Act 1, Scene 1: Piece of Cake


TECH PREROLL

%LIG% LX 0099 - Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

%LIG% LX 1100 - STANDBY for GO (Link LX 0002 - DBO with dim blue reading light)

%MIX% Double Check Recording!
%MIX% Check Levels
%MIX% Unmute Desk

%MIX% Runo: ON

%MIX% Pan: OFF
%MIX% Eisfuchs: OFF


DIALOG

%HND% Curtain - open

%AMB% AMB 0101 - Workshop

%LIG% LX 1110 - Lights on

%ACT% Abraham fiddles around with his tools in front of the motorcycle

%ACT% Abraham walks around the table to the front

%MUS% MUS 0101 - Cue 1

Abraham: "Come on, baby, I know you can do it!"

%ACT% Abraham cranks the starter lever with his hands (even if that's unrealistic)

%SND% SND 0101 - Failed Start, Screw Pops Off

%ATT% A screw pops off

Abraham: "Huh. Maybe that screw was in the way? Good riddance to bad rubbish. Now, let's try that again."

%ACT% Abraham cranks the lever again

%SND% SND 0102 - Engine sputters, and runs

%MUS% MUS 0102 - Cue 2

Abraham: "Hah, I knew it! Screw you, stupid screw! YES!"

%SND% SND 0102 (cont.) - Explosion / erratically running engine

%ACT% Abraham jumps back

Abraham: "I mean, NO!"

%HND% Sparks and little explosions are coming from the engine, and an ENORMOUS amount of smoke erupts from the muffler.

Abraham: "Nonononono! Stop!"

%ACT% Abraham reaches for the key, and stops the engine.

%SND% SND 0102 (cont.) - Engine stops with a funny noise.

%HND% Smoke stops

Abraham: "*cough* *cough* *cough* *cough*"

%MIX% Pan: ON

%SND% SND 0103 - Jingly door bell (Enter)

%ACT% Florence comes in, wearing a neat and tidy white apron, carrying a box with a cake.

Florence: "Cake delivery for Mr French! *cough* *cough* *cough* What's with the smoke? Did you try to bake one yourself?"

%MUS% MUS 0103 - Cue 3 (on "smoke")

Abraham: "*cough* No no, it's just this piece of junk that almost blew up on me. Come in, come in; is that the cake I ordered?"

%ACT% Abraham starts walking over to Florence

%ACT% Florence carefully puts the box on the counter, while she says …

%MUS% MUS 0104 - Cue 4

Florence: "Yes, if your name is Abraham French, this is your double layer vanilla cream cake."

Abraham: "With cherry on top?"

Florence: "Just like you ordered, sir! Would you be so kind as to sign the receipt?"

Abraham: "Absolutely! Let me find a clean cloth to wipe my hands."

Florence: "A pawprint will do, mister French."

%ACT% Florence holds up the receipt

%SND% SND 0104 - Paper Rustle

%ACT% Abraham puts his pawprint on the receipt

%SND% SND 0105 - Splat

%MUS% MUS 0105 - Cue 5

%ACT% Florence looks at the receipt, holding it up so that the audience can see it. It shows a very oily pawprint, with oil dripping down from it.

Florence: "I think that'll do. Thank you very much for shopping with Harrington's, purveyors to Her Highness the Queen of Astar."

%ACT% Florence curtsies

Abraham: "I appreciate the speedy delivery, Miss. The Hazelwoods will be coming over for tea and the cake is a surprise!"

Florence: "I'm sure they will love it! Good day Mr. French, and best regards to the Hazelwoods!"

Abraham: "Byebye!"

%ACT% Florence leaves

%SND% SND 0106 - Jingly door bell (Exit)

%ATT% Wait a second :)

%SND% SND 0107 - Jingly door bell (Enter)

%ACT% Florence comes back in.

Florence: "Umh. So sorry Mr. French, I couldn't help but notice … what happened to the poor bike?"

%MUS% MUS 0106 - Cue 6

Abraham: "Oh … something's wrong with the engine. Nothing a woman would understand."

%ACT% Florence walks over to the bike

Florence: "The HW-22 is the first of the series with the new four stroke engine, and the lubrication system can be a bit finnicky. If you have a 12mm wrench, I can show you what I mean …"

Abraham (confused): "Uhm … It's … in the toolbox … are you sure you can … I mean …"

%ACT% Florence examines the engine, knocking it with the end of the wrench (UNTIL SFX STOPS)

%SND% SND 0108 - TingTingTing

Florence: "A-ha! The oil line check valve is stuck on open. That's typical. This engine hasn't been run in a while, has it?"

%ACT% Florence screws around with the wrench (UNTIL SFX STOPS)

%SND% SND 0109 - grinka-grinka-grinka

Abraham: "Why yes, the winter's been too harsh to take her for a ride."

%HND% Change Florence's apron for a dirty one (or peel off the clean layer), put a wrench into the apron

%ACT% Florence cranks the starting lever

%SND% SND 0110 - Motorbike starts

%MUS% MUS 0107 - Cue 7

Florence: "Purring like a kitten!"

Abraham: "Growling like a tigress, more like. How did you do that?"

