Cordelia's First Piano Recital Script

Happy spring, everybody!

Here is the first draft of the script of the next episode of the Quillpiggery family, called Cordelia's First Piano Recital. Please let me know if you have any ideas to improve it. We will be filming it soon. If you missed Porcupine Stew, which was the first episode, you can watch the video below the script.

CORDELIA QUILLPIGGERY'S FIRST PIANO RECITAL A VERY SHORT COMIC FILM BY TIMOTHY REED INT. THE QUILLPIGGERY'S PIANO/DINING/LIVING ROOM - SUNDAY AFTERNOON CORDELIA Ever since Gerhard died, I've been out-of-sorts. But lately, I have a new lease on life. I've taken up piano lessons. And I have a very handsome piano teacher. My daughters thought it would be particularly on fleek... Cordelia's daughters are amused and embarrassed at Cordelia's attempt to use hip slang. CORDELIA (CONT'D) ...If I would give my very first piano recital. So I typed up this program. She holds up the program, and reads the cover. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Cordelia Quillpiggery's First Piano Recital. Her daughters are whispering among themselves, with smirks on their faces. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Excuse me, children. Is something the matter? Her daughters timidly point toward the program. Cordelia reads the cover again. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Cordelia's First Piano Recital. Her daughters point toward the program again. Cordelia reads again, more slowly. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Cordelia's First Piano Rectal. Oh!!! She scrunches her face in a repulsed manner. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Oh my. Crikey! Rectal.

She thinks for a moment. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Rectal!!! She bursts out in hysterical laughter. Her daughters are extremely uncomfortable with their Mum's excessive outburst. Finally her laughter subsides. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Oh, ho ho...rectal. Rectal!!! She breaks out in hysterical laughter again. Her daughters have an "oh no, please not again" expression. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Cordelia, get a hold of yourself! She stops laughing. CORDELIA (CONT'D) So children, here are your programs for my very first piano rectal. She passes them out to her daughters. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Open them up! Her daughters open up the the programs. CORDELIA (CONT'D) We have three selections. First on the docket is "Gooseberry Goose", from Schaum Pre A - The Green Book. She sits down on the piano bench, and places the score on the music rack. She takes a deep breath. She raises her hands to the keys, as if to play. Her hands start to shake, slowly at first, then faster and faster, until her hands are shaking uncontrollably. She puts her hands in her lap. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Oh, children, I am so nervous! Olivia looks compassionately at her Mum. OLIVIA Would it help if we sang along, Mum? Cordelia looks very touched by Olivia's offer. CORDELIA Oh, I think it would. Please gather 'round children.

Her daughters walk over to the piano, and stand behind Cordelia. She counts off an intro in rock 'n roll style. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Ah 1, 2, ah 1,2,3,4!... Her daughters are beyond embarrassed by her Mom's intro to the song. Cordelia plays the piano and sings very loudly, but her daughters just stand there. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Gooseberry Goose, is out on the loose, Raiding the gooseberry garden, She stops singing and playing. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Children, I can't hear you! Sing it like a wild goose on the loose. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Ah 1, 2, Ah 1,2,3,4! Finally the girls decide to play along. They sing along quite loudly with Cordelia. CORDELIA, OLIVIA, ELEANOR, AND CHARLOTTE Gooseberry goose, is out on the loose, Raiding the gooseberry garden, Gooseberry goose, I'll tie to a spruce, Till he comes begging my pardon. CORDELIA Wunderbar meine kleine liebchens! Cordelia picks up another piano book and places it on the music rack. CORDELIA (CONT'D) And now, for my second selection, from Alfred's Premier Piano Course, Level 1B, "The Library". ELEANOR This one is kind of spooky and a bit creepy. CORDELIA Yes, and don't forget to observe the louds and softs. Eins, zwei, drei, vier! Cordelia plays and everyone sings.

CORDELIA, OLIVIA, ELEANOR, AND CHARLOTTE There's a place where I like to be, sitting quietly. There are books you can borrow for free at the library. CORDELIA And for our finale, "Walk to School". CHARLOTTE I love this one! CORDELIA Un, deux, trois, quatre! Cordelia plays and everyone sings, quite raucously. CORDELIA, OLIVIA, ELEANOR, AND CHARLOTTE When I walk to school, I meet friends who go there, too. We walk down the street, marking rhythms with our feet. 1 2 3 4, walk some more. 5,6,7,8, can't be late! Olivia, Eleanor, and Charlotte clap and woo-hoo loudly, as Cordelia takes a gracious bow. She takes another bow, and when she looks up, her daughters are gone. CORDELIA Children? Her daughters re-enter the room, carrying a tray of milk and cookies. OLIVIA, ELEANOR, AND CHARLOTTE We baked some porcupine cookies for your recital, Mum. CORDELIA Oh, children, thank you so much. I'm truly touched. Cordelia wipes a tear from her eye. They all sit down at the table and eat the porcupine cookies, and drink milk. Porcupine spines begin to grow out of Cordelia's head. CORDELIA (CONT'D) Children, these cookies are absolutely scrummy! OLIVIA, ELEANOR, AND CHARLOTTE Thanks, Mum. As her daughters eat, spines start growing out of their heads, too.