message Chairs and speaking with the other children plays out. The Mall Clerk comes in and starts asking for Mr. Carlson. When North raises his arm they look at each other.

INSERT CS OF THEM NODDING AT EACH OTHER.

This should be enough to play in the background of the main scene as Cedar and Panacea eat lunch.

END OF NORTH BY NORTH BY NORTHWEST OPENING SEQUENCE

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“This is nice.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yeah, it is.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I meant the salad, but this is nice too. Can you turn it up?”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Sure.”

She stands and leans over increasing the volume on the vid-screen. She then sits back down, steals a glance at Cedar and smiles. The stage-lights turn off to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF. The light from the Vid-screen stays on. The High-stage curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA UNCOUPLES FROM PROPERLY FRAMING HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. IT GLIDES TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS LOCATED BELOW THE HIGH-STAGE. IT CONTINUES PANNING DOWNWARD THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. SOON THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS POKE UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME. CONTINUE PANNING DOWNWARD UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIO, DAYTIME
A long desk runs across the stage while a drawing desk sits behind the long desk. On the long desk is a computer monitor, small desktop, keyboard, mouse, a scanner, a bin, and a large stack of papers. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the desk moving pages from the stack of papers to the scanner. Thomas leans over grabbing the top page from a stack of papers to the side of the computer. He opens the scanner lid and places the paper inside. After closing the lid, he fiddles with the computer. The HUM AND WHIR of the scanner activating goes out. Thomas opens the scanner lid when it finishes. He removes the sheet of paper and places it in a bin to the opposite side of the desk. Behind him is an animators desk with light table and a shelving of pull-out drawers. OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE enters stage-right carrying a tray with two drinks and a bowl of snacks.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“I am back.”

Thomas stops reaching for a new sheet and scoots his chair back, allowing Ophidia room to walk in. She sets the tray down on the computer desk.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(handing Thomas a glass) “This is for you.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(taking glass) “Thank you.”

Ophidia retrieves a stool from off screen stage-right and sits down. She picks up the bowl and takes a bite. She then offers some to Thomas. He takes a small handful.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“So, hows it going.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Okay I guess. I never realized how monotonous animation was.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Yes, but I like it.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“No, I didn’t mean that as an insult. I am sorry if it was. I was just thinking that maybe it was a blessing in disguise that I lost the ability to draw or cartoon.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“That is kind of dark.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yeah, but not as much as it sounds. Just more of realizing this would not of worked for me. Also it makes you even more amazing in my eyes that you are able to do this. You are something special.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Aww, thank you. So, I watched this funny show last night.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So we’re changing subjects. Okay. What was it?”

Thomas reaches for some more snacks.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Campus Ladies.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“My mom was just going on about that show when I talked to her yesterday. How is it?”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Funny.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So what is it about?”

Thomas scoots his chair closer to Ophidia. She scoots her stool closer to Thomas.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Well, these two older ladies decide to go back to college.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Like take night classes or move into a dorm full-time?”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Dorm full time, in fact that is part of the joke. Like their roommate thinks they’re Moms dropping off their kids.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Really.”

Ophidia starts to giggle and Thomas moves in closer.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Okay, so the ladies decide to go to a party down the hall, to try to meet people. They get blasted and stumble back to their room super late. They find their roommate crying and start tucking her in and kiss her goodnight. I laughed and laughed.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Did you now?”

Thomas takes a hold of Ophidia’s hand. She returned the gesture with her other hand.

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“I did.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Then what happened?”

Thomas and Ophidia lean in closer to each other, about to kiss. The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-stage curtains close.

FADE OUT

“The Great Great Works PRoject: Season Six, Episode Seven” by Thomas Typewriter – a new script

scripts, The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 6, Episode 7

an intermission

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2025 jason arcand

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN


From the center of a blank screen scrolls upward rapidly the following text: “06-07”. It enters from the bottom of the frame and moves up as if in fast-forward. It exits through the top of the frame. It is then followed by “an intermission” scrolling up from the bottom of the frame. It moves upwards, momentarily pausing in the center, then exiting the top of the frame.

FADE OUT
FADE IN

INT. SUNKEN LIVING ROOM OF BIFFINGHAM’S HOUSE, DAYTIME

DISSOLVE FROM BRIGHT WHITE THROUGH THE RANGE OF COLORS TO LS OF BIFFINGHAM THE RABBIT AND ROCKINGHAM THE PET ROCK SITTING IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION

The Living Room is a rectangular room with two of the walls opening onto the nearby hallway and stairwell in the center of the house. The room has a sunken floor with two steps leading from the floor level to the sunken floor. These steps are along the two sides of the room open to the hallway and stairwell. The other two walls have dark wood paneling with small horizontal windows along the top of the wall. Big round pendulous lamps hang from the ceiling bathing the room in a soft yellow light. A couch runs along one of the paneled walls while two corduroy recliners sit across from the couch in front of the steps. The television is on the other paneled wall. It is a large box built into a wooden cabinet. Tall rabbit ears, along with various photos of Biffingham and his family, sit on the top of the television. BIFFINGHAM THE RABBIT, a rabbit boy dressed in corduroy overalls and bearing an uncanny semblance to Biff, sits on the shag carpet in front of the television. Next to him sits his pet rock ROCKINGHAM THE PET ROCK. The television is currently tuned to Channel 2 and the ongoing broadcast of “The Babysitter Tales.” The show is in the middle of a commercial break between acts.

CUT TO MS OF BIFFINGHAM AND ROCKINGHAM

BIFFINGHAM THE RABBIT
“I wonder what will happen in today’s episodes.”

ROCKINGHAM THE PET ROCK
“I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.”

PAN TO SIDE ONTO THE TELEVISION

TRANSITION FROM SUNKEN LIVING ROOM TO COMMERCIAL

PAN IN ON TELEVISION

FADE OUT

GOODWIFE HONEY CHEWBARS COMMERCIAL

FADE IN

CS OF A CASCADING FLOW OF HAYGRASS STEMS

NARRATOR
(voice-over) “Goodwife Bakery, the flavor you know and trust, so trust us. OR when something new comes, trust those you trust when they tell you it is good. ”


A waterfall of falling haygrass pours past the screen. A snack bar emerges from the flow of Haygrass. It moves through the center of the screen towards the camera. The bar is rectangular and made up of compressed haygrass.

DISSOLVE TO…

CS OF A CASCADING FLOW OF CARROT STEMS

A waterfall-like flow of tumbling carrot stems falls across the screen. From the center of the flow emerges the rectangular snack bar. It is now made up of compressed haygrass, carrot, and carrot stems. The bar flies out of the flow and up towards the camera.

DISSOLVE TO…

CS OF A CASCADING FLOW OF SUNFLOWER SEEDS

A pouring of sunflower seeds moves across the screen. From the center of the cascade emerges the snack bar. It is now made up of compressed haygrass, shredded carrots, compressed carrot tops, and scattered sunflower seeds. Note that the bar needs to be more haygrass, carrots, and carrot tops then sunflower seeds. Biff and the other Rabbits can digest sunflower seeds but in modest quantities.

DISSOLVE TO…

CS OF POURING HONEY

Long streams of golden honey flow past the screen. From the center of the honey emerges the snack bar. It is made up of compressed haygrass, shredded carrot, compressed carrot tops, and sunflower seeds same as before except it is now coated in honey. The bar hovers in midair in the center of the screen.

NARRATOR
(voice-over) “New Goodwife Bakery Honey Chewbars. Available now.”

