———–<.thom.>———–
THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT
a puppet play in many parts
Season Two, Episode Seven
An Intermission
By Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2020
———–<:type:>———–
FADE IN TO BLACK
From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “02-07“. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge. Shortly thereafter the following text, “an intermission” scrolls up from the center of the bottom of the frame.
FADE OUT
FADE IN
INT. UNROOM NOT.SEVEN IN THE UNDECORATED SPACE
A wooden disc stands ready in the center of a large space. The corners of the room, though visually indeterminable, are felt. Grey squares of carpet radiate out from the wooden disc like rows of seats in an amphitheater. Light from spindly metallic lamps at the ends of the rows illuminate the carpets and to some degree the features of THE OUTER ONE sitting there.
OPEN WITH POV OF THE OUTER ONE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE LAMPS.
The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING drifts from out of view as the bulbs in the lamp flitter in response.
PAN UP AS THE OUTER ONE SHIFTS HIS GAZE FROM THE LAMP TO THE WOODEN DISC.
The wooden disc sits empty, shrouded in shadows cast by not-there shapes. Unseen lamps above the disc turn on, casting out the shadows shape-less while also revealing the TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE.
TRANSITION FROM THE UNROOM TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE
PAN IN TOWARDS THE MID-STAGE AREA OF THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE TILL IT FILLS THE FRAME
MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The curtains part and the stage lights turn on, with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING ON, revealing…
MID-STAGE: INT. THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S KITCHEN
A sink, countertop, and stove run along the back of the stage. A table sits of to stage-left and a refrigerator sits of to stage-right. Three cabinets hang over the countertop. THOMAS TYPEWRITER, dressed in a chef’s apron, is at the stove stirring a marinara sauce in a saucepan. A second pot sits on the stove steaming. He removes the lid and drops in a box of dried pasta that he retrieves from a nearby cabinet. NEW WAVE STYLE MUSIC plays from a nearby speaker. DOORBELLS CHIME catching Thomas’ attention. He stirs the sauce one more time before stepping off stage stage-right to answer the door.
DOOR LOCKS UNLOCK and DOOR HINGES CREAK.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(off-stage) “Hi. Hope I’m not too late.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(off-stage) “No right on time. You’re looking very pretty tonight.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(off-stage) “Thanks. You look good too. Here, I got these for you.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(off-stage) “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(off-stage) “Sure thing.” (sniffs) “Wow, something sure smells good.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(off-stage) “That would be the marinara. I was going to make something else but I didn’t have any capers.”
TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE
THE CAMERA PANS UPWARDS MOVING OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS TO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS BEHIND. IT CONTINUES FOLLOWING THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS TO THE HIGH-STAGE AT TOP. THE CAMERA SLOWS AND STOPS WHEN PROPERLY FRAMING HIGH-STAGE
HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
PAN IN ON HIGH-STAGE TILL PROPERLY FRAMED
The High-stage curtains part and the stage lights turn on with the sound of A COMPUTER TURNING ON revealing…
HIGH-STAGE: EXT. THE MULTI-COLORED HIGHER PLANES OF REALITY
The stage is filled with a psychedelic swirling of colors. A miniature of THE SPACE EGG enters stage-left. It rapidly flies across the stage. Chromatic waves spread in its wake. When it reaches mid-stage, there is a SONIC BOOM and the Space Egg flies even faster, exiting stage-right. The High-stage curtains close and then reopen revealing…
HIGH-STAGE: INT. THE SPACE EGG
The INNER-SPACE MAN sits in a sleek astronaut’s chair. In front of him sits a curved console and a curved view screen. The console has a center monitor in the shape of a circle bisected by a long rectangle. This is the Space Egg’s text display. All of the Space Egg’s dialogue will scroll across the text display at the same time it is heard by the Inner-Space Man and audience. So as the Space Egg speaks, the words also scroll across the text display. Around the text display sit various sized hexagonal buttons. The view screen sits on a curved wall coming off the console. It bears the same circle bisected by a rectangle design, only much larger. It is currently displaying the many colors of the Higher Planes of Reality that the ship is flying through.
THE SPACE EGG
“New route entered. Rerouting. Rerouting. Rerouting. Route set. Oceans of Tears here we come.”
THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“Maybe some music to travel by.”
THE SPACE EGG
“Yes, please.”
The Inner-Space Man presses a button. What comes out of the speakers is not music though. A FAINT MUFFLED MURMURING plays.
THE SPACE EGG
“What music did you pick. This is horrible.”
THE INNER-SPACE MAN
“I don’t know what this is. This is not what I wanted.”
The Inner-Space Man leans in closer to the speaker in the console.
