writing

“The Great Works Project: Season 06, Episode 12” by Thomas Typewriter

The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 06, Episode 12

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2025 jason arcand

———–<:type:>———–

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 finger-less fishnet gloves. Each of their fingers, except the pinkies, are painted with a black or dark shade of fingernail polish. For this one episode, they are wearing bracelets made of various sized keys. The Velvet Touch waves 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 in two columns:

an outsider… a color…
an artist… a letter…
a spirit… two paths…

The Velvet Touch rotates the cue card once more. The other side now displays the following text: “06-12”. The Velvet Touch moves off-screen. The text scrolls up exiting through the top of the frame. From the bottom of the frame scrolls up the following text: “meanwhile and elsewhere”

PAN IN ON THE DARK BEHIND THE VELVET CURTAIN

FADE OUT TO BLACK

GRIGIO COLORI
(offscreen) “From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “meanwhile…”. It moves upwards, pausing in the center of the frame.

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. THE OUTER ONE and GRIGIO COLORI walk along one of the hills.

MS OF OUTER ONE AND GRIGIO AS THEY WALK ACROSS THE LONG HILLS

THE OUTER ONE
“Meanwhile? Doesn’t it say elsewhere.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“No. Meanwhile.”

THE OUTER ONE
“But when I read it earlier it said elsewhere.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Don’t know what to tell you. It says meanwhile. Here look.”

THE OUTER ONE
“Okay, I believe you. It just seemed kind of out of character for the transitions Thomas was using before now.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“I agree.”

THE OUTER ONE
“Okay. Could Thomas be changing the script. I thought it was already published, but I swear that it said something different before.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Maybe. That did seem to be a concern for Biff and Rockey in the first season scripts.”

THE OUTER ONE
“But how would we know?”

GRIGIO COLORI
“As a character from said story, I don’t think I am the best person to know if it changed.”

THE OUTER ONE
“Weird.”

There is a long pause.

THE OUTER ONE
“Oh well. Wa la wa. Doesn’t really change our goal does it.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“No it does not.”

THE OUTER ONE
“I still need to get my hand and arm fixed.”

The Outer One holds up his right arm and looks at how it is a translucent form filled with glitching text and symbols. The glitching flesh has now spread past his elbow and up to his bicep.

GRIGIO COLORI
“Yikes. That you do! What happens when if that reaches your head?”

THE OUTER ONE
“Don’t know and don’t want to find out.”

There is another pause.

GRIGIO COLORI
“So, should I keep reading?”

THE OUTER ONE
“Oh…yes, please do. We are almost to Swordpoint but we should have enough time to get a little more in.

GRIGIO COLORI
“From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the word Meanwhile. It pauses a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge.”

TRANSITION FROM THE LONG HILLS TO THE HILLTOP

THE CAMERA PANS UP FROM THE OUTER ONE AND GRIGIO COLORI TO THE SKY ABOVE THEM. IT PANS ACROSS THE SKY AS THE CLOUDS GIVE WAY TO STARS.


THE CAMERA PANS DOWN FROM THE STARS, DOWN ACROSS A DIFFERENT SKY AND ONTO THE HILLTOP

EXT. THE DOWNHILL
The Downhill is the region just past the Hilltop. It is a gently sloping hillside covered in prairie and wildflowers with solitary trees scattered across. The flowers and grasses are only about shin height. A trail leads out from the Hilltop and down the slope to a large signpost. The trail then splits at the signpost forking to two trails. One trail goes out through the wildflowers and down across the Downhills to a city in the distance. It is far away and difficult to see fine details, but it appears to have many bright warm lights, tall buildings, and a sky overfilled with fluffy clouds in shades of white, sunrise yellow, mid-day blue, and sunset red. The other path also leads off to a city in the distance. This city is also far away and difficult to discern fine detail. What is visible is many tall buildings, tall smokestacks, flickering lights and a sky filled with grey smoke and haze.


LS OF THE DOWNHILL

THOMAS TYPEWRITER emerges from the Hilltop and works his way down the slope. He follows the trail to the point it splits. A signpost stands at the split. It has an arrow pointing down each branch of the trail. One arrow has the following text written on it: “THIStle”. The other has the following text written on it: “THATtle”.