FADE OUT

TRANSITION FROM THE COMMERCIAL TO THE BABYSITTER TALES

THE BABYSITTER TALES TV SHOW

FADE IN

INT. KITCHEN OF THE HOUSE OF GLOOM AND ILL-TIDINGS, MID-MORNING
Description goes here- Now what does the kitchen look like. So we are looking straight at the oven wall. The kitchen is squarish with the oven in the corner. It is an older-style brick oven, while the rest of the kitchen looks a little more modern, but still cottage-like. A sink lies on the counter on the left of the screen. A large window sits over it. Cabinets line the wall with the oven. There is also a small fridge. Cabinets also line the wall next to the oven. A small wooden table sits in the center of the room. There are various braids of spices hanging from the ceiling. The right side of the screen has a wall with shelves holding plates and dishes. There is also a broom. That wall also has a doorway. It is that doorway the GLOOMARELLA THE GLOOM WITCH enters through. ROD POCALYPSE, Gloomarella’s infant son, sits in a high chair on the far side of the table facing the camera. He fidgets waiting for his mother’s return. GLOOMARELLA THE GLOOM WITCH enters from the doorway near the refrigerator. She is carrying the small cage bearing THE TADPOLE. Rod starts to fuss and make noise when the Gloomwitch returns.

ROD POCALYPSE
(repeating in a shout) “Food! Food! Now!”

GLOOMARELLA THE GLOOM WITCH
“I know honey, I know. I’ll have your bottle ready in just a moment. (to self) So tired. When will this kid ever sleep.”

She opens a cabinet over the refrigerator placing the Tadpole inside. She then moves to the next cabinet, a full-length cabinet, and opens it. Gloomarella pulls out a coffee mug and a baby bottle. She then reaches into the fridge and pulls out a jug of milk. She returns for the counter and reaches for the baby bottle but yawns deeply. She rubs her eyes and then picks up the coffee mug. She fills it with milk. She places the jug on the counter. She then fills the baby bottle with coffee. Putting the cap on the bottle she grabs her coffee mug. Bringing both over to the table, she sets the bottle down on Rod’s highchair ledge.

GLOOMARELLA THE GLOOM WITCH
“Oh, I almost forgot.”

She picks up the baby bottle and moves it out of reach. She stands and removes a box of “These Are Circles” cereal from a cabinet behind her. She pours some cereal onto the high-chair tray. Rod starts to eat the cereal. Gloomarella returns the box of cereal. She sits back down at the table and grips her coffee mug two-handed, wrapping her two hands around the mug. Rod starts to drowse off. She notices this and starts to nod off also, allowing herself to close her eyes and rest. He falls asleep in his high chair while Gloomarella falls asleep in her chair. After a few very peaceful moments, there is a LOUD CRASH from outside. Rod startles awake and begins to wail. Gloomarella bolts upright. Her hair frizzles out with angry magical energy.

GLOOMARELLA THE GLOOM WITCH
“Those raccoons! I’ll curse them! I’ll curse them to several layers!”

She races out of the room. Rod calms down. He eats some cereal and reaches for his bottle. It had fallen over, the tip coming just within reach. He pulls it over and drinks it down. He makes a sour face, then starts to vibrate. The coffee kicks in instantly. He begins to rapidly bounce and vibrate in his high chair. The highchair shakes around the kitchen, knocking pots and pans and spices off the walls. As he bounces around the room we can see in the window over the sink the swirling of dark clouds and thunderbolts. Multiple lightning strikes that cast a negative reverse light strike down over the front yard and then the sky clears. Rod increases speed and force bouncing around the room until abruptly he stops. The high chair comes to rest. Rod makes a pained face, there is a loud wet noise as he fills his diaper. It balloons out to comical levels. His face relaxes completely. GLOOMARELLA reenters the kitchen.

GLOOMARELLA THE GLOOM WITCH
“We won’t have any more disturbances from those raccoons any more.”

She walks over to her coffee and starts to drink it. She spits it out.

GLOOMARELLA THE GLOOM WITCH
“Ughhh. This isn’t coffee. Now where did I put my coffee.”

She turns and looks around the room noticing Rod and his overfilled diaper.

GLOOMARELLA THE GLOOM WITCH
“Wow, that is one full…”

Rod’s diaper EXPLODES covering everything in feces.

TRANSITION FROM THE SHOW TO THE VIEWERS

THE CAMERA PANS OUT FROM THE RESTFUL FACE OF ROD POCALYPSE

CONTINUE PAN OUTWARD AS THE EDGE OF THE TELEVISION SCREEN COMES INTO THE SHOT.

INT. SUNKEN LIVING ROOM, DAYTIME
Biffingham and Rockingham sit on the floor in front of the television, giggling.

CONTINUE TO SLOWLY PAN BACK FROM THE TV AND INTO THE LIVING ROOM, PAST BIFFINGHAM AND ROCKINGHAM UNTIL SHOT BECOMES A MS OF THE DUO WATCHING THE TV.

Biffingham turns to look at Rockingham.

BIFFINGHAM THE RABBIT
“I really thought more would happen.”

ROCKINGHAM THE PET ROCK
“What, you didn’t like the exploding diaper. One good laugh and I am satisfied.”

BIFFINGHAM THE RABBIT
“Sure, that was funny, but not much else. Sometimes I think we have more fun when we’re doing our own stories.”

ROCKINGHAM THE PET ROCK
“Well, they are good stories.”

BIFFINGHAM THE RABBIT
“What do you say that when this episode is over, we go play?”

ROCKINGHAM THE PET ROCK
“Sure. What do you want to play?”

BIFFINGHAM THE RABBIT
“Mindgames and Headcheese?

ROCKINGHAM THE PET ROCK
“Sure.”

BIFFINGHAM THE RABBIT
“Cool.”

Biffingham turns back to look at the TV.

FADE OUT

The Not So Puppet Show: Season One, Episode Three by Thomas Typewriter

scripts, The Not So Puppet Show

———–<.thom.>———–

THE NOT SO PUPPET SHOW

Season One, Episode Three

“The Broken Book of Beasties: Book 1, Part 1”

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2025 jason arcand

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN

Title sequence plays

FADE OUT
FADE IN

INT. BORDERTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY, AFTERNOON
The curtains open and the stage-lights turn on. A floor-to-ceiling bookcase spreads across the back of the stage. Off to the stage-right side extends a short wall with a double set of doors for entrance and a single door for the librarian’s office. The door to the librarian’s office is open. The door has a plaque with the following text: “Ms. Weaver”. On the stage-left side of the stage sits a short wall containing a spinner rack filled with various young adult novels next to a metallic magazine rack. In front of the floor-to-ceiling bookcase sits two round tables with chairs. THOMAS TOPHAT enters the room through the wooden doors and throws his backpack into a chair at the nearest table.

THOMAS TOPHAT
“I’m back again.”

MS. WEAVER
(off camera) “Thought I’d see you again. I’ve just put out the newest issue of that magazine you liked. It is on the bottom shelf. Go ahead and get started and I’ll come out in a moment to sign your paper.”

Thomas looks over at the magazine rack. He walks over to it and leans down. Looking through the titles in the lower shelves, he spys the Not So Puppet Show zine Issue #3 behind a copy of Highlights and Newsweek. He picks it up and walks over to the table he threw his backpack onto. He sets down the zine and pulls his backpack over to the closest chair. Thomas sits down. From his backpack he removes a spiral notebook and pen. He then opens up the zine.

CUT TO OVER SHOULDER SHOT OF LOOKING DOWN AT THOMAS OPENING AND READING THE ZINE.

Thomas opens the zine, turning past the cover and first page with its publishing info. The cover is decorated with cut-out photocopied photographs. These would be photos so old as to be copyright-free and most likely sourced from discarded books. The first page looks as follows:


“
———–<.thom.>———–
THE BROKEN BOOK OF BEASTIES
“Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover”
Part One
By Thomas Typewriter and Primo Operahouse-Typewriter & Secondo Operahouse-Typewriter
(c) 2025 jason arcand
———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN

TITLE SEQUENCE
The title “The Broken Book of Beasties” appears far off in the dark screen, written in bright red flowing script. The word Beasties, unlike the rest of the title, is written in a thick slashing font. The title flies towards the camera and past the edge of the frame. The dark screen is filled with a shimmer as the following text appears in white block letters: “Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover”.”

