writing

Commuting by Thomas Typewriter

poetry

I was born to fly

Is a phrase married to

Why can’t I move

Building homes in the small spaces

Where headlamps kiss brakelights

sunkissed danish

Holding large parties where

More cars join the turtle dance

Of stop, stop, go

-Thomas Typewriter

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

scripts, The Not So Puppet Show

———–<.thom.>———–

THE NOT SO PUPPET SHOW

Season One, Episode Two

“My Feet Move and Something Deep Eats”

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2024 thomas typewriter

———–<:type:>———–

FADE IN

Title sequence plays.

FADE OUT TO WHITE

FADE IN

INT. BORDERTOWNE MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN’S OFFICE, DAYTIME
The Librarian’s Office is a 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 reading from a hardcover novel.

MS OF MS. WEAVER

From off-stage the sound of A DOOR OPENING and FOOTSTEPS can be heard. Ms. Weaver moves her eyes up in anticipation of the person making the noise.

CUT TO OVER SHOULDER SHOT OF MS. WEAVER LOOKING AT THE DOOR TO HER OFFICE.

THOMAS TOPHAT enters the room. With a sour look on his face, he hands a note to Ms. Weaver. She turns her book upside down, laying it on the desk freeing her hands. Taking the note from him, she reads it.

MS. WEAVER
“And you did this? In front of the whole class.”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“Not exactly the whole class. I just didn’t have time to go to my locker and back to my next class. It’s on the opposite side of the building.”

MS. WEAVER
“And you thought it was a better idea to change at your desk in the middle of class.”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“First off, it was not the middle of class. It was the end. Second, it’s not like I took my underwear off. I was classy and quick.”

MS. WEAVER
“Classy and quick. (chuckles) Okay, so what dressed as that you couldn’t wear it the next class.”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“I was dressed like a fly. Made a special coat with extra arms and wings, bug eyes, antennas…it was pretty cool.”

MS. WEAVER
“And why were you dressed as a fly?”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“It was for a presentation on an Emily Dickinson poem my group was doing.”

MS. WEAVER
“I Heard a Fly Buzzing strikes again.”

Thomas nods his head yes. Ms. Weaver laughs.

MS. WEAVER
“You’re not the first to dress like a fly for that poem, but probably the first to get in trouble.”

THOMAS TOPHAT
“And here I thought I wouldn’t leave my mark at these hallowed halls.”

Ms Weaver chuckles.

MS. WEAVER
“Okay, go write your report.”

Thomas hesitates to move, working up his nerve to ask something.

THOMAS TOPHAT
“There wouldn’t happen to be a new issue of that thing I read last time?”

Ms. Weaver reaches into a drawer in her desk and pulls out the next issue of The Not So zine. She tosses it on the desk and it slides over to Thomas. He picks it up and starts to leave the office. Ms. Weaver picks up her book and resumes reading.

THOMAS TOPHAT
(reading out loud to self) “An art table spreads across the stage…”

Thomas starts reading out loud to himself as Ms. Weaver chuckles softly. She resumes reading as Thomas leaves the room.

FADE OUT

TRANSITION FROM THE LIBRARY TO THE TYPEWRITER STUDIOS

FADE IN

INT. TYPEWRITER STUDIOS, DAYTIME
An art table made up of a long sheet of plywood stacked on top of shelving fills the front of the stage. A writing area fills the center of the desk with a painting station off to the stage-right and a photography area off to the stage-right. The writing area has a laptop and lamp. The painting station has jars of acrylic paint and watercolor ink stored in plastic bins. A paintbrush holder with a spiral holding clip sits next to the bins. Various glass jars, all former pickle and jelly jars, line the front edge of the painting area. Next to the jars is a large gallon jug of gesso and a stack of stretched canvases. The photography station has a series of mirrors stacked on top of each other separated by a kitchen towel for padding. A bin sits on top of the mirrors filled with children’s wooden blocks, a flashlight, and a ring light. The photography station and the writing desk area are separated by a large chunk of Rose Quartz and a smaller chunk of Gabbro. THOMAS TYPEWRITER sits at the writing desk typing away on the laptop. The sound of KEYS CLICK CLACKING rings out.

MS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “More often than I would like, I get clouded and obscured.”

Thomas’ expression shifts to concerned.

