I STRESS
In a world powered by irregular gears
failure is a good place to live
A GUESS
Constant and stable
A brochure of multiple volumes
IS LESS
Plenty of room
To stretch our voices beyond
moments that fail to line up
THAN YES
Failure is a good place to live
In a world powered by irregular gears
-Thomas Typewriter
———–<.thom.>———–
THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT
a puppet play in many parts
Season 07, Episode 03
By Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2026 Jason Arcand
———–<:type:>———–
FADE IN TO BLACK
From the center bottom of the frame scrolls up the following text: “07-03”. It scrolls up to the center of the frame, pauses, then continues scrolling. It exits the frame in the top center. Across the dark screen drifts the sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING.
FADE OUT
FADE IN
TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE, ANYTIME
FADE IN TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE GETTING READY TO PRESENT A NEW EPISODE.
MS OF THE TYPEWRITER PUPPET STAGE
The Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage’s main curtain slowly opens.
PAN IN TO PROPERLY FRAME THE MID-STAGE
MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The stage lights turn on with the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…
MID-STAGE: INT. TWIGTOWN CHURCH OF THE GOOD FAITH CHAPEL, EVENING.
Along the back of the stage runs a wooden panel wall. The overall design is minimal. A large wooden cross is mounted in the center of the wall. The cross is not attached directly to the wall, but out from the wall by way of metal rods. This is to allow lights installed on the back of the cross to create a halo-like illumination on the wall behind the cross. The remainder of the stage is decorated with six sets of wooden pews. Three on stage left and three on stage right leaving a small aisle in the center. The pews are orientated facing towards the cross. There is a soft lighting in the room, with the brightest light coming from the lights on the back of cross. THOMAS TEENAGER, dressed in a boy scout uniform, enters from stage-left and sits in the second row of pews, near the aisle. He looks up at the cross in silent contemplation for a few moments before letting out a SOB.
TRANSITION FROM MID-STAGE TO HIGH-STAGE
THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM FRAMING MID-STAGE AND PANS UPWARD. IT GLIDES OVER THE TOP OF THE MID-STAGE SETS. IT CONTINUES UPWARD MOVING ONTO AND OVER THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS LINING THE BACK OF THE MID-STAGE. IT PANS HIGHER AND HIGHER. AT THE TOP OF THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS IT REACHES THE HIGH-STAGE. THE CAMERA LOCKS IN TO PROPERLY FRAMING THE HIGH-STAGE.
HIGH-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED
The High-Stage curtains part and the stage lights turn on to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING ON revealing…
HIGH-STAGE: INT. OBSERVATION DECK OF THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, MORNING
A large curved window lines the back of the stage. Through it we can see outside the ship to space, the twinkling of sparks drifts by. In the distance, some of the lights from the nine bio-habitat Hills, and even glimmers from the tops of the multi-fold towers of the Palace of Stars, can be seen. In the distance the twinkle of the two torches of the dual door entrances to The Mounds. The room itself is decorated in deep reds and oranges. The lounge has a circular shape. ELDER GRIM enters from stage-right pushing a stack of amphora-crates on a wheeled dolly. He rolls them to the side. He exits and returns with a new stack. Ultimately he rolls five amorphous-crates into the lounge. He leaves and returns then rolls a taller stack of speakers, amps, and sound equipment. In his mouth, he is holding a paper bag while in his left hand he holds a coffee cup. Rolling the sound equipment to the back far corner, he reaches up and takes the paper bag out of his mouth. Sitting down near the window, Elder opens the paper bag. He pulls out a bagel and lox with extra dill. Slowly eating the bagel and sipping the coffee, Elder takes the opportunity to look out the window.
ELDER GRIM
“Reassuring to see the world still has moments of wonder.”
Elder finishes his coffee and bagel. He stands, picks up his trash, and moves off-frame to throw it away. He returns and moves to the amorpha-crate closest to the front of the stage. He opens it and starts to remove the contents, which consist of a guitar stand and a skeletal bass guitar. As he sets up the stand and guitar, the stage-lights turn off to the sound of A COMPUTER BOOTING OFF. The High-Stage curtains close.
TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO MID-STAGE
THE CAMERA DETACHES FROM FRAMING HIGH-STAGE AND PANS DOWNWARD. IT MOVES ONTO THE CURTAIN OF CLOUDS. GLIDING DOWNWARD ACROSS IT, SOON THE TOPS OF THE MID-STAGE CURTAINS COME INTO VIEW. THE CAMERA CONTINUES PANNING DOWNWARD OVER THE MID-STAGE SETS UNTIL PROPERLY FRAMING THE MID-STAGE.