ZOOM IN ON THE LINES “TITLE SEQUENCE PLAYS”


TRANSITION FROM THE BORDERTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY TO THE BROKEN BOOK OF BEASTIES

FADE OUT

———–<.thom.>———–
THE BROKEN BOOK OF BEASTIES
“Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover”
Part One
By Thomas Typewriter and Primo Operahouse-Typewriter & Secondo Operahouse-Typewriter
(c) 2025 jason arcand
———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN

TITLE SEQUENCE
The title “The Broken Book of Beasties” appears far off in the dark screen, written in bright red flowing script. The word Beasties, unlike the rest of the title, is written in a thick slashing font. The title flies towards the camera and past the edge of the frame. The dark screen is filled with a shimmer as the following text appears in white block letters: “Book I: A Book by Any Other Cover”. It fades away in a shimmer. In the absence appears the following test: “Part One.”

PAN DOWN

The dark screen fades to light grey as the “Part One” slides off the top of the screen from the camera panning

TRANSITION FROM TITLE TO THE OVERLAP

The dark grey shifts in tone changing to dark clouds.

CONTINUE PAN DOWN

EXT. THE OVERLAP HILLS, DAYTIME
A series of forested hills in front of a forested snow-capped mountain slides into view. This is the Overlap Hills, one of the many realms used by the great wizard Orgle. They are named as such because they are areas of multiple different dimensions folded over each other by Orgle’s vast and great magicks until they create a pocket dimension. The Overlap Hills are not as well known as Orgle’s other overlaps such as the Overlap Hotel, the Overlap Waves, or the Overlap Trail. Yet, they do contain one of his greatest treasures. In the distance stands the Trilibris, Orgle’s special library. It appears as three different columns that seem to fuse with each other but also separate creating a kind of hyper-dimensional hourglass shape.


SHIFT TO XLS OF THE TRILIBRIS

CUT TO LS OF THE TRILIBRIS

CUT TO MS OF THE TRILIBRIS

CUT TO CS OF THE TRILIBRIS DOORS

TRANSITION FROM THE OVERLAP HILLS TO THE TRILIBRIS

ENTER THE BUILDING AND MOVE TO THE MAIN ROOM THROUGH A SERIES OF QUICK CUTS AND FADES

INT. THE TRILIBRIS MAIN ROOM, DAYTIME
The Main Room is a teardrop-shaped dome. The walls are covered in bookcases. Spiral staircases are scattered around the circumference. The bookcases are designed in a way that the books are stacked horizontally and vertically giving the impression of the folds in a human brain. The center of the room is a large open space filled with thick tables and chairs. The top of the dome is glass, stained a light blue, allowing natural light to illuminate the space. The bookshelves are illuminated by pendant lights within the rows. Each desk has a bulbous table lamp to illuminate in case the dome is not allowing enough light. Across from the entryway the bookcases stop. A large alcove is built into the wall. A dark wood wall decorated with gold and brass metal in long blocky snaking patterns illuminated by two torches. In the center of the alcove is a podium holding THE CODEXIAN. A very special book, it is separated from the rest of the main room by golden chains and small golden pedestals. A “Do Not Disturb” sign hangs off the chains.


CUT TO LS OF THE CODEXIAN’S ALCOVE

CUT TO MS OF THE CODEXIAN’S ALCOVE

CUT TO MS OF THE CODEXIAN

The Codexian is a thick book, with covers of a purple stone and thick leather binding. The front cover has a vertical row of three circles made from gold wire on the binding side. The other side is a snaking angular pattern similar to the patterns on the alcove walls. The pattern snakes down to two horizontal lines across the bottom portion of the front cover.

CUT TO CS OF THE CODEXIAN

A TRIUMPHANT MYSTICAL MUSICAL SCORE plays. The score plays for a few moments and then it stops with A RECORD NEEDLE SCRATCH.

PAN TO LEFT OF THE CODEXIAN.

A GREY MOUSE crawls up onto the podium. It tentatively approaches the Codexian.

CUT TO MS OF THE GREY MOUSE

The Grey Mouse sniffs along the Codexian, moving to the top corner. It starts to nibble on the edges of the pages.

THE CODEXIAN
“OWWWW!”

CUT TO MS OF THE CODEXIAN

The Round circles on the left of the cover open revealing non-organic golden eyes. The two golden lines along the bottom of the cover move as if lips or a mouth. The Grey Mouse stops chewing.

THE CODEXIAN
“Who did that?”

The Grey Mouse steps away from the Codexian

THE CODEXIAN
“Come on, I know you are there. Who is biting me!”

The Codexian’s eyes scan around the room. Ultimately they settle on the Grey Mouse.

THE CODEXIAN
“Oh, hello there. Were you the one chewing on my corners?”

The Grey Mouse blankly looks at the Codexian. It sneezes. A golden shimmer flickers in the air.

THE CODEXIAN
“Bless you.”

The Grey Mouse stands upright and nods at the Codexian.

THE CODEXIAN
(to self) “Well that’s new.” (to the Grey Mouse) “Let’s try this. Maybe what you’re truly hungry for is a story. If I tell you a story will you stop chewing on me.”

The Grey Mouse nods and then sits down.

THE CODEXIAN
(to self) “Definitely new.” (to the Grey Mouse) “I will need to open up to tell the story, so you may want to adjust your position.”

The Codexian opens and the Grey Mouse moves to the bottom of the podium top. The pages start to move, quickly moving to the middle of the book in a blur.

THE CODEXIAN
“Ahhh, here we go.”

The Codexian is open to a set of pages bordered in golden illumination but the actual area inside the border is blank.

THE CODEXIAN
“The Broken Book of Beasties.

From somewhere in the Trilibris A CHIMING TONE rings out. The blank page starts to fill with an illustration in a style that is a mix of woodcut block print and medieval illuminated scripts. A vast city fills the page.

TRANSITION FROM THE LIBRARY TO AN ILLUSTRATED STORYBOOK STORY

PAN IN ON ILLUSTRATION TO FILL THE FRAME

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Once there was a vast city filled with magic, wonder and charm.”

The illustration changes to the city in ruins with a giant burst of light exploding from the center of the city. Prismatic storm clouds fill the sky, raining storms down on the city.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “The city of magic became a city of too much magic, as the Great Rupture ravaged the city. Magic rained down like storms melting what was known and unknown equally.”

The illustration changes to people on hills outside the city fleeing. The city gripped in storms can be seen in the distance.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Those who were able fled the city. The Great Rupture lasted decades driving one group further and further from the city.”

The illustration changes to a long stretch of landscape. Hills on the right give way to grasslands, then forests, and then mountains to the right. A group of refugees appears in the hill section. Fade to the group in the grasslands section and prismatic storms in the hills. The illustration changes more with a fade to the refugees in the forests The prismatic storms now fill the hill and grassland sections. The illustration shifts again. The refugees are now in the mountains section. The prismatic storms fill the hills, grassland, and forest sections. The illustration changes one last time. The refugees are gone and the prismatic storms fill the entire page. A THUNDER BOLT CRACKS. The Codexian turns the page.

THE CODEXIAN
(voice-over) “Past landscapes that ate lives, the refugees found a place of safety, or at least which they hope offered peace.”

The illustration area is filled with many tree branches. Colorful flowers grow along the base of the trees while animals can be seen peeking their faces out of the upper branches. The illustration changes with the trees sliding. They part in the center moving left and right. In the center of the screen sits a valley made from five rivers feeding into a lake in the center. There is a large island in the center of the lake along with a few small islands in sandbars scattered around the lake. The illustration changes again with the sun emerging in the clouds above the valley. Bright sunlight beams across the page. The illustration changes one last time with the illustrations of the refugees moving in from the left and right side of the frame and walking down to the valley. The Codexian turns the page.

THE CODEXIAN
“Having found sanctuary, the people set about building a new home for themselves.”