CUT TO CS OF THOMAS’ FINGERS TYPING

The fingers start to vibrate in a way not connected to typing fast. Smoke starts to leak from the joints of his hands and fingers. He stops typing.

CUT BACK TO MS OF THOMAS

Thomas stops typing.

THE VIEW SWITCHES TO THE INNER SELF SPACE BY SUPERIMPOSING THE INNER SELF AREA OVER THE RIBS AND TORSO AREA OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER. THOMAS AND HIS ART STUDIO FADE OUT. ZOOM IN ON THE INNER SELF SPACE UNTIL IT FILLS THE FRAME

THE INNER SELF SPACE is a box with the camera set in a set point above the box looking down. The floor of the box is a light box that has a grey-tone woodblock skeleton on top of it. This would be the torso area of Thomas’ torso, so ribs, lower spine, and should blades. A grey tone outlines the area where the flesh ends. It has the effect of looking down on a kind of x-ray of Thomas’ chest. Clumps of black wool or cotton, with touches of brown and sickly yellow-green start to fill the Inner Self Space from the pelvis area working up to the neck.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “In those moments I feel so off. As if my insides are no longer made of the same materials. As if I am filling up with some substance, some emotion…some sensation… and the pressure is going to burst. I become overwhelmed, no good to myself or anyone else.”

CUT BACK TO MS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER ONCE THE DARK CLUMPS FILL THE FRAME
Thomas, with smoke leaking from his finger joints and the orifices in his head, closes his laptop. He stands and exits stage-left.

TRANSITION FROM ART STUDIO TO FRONT ENTRANCE

INT. THE ELMHOUSE FRONT ENTRANCE, DAYTIME
The front door sits just off center of the frame with a combination coat and shoe rack sitting to the side. The coat rack hooks hold a collection of light jackets in adult and child sizes. There is also a ball cap with the logo for the City of Champions Community College (CCC). The floor is made of worn hardwood planks that are starting to buckle in a few places. To the side of the coat rack is a set of small baskets mounted to the wall. There are two with one holding Ophidia’s keys, wallet, and phone while the other holds Thomas’ items.

MS OF THE COAT RACK WITH PART OF THE FRONT DOOR VISIBLE IN THE EDGE OF THE FRAME.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER enters from stage-left and walks over to the coat rack. He slips on his jacket. Smoke still leaks from his hands, shirt collar, ears, mouth, eyes or tear ducts, and nose.

CUT TO MONTAGE OF CLOSE SHOTS OF EACH ACTION

Thomas grabs his keys and then his wallet. He puts on his shoes, tying each shoe’s laces. Thomas finally grabs his cap.

CUT BACK TO MS

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(calling off-screen) “Hey Ophidia, I am going out for a walk.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE-TYPEWRITER
(off-screen) “You want me to come with.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I’m in a bad spot, so maybe best if you don’t.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE-TYPEWRITER
(off-screen) “Okay. I’ll be here if you change your mind. Love you.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Love you too.”

CUT TO

TRANSITION FROM ELMHOUSE INTERIOR TO EXTERIOR

EXT. ELMHOUSE FRONT STEPS, DAYTIME
A white door in a white frame with a matching white storm door stands at the top of set of steps built from stone pavers. A porch light is mounted to the top left-side of the door. A window is visible on each side of the door. A mailbox is mounted below the porch light between the door and window.

LS OF THE FRONT DOOR

THOMAS TYPEWRITER opens the front door and steps outside. He walks forward enough to close the door behind him. With the door closed he steps down off the front steps and starts to go for a walk through his neighborhood. He exits the frame.

CUT TO

TRANSITION FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE ELMHOUSE TO THE SPLIT SCREEN

THE SPLIT SCREEN
In this section the frame will be divided into two sections. The top third of the screen will be images and scenes from the physical or external world of Thomas walking through his neighborhood. The bottom two-thirds of the frame will be the Inner Self Space.

THE TOP FRAME (PHYSICAL WORLD) SHOWS A LS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER STARTING TO WALK DOWN THE BLOCK.

THE BOTTOM FRAME (INNER SELF SPACE) IS INITIALLY DARK BUT SLOWLY LIGHTS TURN ON REVEALING THE SHAPE AND LOOK OF THE SPACE.