INSERT CS OF THE INNER-SPACE MAN LISTENING TO THE SPEAKER.
NOISE FROM SPEAKER
(very faint) “Biff. Biff. Time for dinner. Time to stop pretending and wash up for dinner.(faint) “Biff. Biff. Time for dinner. Time to stop pretending and wash up for dinner.(less faint) “Biff. Biff. Time for dinner. Time to stop pretending and wash up for dinner.(loud) BIFF!”
CUT BACK TO…
The Inner- Space Man jerks his head away from the speaker. He tries to press a button but the High-stage stage lights turn off cutting him off. The High-stage curtains close then reopen revealing…
HIGH-STAGE: INT. BIFF’S BEDROOM, LATE AFTERNOON
A bed sits center stage, flanked by an end table on one side and a steamer trunk on the other. Posters of various characters from the Cosmic League comic and the Babysitter Tales adorn the walls. A window sits to the side. Sunlight streams in. BIFF, colander crowned, sits in a cardboard box atop the bed. ROCKEY THE PET ROCK sits to the side. The box is decorated in crayon such that it looks like the Space Egg.
ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“New route entered. Rerouting. Rerouting. Rerouting. Route set. Oceans of Tears here we come.”
BIFF
“Maybe some music for our travels.”
ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“Yes, please.”
Biff pretends to press some buttons, creating a beep sound effect for each one. He then starts to hum, pretending it is the music coming out of the speakers. Rockey closes his eyes. He sways to the melody.
BIFF’S MOTHER
(off-stage)”Biff. Biff. Time for dinner. (louder) Biff. Biff. Time to stop pretending and wash up for dinner. (louder) BIFF!”
Biff takes off the colander.
BIFF
“Uh-oh. (yelling off-stage to mother) Sorry Mom. Be right down. (to Rockey) Guess pretend time is over. Let’s go wash up.”
Biff gets out of the box and hops off the bed. He turns and picks up Rockey.
BIFF
“I sure hope Mom’s made mashed potatoes.”
ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“With scallions sprinkled on top.”
BIFF
“You know it. That’s the best.”
They exit stage-right. We can hear the sound of FOOTSTEPS descending stairs. The footsteps fade into the distance. The stage lights turn off to the sound of A COMPUTER TURNING OFF as the High-Stage curtains close.
TRANSITION FROM THE HIGH-STAGE TO THE MID-STAGE.
THE CAMERA UNCOUPLES FROM FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. IT MOVES ONTO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS AND CONTINUES DOWN ITS LENGTH. IT COMES TO THE TOP OF THE MID-STAGE SETS AND GLIDES OVER THEM. THE CAMERA STOPS ONCE MID-STAGE IS PROPERLY FRAMED.
MID-STAGE: INT. THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S KITCHEN
Ophidia Operahouse grabs some plates from the cupboard and walks over to the table. She sets out the plates, cups, and silverware. Her flowers sit in a vase in the center of the table. Thomas follows with a bowl of salad and a bowl of bucattini with marinara.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So was your mom was always trying to save money.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Oh yeah. Always. She would talk about how there were too many bills or how dad’s income was not a steady thing. Stuff like that.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“My mom too. Though never while we were on vacation now that I think about it.”
Thomas and Ophidia sit down on opposite sides of the table.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“I would of loved that. My mom was still worried about money on vacation. Maybe even more so.”
Thomas fold his hands for a moment of silence. Ophidia catches herself and does likewise. She crosses herself and puts her hands together in prayer. When finished she starts serving herself some food, then passing to Thomas.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Sorry, you were saying.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Yeah, my mom would try to find some way to save money, like to an almost comical level sometimes.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“What do you mean?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Like for example, we went to Disneyworld when I was in seventh grade.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Ooo..luckey. Never been. Was it fun.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“The funnest, right. But my mom was nervous we wouldn’t have enough so she’d pack all this food in her purse for us to eat.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Can you even fit enough food in a purse for that?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“No. See that was the thing. As good as my Mom was at worrying she was inversly good at planning and scheduling.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Okay.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“So she got flustered and packed a lunch of cottage cheese and grapefruits.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Wait..Cottage Cheese? As in that stuff in the plastic tubs?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Yup.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Isn’t that a refrigerated item.”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Yes it is. Do you know what two tubs of cottage cheese are like after a day of flopping around in the bottom of a purse in the hot Florida sun?”
Thomas giggles.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Gross. That’s what they are.”
Thomas laughs. Ophidia starts to giggle, soon joining him in laughter. The stage-lights click off, with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF, and the Mid-stage curtains close.
FADE OUT
Thomas Typewriter 