The illustration is blank but then small illustrations of people enter from the left and right sides. They break off into five groups, with the fifth group in the center made from the remaining few from each group. Each group then disappears into a cloud of construction dust. CONSTRUCTION SOUNDS can be heard. Slowly simple houses emerge from the construction dust. Once a house is finished the construction dust cloud disappears and the group looks at their work. Once all five houses are completed, the people CHEER.

THE CODEXIAN
“And grow they did. It was as if some creative spirit had been unleashed.”

The small people in the illustration then go to the area behind the houses and start constructing again. Rows of houses emerge from the dust. Once a house is finished, each group builds another behind it. Soon the houses recede into the distance. The construction dust finishes and the houses sit. The sun sets and the people go into their homes. The stars come out and then dawn breaks. Small people exit their houses and do daily chores. The sun rises and sets. Everyone goes back to bed. The day/night cycle speeds up to a blur until sixty days have passed. Time returns to its regular speed on the sixtieth day. The illustration shifts zooming in on a house in the background. A lady leaves at sunrise and walks two houses down to a bakery. She enters the shop and starts baking. Smoke starts to emerge from the bakery’s chimney. As the sun rises to mid-morning, the sign in the window changes from closed to open. The illustration changes to looking in through the window of the bakery. The Baker stands at the counter.

THE CODEXIAN
“And while everyone else was moving forward, one person was stuck looking back. Little did anyone realize she would change the direction of everyone’s life.”

The illustration changes to the baker at the counter. She has a sad far away look in her eyes.

ZOOM IN ON THE BAKER’S FORLORN EXPRESSION

TRANSITION FROM WITHIN THE STORY TO THE BORDERTOWNE MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. THE BORDERTOWNE MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY
A floor-to-ceiling bookcase spreads across the back of the stage. Off to the stage-right side extends a short wall with a double set of doors for entrance and a single door for the librarian’s office. The door to the librarian’s office is open. The door has a plaque over it with the following text: “Ms. Weaver”. On stage-left side of the stage sits a short wall containing a spinner rack filled with various young adult novels next to a metallic magazine rack. In front of the floor-to-ceiling bookcase sits two round tables with chairs.

MS OF THE OPEN ZINE

Thomas has the zine open on the table. He is writing down notes in his notebook. As he writes a note about the grey mouse he trails off and starts scribbling doodles of the mouse. His watch BEEPS.

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS

Thomas looks at his watch and realizes it is time to leave.

THOMAS TOPHAT
“Ms. Weaver?”

MS. WEAVER
(off-camera) “Yes?”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“Can I take this with me? I am only partway through.”

MS. WEAVER
(off-camera) “No. Magazines are not allowed to be removed from the library by students. You know that is the policy.”

Thomas stands and walks out of the frame.

THOMAS TOPHAT
(off-camera and softer tone) “Please Ms. Weaver. I’ll take real good care of it.”

MS. WEAVER
(off-camera) “Now, Thomas you know…”

THOMAS TOPHAT
(off-camera) “It’s just I’ve never found anything before that I wanted to read. Everything I read is just because a teacher or my parents tell me to. This is the first thing that I want to read. I really just want to know what happens next.”

There is a short pause.

MS. WEAVER
(off-camera) “Okay. But you must promise to be careful with it. Take good care of it.”

THOMAS TOPHAT
(off-camera) “I will. I will take great care of it. Thank you.”

MS. WEAVER
(off-camera) “You’re going to be late for your next class.”

Thomas reenters the frame and packs up his bag. He slides the zine in last, needing to adjust a few items for everything to fit properly. He then slings his backpack on and starts to exit.

MS. WEAVER
(off-camera) “Take care of it.”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“I will.”

Thomas exits stage-right.

FADE OUT

“The Great Works Project: Season Six, Episode Four” – a new script by Thomas Typewriter

The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 6, Episode 4

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2024 jason g. arcand

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN


From the center of a blank screen scrolls upward the following text: “06-04”. It enters from the bottom of the frame and slowly moves up eventually exiting through the top of the frame.

FADE OUT
FADE IN
TRANSITION TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

In the darkness, the sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING sings out from somewhere nearby yet out of sight. Shortly thereafter the TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE materializes.

LS OF THE TYPEWRITER PUPPET STAGE MOVING TO A MS THROUGH A SERIES OF CUTS UTILIZING A CRYSTALLINE EFFECT.

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

PAN IN ON MID-STAGE AREA OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE UNTIL MID-STAGE IS PROPERLY FRAMED.

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The Mid-stage curtains open. The stage lights turn on with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: EXT. MARY MARCHHARE’S FRONT PORCH AND FRONT WINDOW, DAYTIME
The front wall of Mary Marchhare’s house, with its blue vinyl siding spreads across the stage. A large bay window takes up a large portion of the wall. It is higher than the ground, making the bottom of the window visible in the frame but not the top. On each side of the bay window are smaller windows with movable shutters. At the stage-left side are four steps leading up to a landing and the front door. Mary Marchhare’s Living Room can be seen through the large bay window. White stucco walls are decorated with framed paintings of earlier twentieth-century race cars alongside photographs of various Boston Terrier dogs. There is also a selection of antique clocks on the walls. Near the window sits MARY MARCHHARE in a recliner. Next to the recliner is a shorter chair and an end table with a bulbous lamp. Mary is watching television. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-left, carrying two moving boxes. He walks past the front window. BEANIE, Mary Marchhare’s pet Boston Terrier, leaps onto the second chair and barks out the window. BARKS MUFFLED BY GLASS sing out. Mary notices Beanie barking, leans forward, and sees Thomas. She sets down the tissue she had gripped and moves out of sight. Thomas climbs the four steps to the landing in front of the house’s front door. The porchlight next to the front door flips on. The front door opens. Mary Marchhare steps out and gives Thomas a hug.

MARY MARCHHARE
“Thomas!”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Hi Grandma. I am dropping off the last of my stuff.”

MARY MARCHHARE
“Two boxes, that’s not much.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“There’s more. It’s just in the car. Would it be okay if I brought it in through the garage?”

MARY MARCHHARE
“Sure. Since you’ll be living here, I have a garage door opener for you. You can have the spare one.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Wow. Thanks.”

Mary looks Thomas in the eyes, squaring her shoulders.

MARY MARCHHARE
“And remember, this is only a loan. I get it back when you move out. I do not want any strangers wandering into my house because you lost it. Got it. I am serious.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Sure, sure. I’ll keep it safe and give it back.”

MARY MARCHHARE
“Good. Now let’s get inside.”

Mary locks the screen door open, sliding the locking tab forward. She then steps inside and holds the inside, bit oak front door, open for Thomas. Thomas walks in. Mary closes the screen door, moving back the locking feature/slider, and then shuts the front door

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA UNLOCKS FROM THE MID-STAGE. IT PANS UPWARD GLIDING OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS. IT CONTINUES PAST THE TOPS OF THE SETS AND ONTO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS VISIBLE BEHIND. UP AND UP THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS TILL REACHING THE HIG-STAGE AT THE TOP. THE CAMERA SETTLES INTO PROPERLY FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-stage curtains part. The stage lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING UP revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. PHYSICAL THERAPY ROOM 604 IN THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP
The room is similar to a ballerina dance studio. The back wall of the stage is covered in pads and some floor-length standing mirrors. Two rails, one at hip height and the other at knee height run across the mirrors. A weight-lifting machine sits on stage-left and another on stage-right. CARRO in their Medi-Pod is using the medi-pods extended arms to lift weights with a rope through a series of pulleys on the stage-left weight machine. IASO FLAUTO stands to the side guiding Carro. In the center of the stage stands CEDAR WAXWINGS in his Medi-pod using the Medi-pods retractable arms to lift dumbells from his side to over his head and back down. At the weight machine on stage-right stands LUCIDO OBSIDIAN in his Medi-pod using the Medi-pod’s retractable arms to crank a resistive lever. PANACEA FLAUTO stands between Cedar and Lucido watching over their motions.


