The final project of the semster is the creation of a puppet show for the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. The show is an epic and humorous tale of two aliens who get "Lost in Time" and have an adventure that includes a broken space ship, a friendly yeti, a giant t-rex, and an erupting volcano.
I was on the set team. As a team, we designed the set, bought the materials, built the stage and props, and set up everything in the museum. We took multiple trips together to buy wood, fabric, and paint that ultimately cost about $350. I worked mainly on designing and covering the mountain props with fabric and making the backdrops for each scene (although I did pound in some nails every once in a while). Outside of the set team, I helped write and edit the script and was a puppeteer in the final show.
"Lost in Time: Tales of the Space Oracle" took place at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History on December 4th at 10:00 am. The show lasted about 20 minutes total and we had an audience of about 25. Overall, the show was a sucess and a great way to end the semester. Pictures and videos of the show can be found on the class blog at http://thepuppethomeproject.wordpress.com/ Below is the full script of the show.
Alien Astronauts: Delores, Chip
Space Oracle: Himself
Kind Yeti: Willow Fist
Pterodactyl: Cutler
T-Rex: Richard
Sabertooth: Gunther
Mammoth: Roseanne
Scene One:
Space Oracle (as narrator): Yeah alright welcome. Where did you lot come from? (wait for audience response). Alright welcome! We have a great show for you today. Its an intriguing tale guaranteed to have you feeling sprightly before you leave here today. Were gonna open up on the planet glockenspiel in the fire organ galaxy. We find our two alien astronaut friends rummaging about their planet, up to no good.
Chip: Hey Delores, lets rummage around the planet in an up to no good fashion.
Delores: Phenomenal idea Chip!
Chip: Hey check out this sweet hubcap I just boosted off that cadillac
Delores: Wow that is super duper sweet, is it l spinning like a merry go round?
Chip: Wait this might not be an hubcap...
Delores: Did it come from that weird white space craft sort of object?
Chip: You know what now that you mention it, it matches that crazy space thing perfectly
Delores: What do you say we hop on over there and take a peek
Chip: I’m right there with you
(Delores and Chip go into the space ship)
Delores: Hot pot of coffee! This is a spacious space ship Chipster.
Chip: You’re right its huge, and don’t call me Chipster, Mmmk pumpkin.
Delores: OK listen, Don’t ever call me pumpkin again
Chip: OK sweet cheeks
Delores: Seriously Chip, stop now
Chip: Oh hey a big red bulbous button, I just really have a need to press it
Delores: I’m game whats the worst that could happen, right?
(Chip presses the button, cue engine sound effect, stage shakes)
Chip: Oh no whats happening? We’re totally moving and stuff!
Delores: Oh I didn’t notice, I was playing pinball on my iPhone.
Chip: You have pinball on that thing, NO FAIR! But in all seriousness we’re flying through space right now.
Delores: Well I told you not to press that button, try pressing it again maybe that will take us back home!
(Chip presses button to no effect)
Chip: Nope, nothing.
Delores: Well you better get us home right now so I don’t miss Hannah Montana in 15
(As a sick guitar riff plays, cue fog, and from the depths of the stage rises the space oracle)
Space oracle: Oh hey mates, what are you doing here? Are you up to some mischief?
Chip: Of course not, we’re being little alien saints.
Delores: Chip don’t lie to this man, he might know how to get us home.
Space oracle: Yeah, about that, I really don’t. I just came to tell you what just happened. You’re actually on a time machine, traveling back through time and space.
Chip: Well how do know all this?
Space Oracle: Actually mate I’m what you call a space oracle. Hence the floating chair and insane foggy intro.
Delores: What does that even mean?
Space Oracle: It means I know how to impress. But seriously, you guys are in a sticky wicket. You are heading way back in time uncontrollably thanks to your friend Chipper here.
Chip: It’s just Chip. Not Chipper.
Oracle: Yeah right Chicker.
Chip: Come on man.
Delores: Whatever, how do we stop it?
Space Oracle: I really don’t know mate, but I got hot pockets in the microwave at my place that I need to go tear in to. But good luck with this whole situation you guys idiotically got yourself into.
Chip: But wait----
(Chip gets cut off by another sweet guitar riff, and the space oracle disappears into a cloud of fog...)
Delores: Chip, quickly, press buttons like you know what you’re doing!!
Chip: OK will do, like that’s going to help! You heard the space oracle man, and even he didn’t know how to get us out of here.
(Chip starts pressing tons of buttons, when all of a sudden they crash)
Delores: Hey call me crazy, or call me Delores, but I think we just crashed this ride.
Chip: Ya think???!!! Jeez. But yeah we definitely did.