VARIOUS SHOTS OF THOMAS WALKING DOWN THE TRAIL AND APPROACHING THE SIGN.


Thomas stops and looks at the signs.

MS OF THOMAS LOOKING AT THE SIGN

CUT TO CS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL SIGN AND THEN PANNING TO LOOK DOWN THE TRAIL.

CUT BACK

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“This might be easier if the Ghostly could of remembered the part explaining what each city was.”

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT AS THOMAS ONCE AGAIN LOOKS DOWN EACH TRAIL.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“How do I decide. She said one city might be good and the other bad. I imagine most everyone goes to that city that looks bright. But this is a faerie-tale kind-of scenario. Maybe it only looks good and has evil hidden under the surface, like an allegory for how appearances can be deceiving. Or it could actually be good and be an allegory for like turning your spiritual lead into gold. Conversely the other city looks awful like it could be an allegory for toxic habits. Or it could be cursed to look evil and you have break the curse as an allegory for removing your destructive layers to find the spiritual self underneath. How do I decide. How do I decide? How do I decide? How…How, How, How, How…”

Thomas grips his heart and then his head. He starts to hyperventilate. Leaning over, he works to sit down in a cross legged position. He places his hands on his knees, palm up, and starts to breathe in and breathe out.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“In…1…2…3…4…Out…1…2…3…4…In…1…2…3…4…Out…1…2…3…4…In…1…2…3…4…Out…1…2…3…4…and you are safe. You and calm.”

Thomas shifts his hands up to rub his face and refocus.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Started to freak out there. I’ve got to calm down. I’ll just sit here till I figure this out.”

Thomas sits and looks down each path and also the surrounding fields. Then his attention focuses on the fields of wildflowers.

CUT TO MONTAGE OF WILDFLOWERS AND GRASS. SEE BIRDS AND INSECTS.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “It is actually pretty here. I wonder how many of these travelers notice that. They might be in such a hurry they overlook the area around the trail. Reminds me of the hay fields where I grew up.”

CUT BACK

Thomas looks at the two signs.

CUT TO MONTAGE OF SHOTS OF THE SIGN POST

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “Do we really have to follow the trails? Like there doesn’t seem to be anything to physically keep us limited to the path. Instead of choosing one or the other, why don’t I not choose. I think I’d rather walk among the flowers and songbirds than walk to either of those cities.”

He stands and dusts off his pants. He then looks at the signpost.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Thank you world for the two paths, but I think I am going to go with option three.”

Thomas walks past the signpost and into the wildflower fields.

CUT TO MONTAGE OF THOMAS WALKING THROUGH THE WILD FLOWER FIELDS.

As Thomas walks across the wildflower fields off the path, he starts to sink and stumble. The ground is uneven and he is unable to walk in a straight line. Also the ground is slowly sinking lower, but the top of the wildflowers remain at the same height. Thomas gets lower and lower in the wildflowers soon swallowed up to his ribs. He is sweating and breathing heavy.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I did not think this through did I? Is it too late to turn back?.

A glint of light splashes across Thomas’s face. Thomas turns his head as if noticing something. He steps forward and kneels down and parts the grass.

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS LEANING OVER

CUT TO CS OF THE GRASS

As the grass parts, there is something metallic partially buried in the dirt.

INSERT CS OF AN OLD KEY IN THE SOIL.

A sunbeam comes out and the exposed metallic parts glitter. Thomas picks up the key and starts to clean it off.

CUT BACK TO MS OF THOMAS

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“What is this?”

Thomas intently studies the key, turning it over and over as he stands. He starts to walk forward, distracted by the key. Failing to notice he is sinking, Thomas disappears from view down into the wildflowers. The flowers and grasses pushed aside by his presence slip back into their regular stances as is he was never there.

TRANSITION FROM THE DOWNHILL TO THE SWORD POINT

THE CAMERA PANS UP FROM THE WILDFLOWERS TO THE SKY ABOVE. IT PANS ACROSS THE SKY AS THE CLOUDS GIVE WAY TO STARS.