PANACEA FLAUTO
(voice-over or narration) “Maestro, open medical log, please. Today marks an improvement in the attitude of Cedar Waxwing. He is making a full effort in therapy. His previous disposition of sullenness and defeatism have disappeared. Iasa and I had a second meeting and she revised her prediction of his possible recovery to full. If he can keep this up. We have also noticed a change in his friends’ attitudes as well. Lucido Obsidian and Carro were already on track for a near full recovery, but they now look posed for a full recovery. It is nice to see this change. When Cedar and I were in school together I never really cared for him. Maybe it was because I was too busy being interested in Lucido. Maybe it was because he was Lucido’s friend, not my friend. Maybe it was his sarcasm. Such a long time ago, who knows. Anyway, watching TV with him the other day, was nice. He is fun to be around. Haven’t laughed that much in a while. Sure he was still sarcastic but now it makes more sense. Doesn’t seem so abrasive, almost as if instead of attacking it is defensive. Wonder if he would want to watch the next episode. (pause) What am I saying? Maestro, please amend the medical log. Remove everything after recovery to full.”


As the narration finishes, Iasa stands and looks around.

IASA FLAUTO
“That is enough for today. Good job everyone. Keep this up and you will make a full recovery. Cedar, glad to see you trying.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Feels good to try.”

Everyone starts to exit stage-right. Cedar and Panacea are towards the back or the last to leave.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Hey, Panacea.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Hey to you too. Good job today.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Thanks. Hey, I was wondering if that show we watched…”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Soapbubble Medical Theatre?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Yeah, that’s the one. Is it every day, every week?

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Once a week. Why?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Could I watch the next one? It was pretty neat.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
(pause) “I don’t see why not. My sisters are always bugging me to socialize more.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Cool. Let me know when and I’ll be there.”

Iasa wiggles her eyebrows at Panacea. She sticks out her tongue. Iasa giggles and makes a face back. They exit. The stage-lights turn off with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF. The High-stage curtains close.

TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM THE HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. IT GLIDES OVER THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS DESCENDING LOWER AND LOWER. THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE CURTAINS EMERGE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME. THE CAMERA CONTINUES PANNING DOWNWARD, SLIDING OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: INT. MARY MARCHHARE’S LIVING ROOM, DAYTIME.
A large bay window fills the middle of the frame. It looks out onto Mary Marchhare’s front yard. A smaller window of double framing flanks each side of the bay window. To the stage-left side of the bay window sits a recliner chair next to a smaller chair and an end table with a bulbous lamp, a glass of water with a straw, a boxy remote control, and a paper fan. To the stage-right side of the window sits a wooden wardrobe with a larger cathode-ray TV on top. MARY MARCHHARE sits in the recliner watching daytime television. The ambient sound of TELEVISION fills the stage. BEANIE sits in the other chair sleeping. Mary reaches over and picks up the glass of water taking a sip. She sets it down and picks up the fan. She starts to fan herself while dabbing at her face with a tissue in her other hand. THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-left. He walks to the side of Mary’s chair.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(gently touches Mary’s shoulder) “Grandma.”

Mary notices him and reaches for her remote control. She points it at the camera and click it off. The sound of TELEVISION STOPS.

MARY MARCHHARE
(turns to look at Thomas) “Yes.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Do you have another spot where I could store some boxes? I can’t fit everything in the bedroom. It is cool if you don’t. I’ll go through and donate some of it. I just don’t want to impose or crowd out your stuff.”

MARY MARCHHARE
“There’s room in the back barn, as long as you don’t block my lawnmower. I haven’t used the cabinets since Lawrie died.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“And that won’t put you out?”

MARY MARCHHARE
“No, go ahead. Use it.”

Thomas leans down and kisses his grandma on the cheek while hugging her. She twists enough to hug him back.

MARY MARCHHARE
“The key is on the keyrack. Just make sure you return it when done.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Thanks Grandma.”

Thomas exits stage-left. Mary reaches for her remote and points it back at the camera. She presses a button and the ambient sound of TELEVISION fills the stage. Mary continues to watch her show. Beanie continues to sleep, rolling over to a more comfortable position. The stage lights turn off to the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The stage is illuminated by the soft glow of the television as the Mid-Stage curtains close.

FADE OUT

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

scripts, The Great Works Project assignments

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT
a puppet play in many parts

Season 06, Episode 03

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2024 thomas typewriter

———–<:type:>———–

FADE INTO BLACK


From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “06-03”. 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

TRANSITION TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

In the darkness, the sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING sings out from somewhere nearby yet out of sight. Shortly thereafter the TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE materializes.

LS OF THE TYPEWRITER PUPPET STAGE MOVING TO A MS THROUGH A SERIES OF CUTS UTILIZING A CRYSTALLINE EFFECT.

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

PAN IN ON MID-STAGE AREA OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE UNTIL MID-STAGE IS PROPERLY FRAMED.

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The Mid-Stage curtains stand closed. After a moment they open. The stage-lights turn on with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: INT. THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S APARTMENT FRONT ROOM, DAYTIME
A writing desk sits center stage. In the background, on the stage-right side, sits a short bookcase. The desk has two moving boxes stacked on top of it. The bottom box is labeled “Typewriter”. The top box is labeled “Papers, Scripts, Misc…” The bookcase is nearly empty with only some books remaining on one of the shelves. THOMAS TYPEWRITER is standing by the bookcase with books and loading them into a moving box. He loads the last books, puts on the lid, and writes “Books” on the side of the box with a marker from his pocket. He stands and looks around the apartment.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“We gave it a good try didn’t we. Going to miss you.”

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He dials into the phone. It RINGS and RINGS before being picked up.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Hi. May I speak to Ophidia please. Oh, hi Ophidia. How are you today? Good. Oh, just finishing packing the last bits of my apartment. You? Cool, cool. So, I thought over what you asked, you know about me helping and working on your project. I have an answer.”

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE

THE CAMERA PANS UPWARD. IT MOVES UP GLIDING OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS BEHIND. IT FOLLOWS THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS MOVING UPWARD HIGHER AND HIGHER. IT REACHES THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS AND SLIDES TO THE HIGH-STAGE AT THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. IT RESTS WHEN PROPERLY FRAMING HIGH-STAGE.

HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-stage curtains are closed for a moment but then start to part. As they are nearly fully open the stage-lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON revealing…

HIGH-STAGE: INT. PANACEA FLAUTO’S OFFICE ON THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, DAYTIME
Panacea’s office is a desk sitting in the middle of the stage with the back walls lined by filing cabinets of various heights. On top of each filing cabinet are multiple stacks of books and papers. Crammed between the stacks of books, in any open spaces are various rolled up medical charts, boxes, and medical equipment. There is one succulent emerging from the filing cabinets on the stage-left, its long leaves dropping out causing a splash of color in the office. Panacea’s desk is a large metal affair, covered in stacks of medical charts and paperwork. Two spare Med-scanners sit on the side of the desk amidst a collection of empty coffee cups. PANACEA FLAUTO sits at her desk eating a salad. She has a small black and white Vid-screen, in an antiquated case, sitting on top of the files in one of the pulled out filing cabinet drawers. She is watching the latest episode of “Soapbubbles Medical Theatre” on Channel Four, The Dog House.

SOAPBUBBLES MEDICAL THEATRE EPISODE #06081938
It is a weekly show that presents a different radio play preformed by the Doctors and Nurses of an operation room. The audience sits up in the observation gallery. Each episode is hosted by a gravelly yet soothing voiced mostly bio-goblin ORSON WELLWISHER.

THE LOGO FILLS THE SCREEN THEN FADES AWAY

ORSON WELLWISHER
(voice over) “Broadcasting live from The Caducean Mystery Hospital in the heart of the Eighth Hill, this is your host Orson Wellwisher.