The Inner Self Space is a light table with the camera suspended over it. The light table has a design laid over it similar to an x-ray of the chest of Thomas Typewriter. The body of Thomas is bright while the area outside his body is black. The amount of internal organs and skeleton is minimal. Specifically only his ribs, scapula, lungs and heart are visible. Thomas’ bones are visible in a light-grey-blue. His heart is a light-grey-red. His lungs are a light-grey-yellow. The entire surface of the Inner Self Space is covered in dark puffs of cotton or similar substances. There are bits of dark green and yellow-browns in the puff balls. Ultimately the color of the puff balls need to match with the color of the smoke pouring out of Thomas in the previous section.

THE TOP FRAME CUTS TO CS OF THOMAS’ FEET WALKING

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “Luckily for me, when I walk something deep rises to eat.”

In the bottom of the Inner Self Space, at a spot corresponding to Thomas’ groin, the scales of THE SOMETHING DEEP start to glow. The Something Deep is a dragon-like puppet with a swiveling head and body. The other important detail is the puppet is built over a vacuum such that it can suck up the puff balls. The vacuum is off currently.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “It took me awhile before I realized it existed. Discernment of my inner self took many years, longer than my peers. In fact, it was by accident. Looking to escape the presence of my parents after an argument, I fled to the fields and pastures surrounding my childhood home. As I got further and further from the house, I started to notice flowers, butterflies, birds…like I was wandering into a painting that became more and more detailed the further I went. Soon something was happening to all that overload I was feeling on the inside. It was being consumed and reduced.”

The Something Deep’s eyes open and glow bright red.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “I couldn’t always walk the meadow when overwhelmed, but I eventually realized it wasn’t the meadow itself that helped me process.”

In the Physical World, Thomas’ feet stop moving. A BIRD CALL is heard from off frame.

IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD CUT TO CS OF THOMAS TURNING HIS HEAD TO LOOK AT SOMETHING THEN CUT TO A CS OF A SONGBIRD IN THE BRANCHES OF A TREE.

In the Inner Self Space the vacuum built into the Something Deep turns on. It starts to move “eating” or sucking up the dark puffs.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(narration) “It was the moving. The getting out of the rut of thought and noticing a new detail whether that be an interesting detail in the world or just the change in heart rate.”

IN THE PHYSICAL SPACE CUT BACK TO CS OF THOMAS TYPEWRITER’S FEET WALKING.

In the Physical World, Thomas starts walking again. While in the Inner Self Space, the Something Deep slithers through the space sucking up all the dark puffs. Once they are gone, the Something Deep returns to the groin area. Its eyes close and scales stop glowing. As the Something Deep starts to slumber, an insight projects in the center of frame. BIFF THE RABBIT and ROCKEY THE PET ROCK are sitting on a rug in Biff’s bedroom with an open box of crayons. Every crayon is black. Biff is holding up a crayon and looking at it. In the Physical World, Thomas’ feet slow and then stop.

BIFF THE RABBIT
“I know Thomas has written that the crayons turning black confuses us and is then we go to the faerie realm to find it, but you know, looking at this crayon something occurs to me. This isn’t really a problem. You can still draw with a black crayon.”

ROCKEY THE PET ROCK
“I thought that was weird too. It is not like they are broken or unusable. Let’s just draw something else.”

BIFF THE RABBIT
“Yeah, lets do that instead.”

The projection of Biff and Rockey ends.

IN THE PHYSICAL SPACE CUT TO CS OF THOMAS’ FACE.

Thomas has a thought, a realization.

IN PHYSICAL SPACE CUT TO CS OF THOMAS PULLING A NOTEBOOK FROM A POCKET AND THEN WRITING IN IT.

Thomas pulls out his sketchbook and jots down a quick note. He returns the sketchbook to his pocket and resumes walking.

IN THE PHYSICAL SPACE CUT BACK TO CS OF THOMAS’ FEET.

In the Physical Space, Thomas’ walks out of the frame.

THE INNER SELF SPACE DIMS TO BLACK AND THEN THE PHYSICAL SPACE DIMS TO BLACK.

CUT TO

EXT. ELMHOUSE, DAYTIME


LS OF FRONT DOOR AND FRONT STEPS


Thomas Typewriter enters the frame and walks up to the front door. He has a lightness to his step. After opening the door, he enters.


CUT TO


INT. ELMHOUSE, DAYTIME
The front entrance are has a hat rack and shoe stand next to the front door.


MS OF THOMAS


Thomas stands inside the door. He takes off his hat and hangs it on the rack followed by his keys and phone. He then slips off his shoes.