MID-STAGE: INT. TWIGTOWN CHURCH OF THE GOOD FAITH CHAPEL, EVENING.
THOMAS TEENAGER sits in a middle pew near the aisle, softly sobbing. He looks up to the illuminated cross.
THOMAS TEENAGER
“Hello God. I hope you’re listening. Other people tell me you are. They say to me if you have a problem, turn it over to God. Goodness, what does that even mean. I think I have a problem, but how do I turn it over to you when I am the problem. I am broken structurally, something is wrong with me. I keep making mistakes and can not stop. Disappointing everyone around me, everyone who cares. My parents. I got into another argument with them. I don’t mean to upset them but I do. Not on purpose. But eventually I will forget something or screw up. It seems to be happening more lately. The forgetting. The arguments. It hurts so much to see the disappointment in their faces. The anger. Physical pain, like knives in my throat. They say they are trying to help me reach my potential. My teachers talk about my potential. Everyone has a comment on how much I am not living up to it. Yet no one has any answer about how I can live up this supposed potential. What am I suppose to do. No one knows. I thought I was a nice person. Why isn’t that enough. God, if you are there, please tell me why. Why do I hurt? Why do I keep making mistakes? Why am I not good enough?”
Thomas starts to cry but swallows it down. He sits in silence for a few moments. A voice beckons from off-stage.
SCOUT
(off-stage) “Hey Thomas, you coming. Glen is about to cut his cake.”
Thomas hastily wipes his eyes.
THOMAS TEENAGER
“Yeah, I’ll be right there.”
He stands and exits stage-left. The stage-lights, and cross lights, turn off to the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING OFF. The Mid-Stage curtains close.
FADE-OUT
If you are interested, the full list of Great Works of Art that I am working through is available at https://www.patreon.com/posts/143132846/
———–<.thom.>———–
THE NOT SO PUPPET SHOW
An asymmetry without apologies
Episode #2
“The Skipping Stone”
By Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2026 jason arcand
———–<:type:>———–
FADE INTO THE TITLE SEQUENCE
The title sequence plays.
FADE OUT
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. I often had a brain that was too loud and an interior landscape that was too big. Lots of overload, but skipping rocks helped. The loud thoughts and giant emotions lessened 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
WAVE SCREEN BOARD
The Wave Screen 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.”
TRANSITION BACK TO LAKESIDE
CUT 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
“Why are you overthinking this. I have no control over your throw. You are going to throw the stone however you can. I have no awareness of this. All I have are the brief moments of contact. To my awareness, I only have a limited lifespan of kisses with the water. The only aspect of my life I control is in how I kiss. Do I make moments of sweetness? Of bitterness? Of some mixture of the two? That is my life and that by extension is your life. So what are you going to do with your limited moments. Will you be bitter? Will you be sweet? Will you be somewhere in-between?”
CUT TO CS OF THOMAS CONTEMPLATING WHAT THE SKIPPING STONE SAID.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“That is the question.”
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
If you are interested, the full list of Great Works of Art that I am working through is available at https://www.patreon.com/posts/143132846/
———–<.thom.>———–
THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT
a puppet play in many parts
Season 07, Episode 02
By Thomas Typewriter
(c) 2026 Jason Arcand
———–<:type:>———–
FADE IN TO BLACK
From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “07-02”. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge.
FADE OUT
FADE IN
EXT. THE HILLTOPS, NIGHT
LS OF THE CLEARING AND FIRE.
A small clearing along a trail running past a thick forest finds Z-MOUSE and THE GHOSTLY sitting around a campfire. Sparks rise off as the logs in the fire loudly POP AND SIZZLE.
MS OF Z-MOUSE AND THE GHOSTLY
Z-MOUSE
(to the Ghostly) “You think he’s okay.”
The Ghostly shrugs in response to Z-Mouse’s question. Z-Mouse sighs softly and then reaches for some supplies on the ground next to him. He pulls up a bag of chocolate bars, graham crackers, and marshmallows. FINGERS SNAPPING can be heard very softly in the background. He reaches down again and pulls up a stick to roast marshmallows. FINGERS SNAPPING returns only louder.
Z-MOUSE
“You hear that?”
THE GHOSTLY
(while pulling out her stick for roasting marshmallows) “Hear what?”
Z-MOUSE
“Like crickets or cicadas. Yeah cicadas. Do you have those here?”
THE GHOSTLY
“No. Maybe it’s something going on back at your physical body.”
Z-MOUSE
“Physical body?”