CUT TO MS OF THE OPERATING TABLE.

A series of nurses and Doctors are around the table. A patient sits on the operating table, mouth covered by a breathing machine. The closest doctor, Orson Wellwisher, turns and looks at the camera.

CUT TO CS OF ORSON

ORSON WELLWISHER
“Today, we find ourselves caught in a tale of intrigue, deception, mistaken identities and a well-mixed martini in Soapbubble Operating Theatre presentation of THE THIRD THIN MAN with tonight’s special guests…

CUT TO CS OF WILLIAM P. J. COTTONGIN

William P. J. Cotton-Gin stands across the operating table from Orson. He is a tall angular mostly-clockwork elf that takes off his medical mask and smiles into the camera.

ORSON WELLWISHER
(voice-over) “…William P. J. Cottongin,…”

William nods at the camera and then puts his mask back on.

ORSON WELLWISHER
“And Myna Bird Loy”

CUT TO CS OF MYNA BIRD LOY

Myna Bird Loy is one of the nurses carrying a tray of surgical tools to the operating table. She is a thin avian mostly bio-goblin. She looks up as if caught unaware and smiles for the camera. Panacea watches the show, half turned towards the vid-screen while also half turned towards her salad. She sets down her salad so she can hold the microphone from her Med-Scanner.

PANACEA FLAUTO
(Narration or voice over) “Maestro, update Medical Journal, starting now. The most unusual thing happened the other day. Cedar Waxwings stopped by my office to discuss his treatment. Up to that point he and his friends were giving the minimal effort in their therapy sessions. Iasa and I had a meeting planned later to discuss options for increasing their participation. Confidentially, I wonder if maybe I do not understand their situation, emotionally. Iasa advocates for patience, but I do not. Sometimes I am envious of her patience and good-nature. (pause) Maestro edit entry. Strike everything after the bit with the meeting and participation.”

There is a KNOCK on the door.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Hello.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
(off-screen) “Can I come in? Are you busy.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Come in, come in. I was just eating some lunch before some meetings this afternoon.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS in his ovoid Medi-pod rolls into the room, bumping into the chairs. Panacea turns to watch him enter. She misses a change on the Vid-screen. From the background of the operating room, THE SLASHBUCKLER, THE WORDSLINGER, and THE HEIRESS come into view. The Slashbuckler is a slender woman in black medical scrubs covered in gold filligree. Next to her stands The Wordslinger in white medical scrubs covered in brass filligree. Next to him stands the Heiress. She is dressed in black medical scrubs covered in silver filligree while holding a Fennec Fox dressed in matching medical scrubs. They attempt to wave at the screen to get the viewers attention.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“What can I do for you.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I have a simple question.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Okay. I can deal with simple. What is your question?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Will I be able to play the drums again, once we’re done healing.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Well…”

On the Vid-Screen, The Slashbuckler, The Wordslinger, and the Heiress freeze as a deep red outline encases them. A single diamond red design appears in the corner of the screen and blinks twice. They dissolve to static before dissapearing completely. The red diamond dissolves from the screen and the show resumes.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Be honest.”

Panacea sets down her salad and turns back to the Vid-Screen. She presses a button on the side and it goes dark. She turns back and directly looks at Cedar.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Given the amount of effort you are giving. No. You are not doing the therapy and you will be crippled when you exit the Medi-pod.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“No drumming then.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Drumming? You’ll lucky to be able stand without pain. Every step you take will be crooked and painful.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I secretly suspected as much.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“So why are you not trying harder. Why are you resisting.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Fear. Misplaced anger. Dumb reasons.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Listen, I get it. When you first woke up, I didn’t want to alarm you or freak you. But honestly, you guys were in a spaceship that blew up. Who should be dead, but your not grasping what a miracle it is that you can try.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Your right we should be dead, but we are not and it has messed with my head. You are also right that I have not been dedicated or even really trying. It’s not you or your sisters.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Well what is it? My sister and I are trying our best to heal you and you are throwing it back in our faces. We’re trained to distance ourselves emotionally, but still it stings.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I get that and I am sorry. It’s me. I am the problem.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Finally we agree on something.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Ouch. But your probably not wrong. I find myself wondering if I have been lying to myself. The problem was other people, the job, my father. If only they did this or that, my life would be better. Not my fault I quit everything I ever tried. I put it on them, yet here I am in this eggshell finding myself never have having dedicated to anything. A life of drifting. I wasn’t qualified for the Solar/Lunar Fleet except my dad pulling the strings. Only got the job, kept the job, because of my dad. How sad is that.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Pretty sad, but not that unusual. You think your the first person to come into my office and saw oh no, what have I been doing with my life.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Ha, true, but that doesn’t change that I have wasted a lot of my life. There were so many moments of magic and wonder moving through my life and I ignored them because they were not the quote-unquote right kind of moments.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Well, you’re not dead yet.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“No, I am not. (pauses thinking) If I try really hard in therapy will I be able to drum.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Not only that, but you would probably help inspire your friends to try harder. You’ll be helping yourself and them.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I do not know if I am worthy of being an inspiration but I do want to drum again.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Then come tomorrow, try your best in therapy. Then the day after, try your best. Then the day after that try your best. Then keep repeating.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“That simple, huh?”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“In theory, yes. Practically, not so much. We all get a little confused sometimes and forget to repeat.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Some of us more than others.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yes, some more than others.”

There is a pause as Panacea takes another bite of salad.

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“So, what were you watching.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Watching?”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“On the Vid-screen. You were watching something when I came in. What was it?”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“Oh that. Soapbubble Operational Theatre. It’s where a bunch surgeons who also happen to be actors put on a play.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Can I watch it with you? I mean, if you don’t mind.”

Panacea smiles and leans over turning the vid-screen back on. The doctors and nurses are crowded around the operating table.

PANACEA FLAUTO
“That guy is Orson Wellwisher. He is the host of the show and one of my favorites.”

CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Okay. Who are the other people.”

PANACEA FLAUTO
“The tall guy is William P. J. Cottongin. He is playing a visiting surgeon accidentally drawn into the murder mystery.”

Cedar moves closer to the table to get a better view as the High-stage curtains close. The stage lights turn of with the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF.

TRANSITION FROM THE HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM HIGH-STAGE AND STARTS TO PAN DOWNWARD. IT GLIDES ONTO AND OVER THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. MOVING EVER DOWNWARD THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE SETS PEAK INTO THE FRAME. THE CAMERA CONTINUES PANNING DOWNWARD OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TILL PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE.

MID-STAGE: INT. THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S APARTMENT FRONTROOM, DAYTIME
A writing desk sits center stage. In the background, on the stage-right side, sits a short bookcase. The desk has two moving boxes stacked on top of it. The bottom box is labeled “Typewriter”. The top box is labeled “Papers, Scripts, Misc…” The bookcase is nearly empty with only some books remaining on one of the shelves. THOMAS TYPEWRITER is pacing the room speaking to OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE on his mobile phone.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So, I thought over what you asked, you know about me helping and working on your project. I have an answer. I will do it.”

There is a LOUD SQUEAL OF DELIGHT from the phone. The squeal catches Thomas off guard, far too loud for how close he has the phone to his ear. Thomas winces and moves the phone away from his ear until the noise subsides.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I am happy about it too. So what do I need to do first? Any paperwork or forms?”

The Mid-Stage curtains start to close as the stage-lights turn off to the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF.

FADE OUT

The Not So Puppet Show – Season One, Episode One by Thomas Typewriter

The Not So Puppet Show

———–<.thom.>———–

THE NOT SO PUPPET SHOW

Season One, Episode One

“The Skipping Stone”

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2024 thomas typewriter

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

FADE INTO THE TITLE SEQUENCE

The title sequence plays.