THE CAMERA PANS DOWN FROM THE STARS, DOWN ACROSS A DIFFERENT SKY AND ONTO SWORD POINT.

EXT. SWORD POINT, LATE AFTERNOON
A series of gentle hills overlook a central stone platform. There is a kind of white light on the platform, but it is too far away to accurately make out. Running out from the stone platform is a labyrinthine queue of people, snaking back and forth on itself. It spreads out across the vast field the stone platform sits in the center of and out to the slopes of the surrounding hills. The queue’s path is marked by pylons and chains. Scattered amongst the queue are nine stations with an entry gate, an awning, and a bouncer attendant .

LS OF THE SWORD POINT AND QUEUE

From the hill in the lower edge of the frame, THE OUTER ONE and GRIGIO COLORI enter.


THE OUTER ONE
“Here we are.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Swordpoint?”

THE OUTER ONE
“Swordpoint.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Wow. That is a lot people.”

THE OUTER ONE
“Yup.”

MS OF THE OUTER ONE AND GRIGIO

GRIGIO COLORI
“So how does this work?”

THE OUTER ONE
“We go to the end of the line. Wait our turn. Then we ask our question.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“That easy?”

THE OUTER ONE
“That easy.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“But the line is massive. How long will be waiting.”

THE OUTER ONE
“Centuries. Unless you pay for quicker access.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Lets do that. So what do we have to do?”

THE OUTER ONE
“Well, we go to one of the Gatekeepers and pay. The amount of value the payment generates will determine how further up the line we get.”

GRIGIO COLORI
“Ohhh. (pause) And you have the waiting fee?”

THE OUTER ONE
“A little. I’m down to three copies.”

The Outer One turns and starts walking towards Swordpoint. Grigio follows behind.

FADE OUT

“What do you scream?” by Thomas Typewriter

poetry

What are you to do

What choices can be made

Throat blinded

Vision raw

No planning for this.

What now that loud shifts louder

Night silhouettes

Blistering regrets

How do you scream when you are already screaming

How does your voice last.

Where is all this coming from

Who do you call

When you drown out your own voice

Irregular noises

Guttural piths

Competitive voices racing to closed doors.

Again and again I ask

How do you scream when you are already screaming

-by Thomas Typewriter

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

Puppet play, scripts, The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT

a puppet play in many parts

Season 6, Episode 11

by Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2025 jason arcand

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN


From the center of a blank screen scrolls upward rapidly the following text: “06-11”. 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


The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING rings out from the darkness.


FADE IN


INT. THE HILLTOPS, EVENING
A rounded hill of scrubland stands at the juncture or overlap of vast rolling sand dunes of white, brown, and gold sand meeting a large primeval forest dotted with swaths of prairie flowers. A walking path runs across the Hilltops. Near the center of the Hilltops, just next to the path is a tall post made of irregular length boards roughly nailed together. Hanging from the top of the signpost is an elaborate stained glass lamp, currently lit, suspended on an intricate golden chain. Numerous vines of morning glories, runner beans, and trumpet vines grow up the post. A little further down the path from the signpost sits THOMAS TYPEWRITER, Z-MOUSE, and The GHOSTLY around a camp fire. All of them are eating pizza and drinking soda.
LS OF THOMAS, Z-MOUSE, AND GHOSTLY

Z-MOUSE
(to Thomas) “So what brings you around Thomas.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I was working for Ophidia, and needed a break.”

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS AND Z-MOUSE

Z-MOUSE
“How’s that going?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Good.”

CUT TO CS OF THE GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“Who’s Ophidia?”

CUT TO CS OF THOMAS

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“An animator and also my fiance.”

CUT TO CS OF GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“Oh. Congratulations.”

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS, Z-MOUSE, AND GHOSTLY

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Thank you. So I was working for Ophidia and it was just so boring. I don’t know how she can stand it but animating is not for me. The inside of my head was just screaming louder and louder. I needed a break. Closed my eyes and turned inwards. ”

Z-MOUSE
“I must admit I am surprised to see you here.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yeah, me too. I really thought I was going to end up in the Writer’s Room. Speaking of the Writer’s Room, how is it going? Any progress?”