Realization dawns on Z-Mouse
Z-MOUSE
“Oh yeah, I am asleep right now. Funny how I forgot I was dreaming.”
Z-Mouse disappears with a POP. Small Dream-bubbles which quickly fade away are left behind in his space.The stick and bag he was holding hover in the air for a moment then drop to the ground. The Ghostly scoots over and picks up the bag. She places a marshmallow on her stick and begins to roast it in the fire.
ZOOM IN ON THE FLAMES. IN THE BRIGHTNESS DISSOLVE TO THE NEXT SHOT.
TRANSITION FROM THE HILLTOPS TO THE WRITER’S ROOM
INT. THE WRITER’S ROOM, NIGHTTIME
At a long conference table in a conference room, Z-MOUSE is asleep at the table.
FADE IN TO A CS OF Z-MOUSE’S FACE.
A set of fingers are SNAPPING in front of Z-Mouse’s face. Z-Mouse’s eyes start to slowly open.
PAN OUT
Y-MOUSE is snapping his fingers in front of Z-Mouse’s face. The Writer’s Room is nearly empty with just Y-Mouse and Z-Mouse at the long table. X-Mouse and C-Mouse , the only other people in the room, are exiting through the doors.
Y-MOUSE
“Wakey wakey. The meeting is over.”
Z-Mouse rouses himself up.
Z-MOUSE
“Did I miss anything?”
Y-MOUSE
“No. Not really. We’re still stuck on the scripts. Finally, I had to end the meeting because we were getting nowhere. Plus, I have to be somewhere in an hour.”
Z-MOUSE
“At least nowhere is somewhere.”
Y-MOUSE
“You would say that wouldn’t you.”
Y-Mouse starts to walk to the door and Z-Mouse follows. Since he is not sleeping, his cloud chair dissolves as he stands.
Z-MOUSE
“I was having the most wonderful dream.”
Z-Mouse is outside the door with Y-Mouse just inside.
Y-MOUSE
“Oh, really. Why don’t you tell me as we walk.”
Y-Mouse turns of the lights with a SNAP. The sound of fingers snapping can be heard very very faintly in the background. The entire frame has gone black except for the light in the open door. The silhouettes of Y-Mouse can be seen walking through the door and closing it.
Z-MOUSE
“So I was roasting marshmallows and he came out. Looked like he was dreaming too.”
Y-MOUSE
“You don’t say.”
Y-Mouse fully shuts the door and the screen goes black.
TRANSITION FROM THE WRITER’S ROOM TO MID-STAGE
MID-STAGE: INT. PENCIL CHICKS STUDIO, AFTERNOON
THOMAS TYPEWRITER is asleep at a long desk, using his arms as a pillow.
CS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S FACE. OPHIDIA’S SNAPPING FINGERS ARE ALSO JUST IN THE FRAME.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE SNAPS her fingers in an attempt to gently wake up Thomas.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Thomas. Thomas. Time to wake up.”
Thomas’ eyes crack open.
CUT TO FRAMING SHOT OF MID-STAGE
Thomas raises his head and shifts himself awake in small movements across his body and face.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“What time is it?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Time to celebrate.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(low-energy delivery) “Whoo. Celebration.”
Thomas starts moving his shoulders and arms in a poor imitation of dancing.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“You’re hilarious when you wake up.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Was I talking in my sleep again?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Not sure. Maybe a little.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Oh. (pauses) So what are we celebrating?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Only this!”
She holds up an animation cell pencil sketch while Thomas yawns and stretches. He then looks closer at the animation cell Ophidia is holding.
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“And what am I looking at?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“It is the last cell.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“The last cell?”
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“The last one! I am all done with the pencil stage.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“That is a cause for celebration.”
Ophidia starts to dance in joy. Thomas stands and joins her. She dances over to the animation desk and puts the last cell on the stack with the others. Thomas opens his arms and she spins to him. They join arms and start into a waltz. As they move towards the exit, Ophidia steps on Thomas’s foot. He winces.
OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“Sorry.”
THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“No, it is okay. Even roses have thorns.”
They dance out exiting stage-left. The Stage-lights turn off to the sound of a light-switch clicking off. The Mid-stage curtains close.
FADE OUT.
Spell caster, melody maker
What you bring when you sing
Invocation, realization
Doorways that ring of many things
Toe tapping rhythmic gyration
Upswing, Wellspring, Worshiping
The movement’s a shovel
Digging below the gravel bone
A wing from this sting
To a realm of
Seeing the you
Unspooling like string
Across from you
-Thomas Typewriter
Thomas Typewriter 
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