Scene Two:
Narrator: Without knowing, Chip and Delores have crash landed back in time onto earth, into an era known as the Ice Age. They stumble outside the space ship to find out where they crash landed. They are afraid and lost.
Delores: Chip, I’m so afraid because we are so lost!
Chip: Don’t worry Delores, I got this. I will use my cell phone to call us a cab back to our planet.
Delores: Ok Chip you know cabs aren’t space craft right? There is no way they can get here.
Chip: Gah I hate it when you’re right!
Delores: Yeah, I know. But really we need to get out of here. I’m scared!
Chip: Don’t be a scaredy space alien we will be fine.
Delores: You don’t know that Chipster.
Chip: Stop calling me Chipster!
Delores: Sorry sorry. But really can we please just get home!
Chip: Hey did you hear that rumbling?
Delores: It sounds like a really big stampede of wildebeast
(Roseanne enters and walks over to the aliens)
Roseanne: I heard that, was that some kind of fat joke?
Chip: Maybe?
Delores: CHIP!
Chip: ok, no.
Rpseanne: I really feel like it was a fat crack and I don’t appreciate it
Chip: No really, you’re a very regal creature
Delores: Mmhhmm very elegant
Roseanne: I can tell that was sarcasm, but I’ll take it anyway. So what are you guys doing here?
Chip: Well we got on that space ship back there and apparently crash landed here.
Delores: And we went back in time and stuff. No biggie.
Roseanne: Well you might want a jacket or heavy fleece its pretty chilly
Chip: No kidding! Want to spread that blubber with the whole party?
Roseanne: Another fat joke? That’s just awesome.
Delores: No no thats not how he meant it, I think the cold is just getting to his head.
Roseanne: Well you guys can come back to my place, its nice and toasty
Delores: Yeah that sounds great! Do you have some chicken noodle? I’m starved
(rumbling from off stage)
Chip: Hold on, I just heard some strange noise.
Roseanne: Oh that’s probably nothing. But come to think of it I’m fresh out of soup so I gotta bolt.
(roseanne runs off very quickly as gunther springs from behind a mountain)
Gunther: RAWR!
Delores: Oh check this guy out
Chip: Why do you have big buck teeth?
Gunther: Cause I’m a fierce sabertooth tiger, I’m about to rip you straight down the middle. Like a ninja sabertooth, yeah be afraid
Chip: Get out of my face.
Gunther: I”ll get inside your face!
Delores: Chip run! His teeth are just so big and frightening! They’re bigger than your arms! He might even know kung fu!
Chip: Sabertooth kung fu? Really?
Delores: What? I saw it on the history channel!
(Chip and Delores start running away with the sabertooth chasing them. A ninja yeti jumps from behind the mountain and engages in an epic tussle with the kung fu sabertooth.)
Willow Fist: No Gunther! Not up in here! These aliens are a kind species.
Chip: Oh my gosh! What is that?!
Sabertooth: Alright Willow, I’m gonna rough you up and then rough up those aliens!
Willow: Don’t even think about it, you might as well just put your tail between your legs and get on out of here!
Sabertooth: Be quiet Willow, we all know you’re just a big fluff ball!
Willow: Oh yeah?! You’re talking to me all wrong. It’s the wrong tone. You do it again, I’m gonna stab you in the face with an icicle!
(Sabertooth and Willow engage in what can only be described as a brutal fisticuffs. The sabertooth runs off whimpering)
Chip: Woah, how did you do that? Thank you!
Delores: Seriously! I don’t know what we would have done without you!
Yeti: Yeah, I get that a lot. Gunther is just really misunderstood. Would ya’ll like to come back to my place and get some hot chocolate?
Chip: Well it is pretty nippy out here, hot chocolate sounds pretty phenom.
Delores: I totally agree, let’s go!
(The three walk to the yeti’s place, then all of a sudden a guitar riff plays and there is the space oracle)
Chip: Oh hey space oracle! Whats up buddy?
Oracle: Oh hey alright so you remember, awesome.
Yeti: Wait, so you know the space oracle?
Delores: Yeah of course! He appeared on our space ship/ time machine, but he really didn’t help us much. He seemed to not know anything that was happening.
Oracle: What? Ahh come on mate I did the best I could I mean I’m not like a time machine driver or anything.
Chip: Yeah come on Del cut him a break.
Delores: Don’t call me Del. I hate that so much.
Oracle: Hey would you two stop bickering? I mean as far as I can tell you have serious problems right now. And I think I know someone who can help you.
Chip: What are you talking about?
Oracle: Your time machine is broken. Am I right?
Delores: How did you know that? Chip, how could he have known that??