Z-Mouse shakes his head.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Oh well. How about you? Why aren’t you at the meeting.”


Z-MOUSE
“The dreams were pulling me too strongly to stay awake. Next thing I know I am here.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“And where is here exactly?”


THE GHOSTLY
“This is the Hilltop. The spot where the Sands and the Valleys overlap. All travelers having survived thirst or flood find themselves here before moving onto the Fields.”

Z-MOUSE
“Hilltop? That’s the name of this place?”

THE GHOSTLY
“Truly.”

Z-MOUSE
“That makes your whole speech make more sense.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“So this is like a warning speech?”

Z-MOUSE
“Oh yeah, the Ghostly haunts this trail.”

THE GHOSTLY
“Truly, it is my burden to warn all travelers of the choices they must make when they venture beyond to the Fields.”

Z-MOUSE
“She appears to every traveler and delivers this light show and monologue. A real production. It is really quite a show. You should see it.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Could I?”

CUT TO CS OF GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“I don’t know. It’s embarrassing and I’d rather not. I’m enjoying this. Just eating some pizza and hanging out. I don’t get to do this kind of thing very often.”

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS AND Z-MOUSE

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Oh please.”

Z-MOUSE
“Don’t be embarrassed.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Pretty please.”

Z_MOUSE
“Pretty please with a cherry on top.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Yes, cherry on top. And I promise, we’ll do more eating pizza and shooting the breeze.”

CUT TO CS OF THE GHOSTLY

THE GHOSTLY
“Okay, I’ll do it.”

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS, Z-MOUSE AND THE GHOSTLY

Thomas and Z-Mouse cheer.

THE GHOSTLY
“Give me a moment to prepare.”

The Ghostly stands and fades out of view, disappears.

Z-MOUSE
(to Thomas) “You’re going to really like this.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I hope so.”

TRANSITION FROM THE HILLTOPS TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE HIGH-STAGE
THE CAMERA PANS UPWARD TO THE STARS MOVING ON TO THE DARKNESS OF SPACE.
DISSOLVE FROM THE DARKNESS OF SPACE TO THE HIGH-STAGE CURTAINS

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


HIGH-STAGE: EXT. THE DOOR TO PANACEA’S OFFICE IN THE FLUTE MEDICALSHIP, EVENING
A long hallway spreads across the stage. The back of the stage is a metal wall, painted a light matte cream color. Horizontal stripes of yellow, blue and brown run the length of the wall. The yellow stripe runs across the center to a door in the center of the stage. The stripe of yellow follows the doorframe creating an effect of ringing the door.


PANACEA FLAUTO
(voice-over) “Medi-pod: Journal entry starting now. We have finished our examination and initial treatment of the two youths brought to us by the Count. They do show signs of injury consistent to previous cases of decompression and exposure to vacuum but not to the severity that they should have. Additionally they exhibit burns consistent to exposure to high energy. Possibility due to the proximity to the Ir-Ra and its corona.”


CEDAR WAXWINGS, in a Medi-pod rolls in from stage-left. In one hand he is holding a bag of food. He approaches the door and knocks on it.


PANACEA FLAUTO
(voice-over) “The fact that these kids even survived out there was remarkable. What were they doing out there? How did they end up in that Sat-bot? Did somebody save them, and if yes, who?”


Cedar Waxwings extends his arm and knocks a second time.


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Getting sidetracked here. Okay, medical journal. Alright where was I. Burns, right. Besides the previous symptoms they also exhibited minor abrasions and are currently unconscious. Their condition is not severe enough to warrant Medi-pods. (pauses) Medi-pods! Oh, what time is it!”


Cedar Waxwing knocks on the door a third time. He waits a few minutes and then knocks a fourth time. He waits a moment for a response and finally accepting no one is inside turns to leave. From off stage the sound of RUNNING FOOTSTEPS approaches. PANACEA FLAUTO runs in from stage-right.


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Wait!”


Cedar turns and waits for her. She runs over, places on hand on his Medi-pod for support and tries to catch her breath.