CUT TO CS OF THE HAT BEING HUNG UP. SLOW DOWN THE PLAYBACK SPEED.


CUT TO CS OF THE KEYS BEING HUNG UP. SLOW DOWN THE PLAYBACK SPEED.


CUT TO CS OF THE PHONE BEING HUNG UP. SLOW DOWN THE PLAYBACK SPEED.


CUT TO CS OF THE SHOES BEING SLIPPED OFF AND PUT IN THE SHOE RACK. SLOW DOWN THE PLAYBACK SPEED.


While Thomas is putting away his things, a voice from within the house calls out.


OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE-TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “Thomas, is that you?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “Yeah, it is me. I’m back.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE-TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “How was your walk?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
(voice-over) “Good. It was good.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“I had a break through. Figured out some things for the script.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
“That’s great.”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Which room are you in?”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(voice-over) “The kitchen. Why?”

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Because I want to give you a kiss or two.”

OPHIDIA OPERAHOUSE
(voice-over) “I’ll never turn that down.”

Thomas Typewriter walks towards the kitchen exiting the frame.

FADE OUT

TRANSITION FROM THE ELMHOUSE TO THE LIBRARY

FADE IN

INT. BORDERTOWN JUNIOR HIGH LIBRARY, DAYTIME
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. THOMAS TOPHAT sits at the stage-right table reading the Not So zine.

CS OF THOMAS TOPHAT’S FEET TAPPING.

Thomas absent-mindedly jiggles his feet as he reads the zine. His feet go still.

CUT TO MS OF THOMAS AT THE TABLE.

Thomas closes the zine, taking a moment lost in thought. He shakes his head and refocuses. Reaching over, he pulls out a notepad and pen from his backpack. He opens the notebook to the next available blank page and starts to write his essay.

PAN OUT

FADE OUT

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

scripts, The Great Works Project scripts

———–<.thom.>———–

THE GREAT WORKS PROJECT
a puppet play in many parts

Season 06, Episode 02

By Thomas Typewriter

(c) 2024 thomas typewriter

———–<:type:>———–

FADE INTO BLACK

GRIGIO COLORI
(voice-over) “Where did we leave off? Oh yes, here was where we left off. Ready? Here we go. Fade into black and then from the bottom of the screen scrolls upward the following text of zero six dash zero two.”

From the bottom of the screen scrolls up the following text: “06-02”. It moves upwards, pausing a moment in the center of the frame, then continues upward, exiting the frame at the top edge. The sound of TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICK CLACKING rings out from somewhere in the dark.

GRIGIO COLORI
(voice-over) “Fade out then fade in to the Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage. Specifically the Mid-stage area of the Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage.”

TRANSITION TO THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE

FADE OUT

FADE IN

THE TYPEWRITER ABSTRACT PUPPET STAGE
The Typewriter Abstract Puppet Stage sits in a dark field as if floating in a void. No other room or setting is visible surrounding it.

THE CAMERA MOVES CLOSER THROUGH A SERIES OF CUTS WITH A CRYSTALLINE FILTER.

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

MID-STAGE: CURTAINS CLOSED

THE CAMERA PAUSES THE CRYSTALLINE ZOOM CUTS PROPERLY FRAMING MID-STAGE.

The curtains of Mid-stage fill the frame. A soft light bounces from somewhere beyond and below the front of the Mid-stage across the curtains. The curtains part from the center and stage lights turn on to the sound of A LIGHTSWITCH CLICKING ON revealing…

MID-STAGE: EXT. HIGHWAY ROUTE 17, DAYTIME
A section of the Route 17 highway stretches across the stage. This section, in particular, passes through farmland surrounding Thomas Teenager’s hometown of Bordertowne, Illinois. A route marker sign and telephone pole form the main set of stage decorations. The route marker sits to the stage-right of the center. The telephone pole sits stage-left of center. In the background, we can see acres and acres of farmer fields covered in snow. From stage-left a black minivan enters, drives across the stage, and exits stage-right. The curtains close and then reopen revealing…

MID-STAGE: INT. THOMAS TEENAGER’S BEDROOM, DAYTIME
A bed stands at the corner of the stage along with a small desk. It is in the style of an old-time banker’s desk with a roll-top. A three-legged stool with elaborate carved legs and feet sits under the desk in the area for the chair. A stereo boombox sits on top of the writing desk along with a corded phone. On the other side of the stage, shelves line the wall filled with books, comic books, toys, and stuffed animals. Next to the shelving is a poster of teddy bears holding hands. On every flat surface in the room, even the bed, sits piles of paper and comic books. The paper is various school assignments and artwork. THOMAS TEENAGER enters stage-right. In one arm he holds a duffel bag while in the other he holds a stack of mail. Thomas sets down the bag and then moves over to his bed. He sits on the edge of the bed going through his mail.

