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THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 04, Episode 06

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2022

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FADE IN TO BLACK

From the bottom center of the screen scrolls up the following text: “04-06”. It continues upward, pausing briefly in the center then exits off the top of the frame.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. L-MOUSE’S OFFICE, EVENING
Large metal racks for spools of fabric line the side walls. A single rack sits stage-left side while multiple racks sit stage-right. The stage-left racks hold multiple spools of thread of a rainbow of colors. The center of the office is a shared space between a small sewing desk, a hanging lamp, and a large loom. Threads feed off the stage-right racks to the loom supplying thread for a long unfinished tapestry. On the back wall stage-left corner, hangs a woven version of a motivational poster. It depicts a Llama and a lamb hanging on a tree branch with the words “LOVE LUCKS LEFT” in a gothic script. A door to L-Mouse’s apartment stands next to the motivational tapestry, with hooks for a broom and large dustpan. The lights in the space are dim as we join the scene but they quickly brighten to full strength illumination.

L-Mouse enters through the apartment door, dressed in a smock and a flip down magnifying lens on a headband, carrying a glass of water. He takes a drink, then sets the glass down on his desk. He walks over to the stage-left side of the loom and looks underneath.

INSERT CS OF LOOSE THREADS HANGING OFF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TAPESTRY ON THE LOOM

He gathers up the loose threads and pulls them over to his desk. A large rock is placed on top of them to secure them. He then walks over to the stage-right wall and looks for broken threads. Finding one, he follows the thread back to the spools stage-right. Picking up the spool of thread he carries it over to the other racks. Then he pulls the end of thread from the moved spool and pulls it over to his desk securing it in place with a rock. He repeats this five more times before returning to his desk to take a drink of water.
Moving around behind his desk, L-Mouse sits down. He counts the number of threads from stage-left. He then counts the number of threads from the loom. Not the same. He’s missing one. He walks back over to the loom and runs his fingers across the fabric. He finds a tiny loose thread and pulls it to the desk. He secures it under the rock with the others from the loom. Then he walks over to the stage-right thread spindles/spools. He goes through them one at a time. Finally on a back rack he finds the broken thread. He swings out the front rack and takes off the spool. He leans it against the loom, then moves the front rack back into place. L-Mouse carries the spool to the other side. Placing it in an open rack, he pulls out the end of the thread and pulls it over to his desk with the others.

He sits down, takes a drink of water, placing his glass in a different spot off to the side. He gathers one of the threads from spools to stage-left. He flips down the magnifying lens on his headband to examine the ends of threads. He compares the ends of the threads from the stage-left spools with the ends of thread from the loom. KNOCK KNOCK at the door.

L-MOUSE
“Come in.”

A-Mouse enters from stage-right.

A-MOUSE
“Have you seen K-Mouse? I am suppose to ask him something, well ask everyone really, but his office was empty.”

L-MOUSE
“Did you try C-Mouse’s.”

A-MOUSE
“No. Can I use your phone to call over there?”

L-MOUSE
“Sure. It’s over there.”

L-Mouse points behind the loom. A-Mouse walks behind it and returns holding an old-time rotary phone on a long cord. L-Mouse returns to examining the thread ends. He finds two ends that match and ties them together in a knot. He tugs on the knot testing its solidness. He then checks the thread feeding to the loom and the spool tugging on them. Satisfied he moves over to the loom. He sits down and moves the loom arms threading a few lines. He follows the thread from the loom to the spool on the stage-left. Picks up the spool and works his way to the other side, A-Mouse ducking under the line, returning it to the stage-right rack. He returns to his desk to continue on the next one. At the same time A-Mouse dials C-Mouse.

A-MOUSE
(into phone) “Hi. (pause) It’s A-Mouse. Is K-Mouse there? (pause) Good. Y-Mouse has called an all-nighter. I need to find out what he wants to eat. What both of you want. (pause)I don’t know. (pause) The Gutenberg Bagel. (pause) A Kirby and an Eisner special. Got it. Thanks.”

A-Mouse hangs up the phone as E-Mouse peeks her head in from stage-right.

E-MOUSE
“What’s taking so long? I’ve been waiting by the elevators for you.”

A-MOUSE
(to E-Mouse) “I’ll be ready when I’m ready.”

E-MOUSE
“Fine.”

A-MOUSE
(to L-Mouse) “We’re going on a food run. What do you want.”

L-MOUSE
“Bagel or noodle?”

E-MOUSE
“Bagel.”

L-MOUSE
“An Ariadne.”

A-MOUSE
“Got it.”

E-MOUSE
“Good. Now let’s go.”

They exit stage-right.

A-MOUSE
(off-camera and fading away) “Why you being so bossy?”

E-MOUSE
(off-camera and fading away) “Sorry, I am just excited to drive. The scripts do not have me driving very often.”

A-MOUSE
(off-camera and faint) “”Fine. Let’s just get this done.”

L-Mouse takes a drink of water savoring the peacefulness of his office. Then POP as another thread in the tapestry on the loom breaks. L-Mouse winces. He takes a breath before standing and going to find the new loose thread.

FADE OUT