PANACEA FLAUTO
(severely winded) “Hate…running…so…much. Hey…Cedar…how…are…you?”


CEDAR WAXWINGS
“You okay.”


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yeah, just winded.”


CEDAR WAXWINGS
“I brought you some dinner.”


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Thank you.”


CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Did you forget we were going to watch the next episode.”


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Honestly?”


CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Honestly.”


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yes. Some new patients got admitted and I lost track of time.”


Cedar pulls out a container from his bag and hands it to Panacea.


CEDAR WAXWINGS
“So tell me about it.”


Panacea slides down to sit on the floor and opens the container. She takes a bite of salad.


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Oh, this is good.”


CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Thanks. You are always eating those salads with pine nuts, so I thought you might like this. You were saying new admits.”


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Yeah, so they found these two kids out in space.”


Cedar pulls out his food container from the bag.


CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Really?”


PANACEA FLAUTO
“Really.”


CEDAR WAXWINGS
“Then what?”


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


TRANSITION FROM HIGH-STAGE TO THE HILLTOP


DISSOLVE FROM THE HIGH-STAGE CURTAINS TO THE DARKNESS OF SPACE


THE CAMERA PANS DOWNWARD FROM THE DARKNESS OF SPACE ACROSS THE STARS IN THE SKY AND THEN DOWN TO THOMAS AND Z-MOUSE IN THE HILLTOPS


EXT. THE HILLTOP, EVENING.
MS OF THOMAS AND Z-MOUSE
THOMAS TYPEWRITER and Z-MOUSE sit around a log fire burning on the top of a hill. They fidget with anticipation. The fire POPS then briefly flares.


THE GHOSTLY
(off-camera) “Listen well traveler, for having made it this far you are now faced with a choice.”


The flame of the fire dies down, casting Thomas and Z-Mouse into shadow. From out of the frame, stage-right, comes a spectral glow. Thomas and Z-Mouse turn their heads to look at the source of the glow.


CUT TO LS OF THE GHOSTLY
The Ghostly has appeared, floating in the air off to the side of the fire. She glows with a bright spectral energy.

THE GHOSTLY
“For you have survived what the world has given you. You have moved and made distance. Where you started is no longer where you are. Now comes the point where you will reach a fork in the road and must choose a path. But be aware one path leads…”

The Ghostly’s glow dims a little bit.

CS OF THE GHOSTLY


THE GHOSTLY
(as an aside to Thomas Typewriter and Z-Mouse) “And that is where most everyone says ‘Oh, thank you’ and keeps walking on. But if they were to stick around this is how the rest of it would go.”


CUT BACK TO LS OF THE GHOSTLY


THE GHOSTLY
“But be aware that one path leads to Abundance while the other leads to Self-Absorbtion. I am not able to tell you which path is ultimately yours to travel. Nor am I allowed to tell you how to discern which path is which. The steps you have taken before, to get here have determined that. But you have a few more steps to take before choosing, so please listen to this tale of the city that let it’s story become part of your last few steps…last few steps and ….and…and I don’t remember the rest.”

The Ghostly’s glow dims and turns off.

THE GHOSTLY
“It has been centuries since I reached even this point and its all kind of fuzzy to me now.”

Z-MOUSE
“Good thing no one sticks around then.”

THE GHOSTLY
“I know, right.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Do you remember any of it?”


THE GHOSTLY
“Something about a great golden city in the past and elves. They did something or made some bad magic or talked to the dead and some got corrupted. They can’t get along and the city splits into two.”

Z-MOUSE
“Wow, I might of oversold this.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“You think. Oh, well. A break is a break and I am not going to complain. I’ve got pizza, soda, friends, and the love of someone who sees me. Life is good.”

The Ghostly returns to her seat around the campfire and picks up another slice of pizza.

Z-MOUSE
“I’ll toast to that.”

Thomas, Z-Mouse, and the Ghostly each lift up a can of soda.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Salute!”

Z-MOUSE AND THE GHOSTLY
“Salute!”


THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(to self) “La vita è breve, ma l’arte è lunga.”

They each drink from the soda can and start giggling.

FADE OUT