THOMAS TEENAGER
“Junk. Junk. Junk. University? What is this?”

Thomas opens the letter, first setting down the other mail and grabbing a blade from the pencil holder on his desk. He gently cuts the end of the envelope and slides out the letter.

THOMAS TEENAGER
(reading from the letter) “We regret to inform you that due to your failing grades, you are hereby expelled from Bulldog University. Normally, you would be allowed to appeal this decision and be placed on Academic Probation, but due to your academic credit hours exceeding your honor points, you will not. Please have all your belongings and personnel effects removed from your dormitory residence before classes resume on January 15th. The dorms will reopen on January 4th. Before we end, may we recommend that a four-year college is not for everyone and may not be for you. Community college may be more your speed. Sincerely Bulldog University.”

Thomas slumps back onto his bed. He lays unmoving, stuck in a state of shock. After a moment he picks up the phone and dials. The phone RINGS and RINGS before being picked up.

THOMAS TYPEWRITER
“Hi, may I please speak to Samarica? Yes, I can wait. Thank you. (pause as he waits). Hi, Samarica? It is me, Thomas. Fine and how are you? Good. Did you have a good Christmas? Me, too. Well, I am back in town, so we can go on that next date we talked about. What do you mean sorry? You have bad news? Oh. Oh. I see. Your old boyfriend. I see. Back together. How long now. Before we went on our first date. And you didn’t think to mention that before now. You found it too awkward to bring up. Well, good luck with that, and happy new year. Goodbye.”

Thomas hangs up the phone. He stares off into space. The stage-light slowly shift to a red tint. Thomas SCREAMS building to A PRIMAL SCREAM. The sound of METAL RENTING AND GLASS SHATTERING reverbs as the red light turns to a deep red. Thomas stops screaming. The red light and metal and glass sounds fade away. The stage-lights return to regular illumination and hue. He looks around the room. Thomas gets up and walks over to his CD collection. He pulls out “Live Through This” by Hole and places the CD in his CD player. He presses play and listens to the music start. Thomas then exits stage-left. We hear the door to his room OPEN AND CLOSE. FOOTSTEPS and CABINET DOORS OPENING AND CLOSING from off-stage. Thomas’ bedroom door OPENS AND CLOSES. He renters stage-left holding a package of garbage bags.

THOMAS TEENAGER
“Look at all this. What a delusion.”

Thomas opens the bottom of the writing desk and starts to pull out papers, worksheets, and school folders.

THOMAS TEENAGER
“Keeping every paper, every scrap, I ever used. Every assignment. Why? Because I thought I was going to be a great writer. Because I thought scholars would want to study them as they write biographies on my genius. Hubris. A giant pile of hubris and I am suffocating under it. Suffocating under what others expect me to be. Suffocating under what others don’t want me to be. Expected to be a genius. Expected to get a degree. Expected to get a good job. Expected to get the girl. Ha, yeah right. Something is broken inside me. I am a fuck-up now and will always be.”

From the stuffed animals on the selves comes a soft voice. Thomas pauses and listens.

CREAMY
(faint) “Don’t give up hope yet. One foot in front of the other and you’ll cross this bridge.”

Thomas nods his head.

THOMAS TEENAGER
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Thomas resumes filling the trash bags. He gathers all the stacks of papers, setting the artwork to the side, but everything else goes into the trash. He opens all the cabinets on the desk removing all the paper. He goes through every surface in the room. Once he has filled his fourth trashbag, he takes a deep breath and exhales. He sets down the trashbag and works his way over to the phone. Thomas picks up the phone, listens for the DIALTONE, and then dials the number for Luna Witchescrown.

THOMAS TEENAGER
“Hey, sis. You got a minute? I’ve had a really bad day and need to talk about it. You do. Thank you.”

The stage lights turn off to the sound of A LIGHT SWITCH SWITCHING OFF. The Mid-stage curtains close.

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