%MUS% MUS 0108 - Cue 8

Florence: "Something was wrong with the engine. Nothing a man would understand."

%ACT% Florence stops the engine

%SND% SND 0111 - Motor stops

%SND% SND 0110 (FADE)

Abraham: "Well played young Miss, well played. Pardon my saying so, but aren't your talents being wasted delivering cakes?"

Florence: "You're very kind, but my mother needs all the help she can get in the pastry shop."

Abraham: "Wait a minute … are you the daughter of Peter Harrington? Of Harrington & Welsh?"

%MUS% MUS 0109 - Cue 9

Florence: "Not any more. On both counts."

Abraham: "Miss Harrington - your father literally invented the airplane! And clearly the same grease runs through your veins."

Florence: "As a child, I wanted to be an engineer! But after father's accident … Mother never got over the loss. She sold our part of the company to Mr. Welsh and I had to promise her to never set foot in a workshop again. Well, unless I'm delivering cakes!"

%MIX% Eisfuchs: ON

%SND% SND 0112 - Jingly door bell (Enter)

%MUS% MUS 0110 - Cue 10

%ACT% Cal bursts in

Cal: "Hey, French! You gotta put this poster in your window! It's from Mr. Welsh!"

Abraham: "What in earth's name, Cal! Can't you see I'm having a conversation? Put the bloody thing on the counter, and bugger off!"

%MUS% MUS 0111 - Cue 11 ("what they've found")

Cal: "Mr. Welsh says you gotta to put it up right now! The trans-oceanic expedition has returned, and you won't believe what they've found! There's going to be a big show, brass band, moving pictures, the whole shebang! For a few bucks we'll give you a tour of the airship, and of course our special attraction: The Beast from another world!"

%MUS% MUS 0112 - Cue 12 ("special attraction")

Florence: "Oh! Can I have a poster too? My father designed that airship!"

%ACT% Cal laughs out loud

Cal: "Girl, we're not running a charity! Printing these costs money!"

Florence: "I'll put it in the window of our pastry shop! I promise!"

Cal: "Pastry Shop? Does that mean you brought me cake?"

Florence: "No!"

Cal: "And what's this?"

%ACT% Cal walks up to the box, and opens it.

Florence: "That one's for Mr. French! Keep your dirty paws off!"

%ACT% Cal takes a wedge of cake out of the box

%MUS% MUS 0113 - Cue 13

Cal: "Hmmm…. nomnomnom."

Florence (outraged): "Hey! What do you think you're doing!"

%ACT% Cal eats the piece of cake cookie monster style

Cal: "Hmmm…. so delicious and moist."

Florence (outraged): "Mr. French paid for that cake! You can't just come in and eat it!"

Cal: "And watcha gonna do about it? See you next Saturday at the show!"

%ACT% Cal puts a poster on the counter and leaves the room (piece of cake still in his hand).

Cal: "Nom nom nom…."

%SND% SND 0113 - Jingly door bell (Exit)

%MIX% Eisfuchs: OFF

Florence: "HOW RUDE WAS THAT?!"

Abraham: "Well, if that's Mr. Welsh's new charm offensive, I see a lot of room for improvement!

%MUS% MUS 0114 - Cue 14

Florence (empathic): "I'm not going to let that sucker ruin your day. I'll get you a new cake, and if I have to make it myself. Will 4 o'clock still be fine?"

Abraham (chuckles): "No no no, don't worry, it wasn't your fault, and there's still more left than we can eat."

Florence: "Are you sure?"

Abraham: "Absolutely. And if you'd like to get your paws dirty again, you're more than welcome to come back after work. Or how about Saturday night?"

Florence (scandalized): "I beg your pardon!?"

Abraham (stuttering): "Damn, that came out all wrong, didn't it? I mean the exhibition. I think we'd have a great time together. Us. Two engineers at heart. You know what I mean."

%MUS% MUS 0115 - Cue 15

Florence: "I don't think Mother would allow that."

Abraham: "You're a grown up woman, can't you go wherever you want?"

Florence: "I wonder what you're really interested in: The airship or me?"

Abraham: "A little bit of both."

Florence: "*chuckles* I see. But what about your wife?"

Abraham: "Clarice? Oh, pistons and crankshafts would have bored her to death."

Florence: "Would have?"

Abraham: "She's no longer with me. Hasn't been for a long time."

Florence: "Oh … I'm so sorry to hear that!"

Abraham: "Life must go on, doesn't it?"

Florence: "Absolutely. You know what? I think I'll bite. Saturday at 9 then?"

Abraham: "Yes! Excellent!"

%MUS% MUS 0116 - Cue 16

Florence: "Looking forward to lots of pistons and crankshafts, Mr. French!"

Abraham: "Me too! See you soon!"

Florence: "Bye!"

%ACT% Florence turns around and leaves.

%SND% SND 0114 - Jingly door bell (Exit)

%AMB% AMB 0101 - (FADE)

%LIG% LX1199 - Lights out

%MIX% Fade Ambience, SFX and Music with LX 1199

%HND% Curtain - close

%MIX% Mute all but Video

%LIG% LX 0099 - Work Light ON (Static Playbacks)