FADE OUT
FADE IN

INT. BORDERTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY, AFTERNOON
The curtains open and the stage-lights turn on. A floor-to-ceiling bookcase spreads across the back of the stage. Off to the stage-right side extends a short wall with a double set of doors for entrance and a single door for the librarian’s office. The door to the librarian’s office is open. The door has a plaque over it with the following text: “Ms. Weaver”. On stage-left side of the stage sits a short wall containing a spinner rack filled with various young adult novels next to a metallic magazine rack. In front of the floor-to-ceiling bookcase sits two round tables with chairs.


PAN TOWARDS THE LIBRARIAN’S OFFICE

CUT TO

INT. BORDERTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY LIBRARIAN’S OFFICE, AFTERNOON
A smaller room with walls made of large blocks, the Librarian’s Office has a few framed paintings of flowers on the wall and a filing cabinet in one corner. A small potted plant sits on the filing cabinet along with a stack of books and a pitcher for watering the plant. In the center of the room is a wooden desk with a small lamp on it. A name placard sits on the desk with the following text written on it: “Ms. Weaver – Librarian”. An extra wooden chair sits in front of the desk while behind the desk sits MS. WEAVER in a matching chair. She is older with a thin frame, reading glasses on a chain, a dark bob hairdo, and a preference for sweaters. She is in the midst of reading a book. From off-stage comes the sound of A DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING followed by FOOTSTEPS.

THOMAS TOPHAT
(off-stage) “Well, they did it to me again.”

Ms. Weaver picks up a bookmark from the desk and places it in her book. THOMAS TOPHAT walks into the office and puts a note on Ms. Weaver’s desk. She picks up the note and starts to read it. Pulling forth a pen, she makes a note on the page.

MS. WEAVER
“And what crime did you supposedly commit this time.”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“I was taking part in the Inter-Scholars competition and I saw it was multiple-choice tests. Choose A, B, C, or D. So I went through the past ten years of tests to see how often each letter was used and then would use the most common one on the test.”

MS. WEAVER
“Couldn’t you have just studied?”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“That seemed like a lot of work and besides Channel 50 was doing a Mister Ed marathon.”

Ms. Weaver waves him to continue on with his story. Thomas sits down in the chair in the front of the desk.

THOMAS TOPHAT
“Long story short, I answered D to every question and got 1st place. The teachers and other students got very upset when they found out I just put D, hence this detention.”

MS. WEAVER
“Okay. You know the drill. Find a magazine and write a report on one of the articles.”
Thomas stands and exits the room. Ms. Weaver chuckles and then reopens her book. She resumes reading.

CUT BACK TO


INT. BORDERTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY, AFTERNOON
Thomas Topchat walks out of the Librarian’s office and walks over to the magazine rack. He looks over the magazines on the rack.


THOMAS TOPHAT
(to self) “I’ve already read all these. Okay, guess I’ll use this one.”


Thomas reaches for a magazine in the bottom row. As he pulls it out a small zine falls out. It appears to be printed on a photocopier and hand-assembled. Thomas picks up the zine looking at the cover. The title of the zine is “The Not So Puppet Show” written in large letters across the cover. Under the title is written “The Skipping Stone” in a cursive font.

THOMAS TOPHAT
“What is this?”

Thomas walks over to one of the tables and sits down. He opens the Not So zine and starts to read.

THOMAS TOPHAT
(to self) “On the shoreline of a lake…”

FADE OUT

TRANSITION FROM THE LIBRARY TO THE LAKE

FADE IN


EXT. LAKESIDE, DAYTIME
The front of the stage is the shoreline of a lake. The back of the stage is high grass transitioning into a thick forest. There is a pebble-laden path off to stage left. A fallen log sits on the shoreline.

LS OF THE BEACH
From the path enters THOMAS TYPEWRITER. He walks over to the shoreline and looks out at the water.

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “As a child, I grew up close to a river, a short bike from the water’s edge. Something I liked doing was skipping stones. My mind was always too loud and my inner self too large. It all went away as I watched the rocks fly, the waves ripple out.”

As Thomas narrates a piece of background music which is noisy and unpleasant starts to increase in volume. He looks out to the water. When the volume of the cacophony becomes louder than the background sounds of animals and birds, Thomas turns his attention to the shoreline. He scans the beach and finds some rocks. With a flick of his arm, the rock sails out. The background noise stops.

CUT TO LS OF THOMAS ON THE SHORE.

The rock flies out and bounces across the water. It flies towards the camera before sinking under the water. He tosses a second.

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “Now that I am back here, something occurs to me. Something always occurs to me in those moments when my thoughts slip away, when I no longer feel too big on the inside, too small on the outside.”

CUT TO LS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER

Thomas tosses another stone.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “ It occurs to me, that I am like this stone. I am propelled by some force traveling across a surface making waves until my arc ends and I disappear.”

CUT TO A SHOT OF STONE ENDING ITS FLIGHT AND SLIPPING UNDER THE WATER

CUT TO CS OF THE WAVES FROM THE ROCK SLIPPING UNDER THE WATER SPREADING OUT

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “And in my flight across this world, I have an effect. The waves of my effect will continue long after my flight has ended. Yet, they are not infinite. They too will eventually run out and disappear. And as all this unfolds I find myself a bystander watching the waves of my actions rippling out, captivated by the patterns of my life but at the same time unable to find any grand purpose to the whole affair.”

CUT BACK TO CS OF THOMAS’S FACE

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS THROWING A TONE

TRANSITION TO THE WAVE SCREEN SEQUENCE.

FADE TO THE WAVE SCREEN BOARD

The Water Shadow Board is a screen, a transparent water tank, and a set of bright lights. The three elements are arranged in a way that the bright lights project through the water tank onto the screen. The screen is filmed so that the shadow of any object moving across or through the water is cast onto the screen. Additionally, the inference patterns caused by the water in motion or waves across the surface of the water are also cast onto the screen. The camera will be positioned to film the screen and the shadows cast, not the tank of water or bright lights. Those will always remain out of frame.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “What is the measure of my life, of my stone’s throw?”

As Thomas narrates, stones are thrown across the surface of the water in the clear tank creating a shadow pattern on the screen.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “Is it the number of years I live? The number of seconds I remain in flight? The distance traveled? The size or number of waves?”

The shadow patterns flow out to stop.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “Maybe it is something else.”

INSERT TO CS OF A THROWN ROCK BOUNCING OFF THE WATER’S SURFACE, IN SLOW-MOTION.
SLOW THE SLOW MOTION OF THE ROCK BOUNCING OFF THE WATER UNTIL FREEZING AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT. THEN PLAY IN REVERSE UNTIL THE ROCK IS BACK IN THOMAS’ HAND

CS OF THE ROCK IN THOMAS’ HAND

THE SKIPPING STONE
“The answer is simpler than you would believe. I have no control over the duration of my flight or the waves I make. I have no awareness of my path. All I have is the brief moments of contact with the surface. To me, there is only a lifespan of kisses with the water. I only have control over how I kiss, as in the sweet or bitter things I say at that moment and in turn how I take the sweet or bitter things the water says to me. That is my life and that by extension is your life.”

CUT TO CS OF THOMAS CONTEMPLATING WHAT THE SKIPPING STONE SAID.

THE SKIPPING STONE
(off-camera) “Ahem.”

Thomas looks down.

CUT TO A CLOSE SHOT OF THE ROCK IN THOMAS’ HAND

THE SKIPPING STONE
“Don’t you think it is time we both lived?”

CUT TO THOMAS NODDING HIS HEAD YES.

Thomas throws the rock. It skips out across the water. Thomas stands and watches the waves spread out and eventually disappear. He then pulls out his phone and dials a number. After a few RINGS, it picks up.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Hey, honey. Yeah, I’m feeling better. How about you. How are you doing? I’d like to listen to whatever you have to say.”

Thomas Typewriter exits.

