Scene 1: We see the real Jacquimo. Bedtime story feel for his kid. This is Jacquimo’s home, child, and (while based on actual experience) ultimately story.
Scene 2: Don’t see characters til they’re names are introduced and/or they speak. Thumbelina young. Summer.
Scene 3: Bedtime story. Summer.
Scene 4: Year jump. Start in Summer. Cornelius starts outside and brings Fall/ golding of the leaves. Season changes to Fall. Awkward but sweet encounter.
Scene 5: They’re flying. Beetle appears during the song and sees Thumbelina sing. Lots of questions still.
Scene 6: Takes place in same place as Scene 4. Evening. Thumbelina gives Cornelius a forget-me-not through the screen and Cornelius makes it into a ring and gives it back to her.
Scene 7: Kidnapping. Mother calling for Thumbelina as a voiceover offstage. Slightly creepy but lots of humor- Beetle running into objects, not going according to plan. Takes blanket off her bed, covers her in it (Thumbelina has blanket thrown over her and computer on her screen), and takes blanket offstage (Thumbelina throws blanket over camera so we see her the whole time as well)
Scene 8: Realization. Room as end of Scene 7.
Scene 9: Lots of energy. In the forest. Beetle hides through scene after hearing other characters come in. Jitterbugs come in with Jacquimo after Beetle hides
Scene 10: Vale of the Fairies.
Scene 11: Forest. Jitterbugs are present but step back or aren’t paying attention until the end of the scene. Beetle is like a car salesman.
Scene 12: Either 20s style, speak easy or 50s style, sketchy. Smoky, neon colors, fun but fake and shady if you know where to look. Actress going between screens serving drinks (among her roommates screens)
Scene 13: Use makeup wipes during the scene. Tender. Either outside Beetle Ball or in forest.
Scene 14: Changes to Winter. Jacquimo talking to people outside of screen. Cornelius freezes at “Ah!” in the position that we see him in in last scene.
Scene 15: Warm, underground, like home when we see Mother, but trapping. Imitation of Mother.
Scene 16: Dark, cave, lots of things. Victorian, too proper. Once There Was the Sun- no music but not silent, big special moment.
Scene 17: Changes location from cave to tunnel.
Scene 18: Bedtime routine. Manipulation from Ms Fieldmouse. Thumbelina gathering stuff to help Jacquimo while she isn’t looking.
Scene 19: Tunnel. Thorn- should we have one or should he hold his wing as though it’s there? Same props for both characters
Scene 20: Cornelius as voice over.
Scene 21: “Oh the sun” special moment, let it rest then go on. Fly off together at “Hold on”
Scene 22: Change to Spring. Cornelius starts in same frozen position as Scene 14. Spring starts slowly appearing and Cornelius starts unfreezing when she starts singing. Cornelius unfreezes around “Anything that we desire”. Spring comes back and Thumbelina gets her wings ideally at “Everyday you’ll take me higher” but she doesn’t notice them “Wings. I have wings.” We go back to bedtime story with Jacquimo for his line.
To-do for dramaturg:
Research and report on neon- especially pertaining to uses in 20s and 50s.