Oracle: I’m an oracle. I know these kinds of things, and you know who can fix it? Your new pal Willow Fist.
Chip: Saaaaweet!
Delores: Well what are we waiting for? I got Hannah Montana in like 5.
(The whole crew returns to the time machine and the yeti bangs on it till the engine sound comes back.)
Chip: Way to go yeti! We’re outta here! Thanks so much man
Delores: Really you are awesome!
(Chip and delores board the shuttle and take off back into space. But the engine sound sputters)
Delores: Chip, what the heck is happening?
Chip: I don't know! It really doesn't sound good though
Delores: Did you even check to see if it had gas before we left?
Chip: Gas, what in the world is that?
Delores: The go go juice silly!
Chip: AHH no I totally didn’t, my fault. Is that like a really bad thing?
Delores: YEAH like really bad......
(Delores is cut off once again as the space ship crashes violently)
Scene 3
Narrator: We find our misplaced aliens in a strange, grassy world known as the prehistoric Brazos Valley.
(Chip and Delores hop out of the shuttle and begin looking around)
Chip: Where could we possibly be now? Its so hot out here!
Delores: I know and what is this brown swaying stuff?
Chip: I saw on HGTV the other day I think they call it grass.
Delores: Oh I hate it already.
Chip: Oh my gosh! Look at that mountain, it’s leaking tomato soup!
Delores: I don’t think that’s tomato soup, Chip, it smells kind of weird.
(In the distance, they see a T-Rex)
Chip: What is that huge green monster? It’s got such shiny teeth!
(Meanwhile, Dolores has already gotten behind a tree, and is shaking in fear)
Delores: Chip get back here, that thing does not look nice! He’s bathing in lava!
Chip: You’re right, that takes a real man.
(The t-rex catches a whiff of Chip and Delores and spies Chip as he dives behind a tree, the dino is intrigued and walks towards the aliens)
Delores: Chip you fool he spotted you! He’s coming straight for us, RUN!
Richard: No no don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you (under his breath) too bad.
Chip: See Delores, no worries. He’s friendly
Delores: I don’t know about that Chipster.
Chip: Delores, for the last time don’t call me that!
Delores: I’m sorry it just fits you so well
(the t-rex is now near and they strike up a convo.)
Chip: What’s up big guy, what’s your name?
Richard: Hey man my name is Richard, I’m an awesome friendly T-rex dinosaur
Chip: oh cool, well I’m chip and this is delores, we are aliens from the planet glockenspiel.
Richard: Oh awesome bro, well do you want a tour of earth? And then we can head back to my place. I’m making an awesome dinner of broccoli with a side of alien...errr carrots.
Delores: Wait what did you just say?
Richard: Hmm oh nothing just asking if you want a tour.
Chip: Run Delores! This guy is going to try to eat us! With broccoli! I hate broccoli!
(Chip and Delores take off at a full on sprint. Like faster than a cheetah/ nascar baby. We’re talking fast people. Alright. The T-rex takes off after them, the ground starts to rumble)
Chip: What is that rumbling?
Delores: I think its the t-rex shaking the ground, he’s a big dude.
(cue pterodactyl scream)
Chip: Seriously, another monster?
Delores: Look it’s in the sky! Flying right at us!
(The pteredactyl swoops in and hits the T Rex on the head with his meaty beak. Then he lands next to Delores and Chip, who are back next to the space ship. Then the guitar plays.)
Cutler: Wow, that was intense, he almost got you guys.
Delores: I know thank you so much for saving us! That would have ended so bad!
Chip: Oh hey space oracle what are you doing here?
Cutler: You guys know the space oracle? We’re old pals. We’ve been hanging out all day.
Delores: Oh really? Wow space oracle do you just know everybody?
Oracle: Better believe it. And Cutler here can actually help you get home!
Chip: Really? That would be awesome I’ve had a bit to much excitement for one day.
Cutler: Yeah ill just fill up your tank with some gas I got the other day and you can be on your way.
(The pterodactyl begins fiddling with the space shuttle while the oracle and the aliens convo continues)
Delores: So space oracle why did you help us today?
Oracle: Well ya know I just saw that you guys were in a bit of a pinch and needed some help. I’m always willing to lend a hand to nice people like you two.
Chip: Wow man that’s really awesome.
Cutler: Alright Aliens you’re are all gassed up, time to head on home.
Chip: Thanks man you guys have both been such a help. We won’t ever forget you! And good luck with Richard over there when he wakes up Cutler!
Delores: Yeah thanks you guys! We couldn’t have done it with out you. Ok, Chip let’s get out of here.
(Chip and Delores get on the space ship and take off for home. The volcano erupts and balloons fall while the space oracle music plays.)
THE END!