FADE OUT

TRANSITION FROM NOT SO TO THE LIBRARY

FADE IN

INT. BORDERTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY, AFTERNOON
A floor-to-ceiling bookcase spreads across the back of the stage. Off to the stage-right side extends a short wall with a double set of doors for entrance and a single door for the librarian’s office. The door to the librarian’s office is open. The door has a plaque over it with the following text: “Ms. Weaver”. On stage-left side of the stage sits a short wall containing a spinner rack filled with various young adult novels next to a metallic magazine rack. In front of the floor-to-ceiling bookcase sits two round tables with chairs. At one of the tables sits THOMAS TOPCOAT reading an issue of the Not So zine. His backpack is lying down on the tabletop near him.

MS OF THOMAS READING NOT SO

Thomas Topcoat closes the Not So zine.

CS OF THOMAS TOPCOAT

He has a distant look in his eye as he mulls over what he just read. He nods his head as an idea forms.

CUT BACK TO MS OF THOMAS

Thomas reaches for his backpack and pulls out a pencil and a spiral notebook. Opening the notebook to a blank page, He starts to write.

PAN OUT

FADE OUT

The Great Works Project: Season Six, Episode One by Thomas Typewriter

scripts, The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 06, Episode 01
a prologue

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2024 thomas typewriter

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

FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “06-01”. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge. Immediately following that text’s exit, up scrolls “a prologue” from the bottom of the frame. It scrolls upward pausing in the center of the frame before continuing up and out of the top of the frame.

FADE OUT
FADE IN

THE VELVET CURTAIN

MS OF THE VELVET CURTAIN

A velvet stage curtain fills the frame. From below the frame THE VELVET TOUCH emerges. Remember that the Velvet Touch is a Helping Hand that wears long fingerless fishnet gloves. Each of their fingers, except the pinkies, are painted with a black or dark shade of fingernail polish. The Velvet Touch gestures a greeting at the camera and then reaches below the frame for a large cue card. They show the blank side to the camera and then rotate it. On the back, the cue card has the following text written: “A story…” The Velvet Touch then flips the card back around and now the blank side has text on it. It has the following text written on it, divided into two columns:

“a saw blade… a wand…
a castle… a quill…
a light bulb… a shield…
a harp… an outsider…”

The Velvet Touch rotates the cue card one more time. The writing of “a Story” on the other side has been replaced. It now bears the following text: “…in a progression…”. The Velvet Touch sets the cue card down off-screen, below the frame. They then grab the edges of the Velvet Curtain, opening them to reveal a dark screen behind them.

PAN IN ON THE DARK BEHIND THE VELVET CURTAIN

FADE OUT TO BLACK

GRIGIO COLORI
(offscreen) “Fade into black. From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text zero, six, dash, zero, one

FADE OUT
FADE IN

EXT. THE LONG HILLS, DAYTIME

The Long Hills are a connecting region appearing as a hilly combination of flowering prairie and rolling grassy plains. GRIGIO COLORI and THE OUTER ONE walk along one of the hills towards the back of The Long Hills.

GRIGIO COLORI
“Can I ask you something?”

THE OUTER ONE
“Sure”

GRIGIO COLORI
“You like these plays? This Thomas Typewriter stuff?”

THE OUTER ONE
“Sure.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“What do you like about it? ”

THE OUTER ONE
“Well, it makes me smile. I’ve always liked puppets and science fiction, so there’s that. But, and I’ve wondered about this too, and I think there is also this other part of it. I think I identify with Thomas. Like how he struggled with sadness and loneliness but managed to write this silly epic anyway helped me feel a little better about my own struggles.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“That was something we did discuss and debate a lot. We, and by we I mean myself and the other characters in the story, wondered if anyone was enjoying it. Was anyone being helped by our story? We couldn’t tell being inside it. We hoped we were helping.”

THE OUTER ONE
“Sure. I think you were. Maybe not as many as Thomas hoped for. He made so much art just on his own, with little recognition. Just going in everyday and writing some more, painting a little more. Maybe that was why he was lonely.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“I’ve read the scripts. He was lonely long before then.”

THE OUTER ONE
“You’re probably right. There was one other reason I liked his stories.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Oh, what was that?”

THE OUTER ONE
“The characters.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Present company included?”

THE OUTER ONE
“Present company definitely included.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Oh you charmer, am I blushing?”

THE OUTER ONE
“Maybe a little.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Should I continue reading.”

THE OUTER ONE
“Yes, please.”

GRIGIO COLORI
(opening scriptbook) “Transition to the Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage.”

THE OUTER ONE
“I always thought that was a crazy name.”

GRIGIO COLORI
(to the Outer One) “Me too.” (looking back at scriptbook) “Fade out then Fade in to a field of darkness. The sound of typewriter keys click clacking sound out from somewhere in the distance.”

THE OUTER ONE
“That’s a sound we know all too well.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“True. That and light switches.”

FADE OUT
FADE IN

A FIELD OF DARKNESS

From off-stage the sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING. Unseen lamps turn on in the dark and illuminate the suddenly appearing TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

THE OUTER ONE
(off-screen) “You ever think we have all these different ways of the Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage appearing because Thomas gets bored of writing the same thing?

GRIGIO COLORI
(off-screen) “I know I would.”

TRANSITION FROM A FIELD OF DARKNESS TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

LS OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

PAN IN ON THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE. AS THE CAMERA MOVES CLOSER MOVE IN ON THE MID-STAGE AREA.

TRANSITION FROM THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT TO THE MID-STAGE

The mid-stage curtains open and we continue moving inward. The mid-stage is undecorated. We move through it towards the Curtain of Clouds. The Curtain of Clouds part.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO BACK-STAGE

BACK-STAGE: THE CONCURRENT DISTANCES

THE CAMERA PANS THROUGH THE OPEN CURTAIN OF CLOUDS UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING THE BACK-STAGE BEHIND THE CURTAINS

Fog rolls across the bottom of the stage, with a background of nebulous degree. The landscape looks like a lost or unformed realm just outside dreams. VARIOUS DREAM-BUBBLES float across the stage both stage-left to stage-right and stage-right to stage-left. After a few moments, NETTE, ONDE, and AVEN along with the AEOLIPILE enter stage-left. They walk to the center of the stage and look around.

AVEN
“Do you see her?”

ONDE
“No.”

NETTE
“She could be anywhere. All this fog is messing up my vision.”

AVEN
“It is only going to get worse as we move more downdream.”

They look around while Aeolipile dances with a Dream-bubble in the background.

ONDE
“What do we do?”

AVEN
“I do not know.”

NETTE
“There has to be something we can do. We just need to think of something. Figure it out.”

They rub their faces in thought when a light bulb appears over Nette’s head. Aven and Onde turn and look at her. Nette reaches up and pulls down the light bulb. She then reaches into her pocket and pulls out another light bulb. She looks at them and smiles.

NETTE
“I’ve got an idea.”

AVEN
“We noticed.”

NETTE
“Did you bring anything with you? What supplies do you have?”

ONDE
“We left in a rush so we didn’t pack much.”

NETTE
“Fine. That’s fine, what do you have.”

ONDE
“I have some scrapwood and a few nails.”

AVEN
“I have some wire and colored glass.”

NETTE
“That will have to do. Ladies, while I will always advocate for solving your own problems, sometimes you need to ask for help. And sometimes you need to do both.”

Nette points at the Aelophile. Aven and Onde turn and look at the Aelopile dancing with the Dream-bubbles. Nette then points at the items in her hand. Aven and Onde turn and look at the items in her hands. Nette gestures between Aelophile and the lightbulb in her hand. Light bulbs pop on over Onde’s and Aven’s heads. Nette walks over and removes the bulbs, adding them to the other two she is holding.

CAMERA PANS OUTWARD

The Curtain of Clouds closes.

TRANSITION FROM BACK-STAGE TO MID-STAGE

THE CAMERA CONTINUES PANNING OUTWARD MOVING THROUGH THE MID-STAGE AREA AND OUT FROM THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.

TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

LS OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

The Mid-stage curtains close. The unseen lamps over the Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage dim and turn off.

FADE OUT