ELLIE AND
TOMASSO
in
A Reckoning At High Moon
A MUSICAL WESTERN
GO FUND ME:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/bring-ellie-tomasso-to-life-support-needed
I am raising money to publish and bring to production my current playwriting project which is a western musical called:
ELLIE & TOMASSO: A WESTERN MUSICAL
It's high moon,
A young girl's father has been murdered in cold blood by Father Thyme and music swells. Ellie The One Gun Kid promises to exact revenge but can Ellie become tough enough to kill her father's killer? Early in her journey, Ellie meets Tomasso the Ruffian Roper and they end up in an unlikely friendship where the two get caught up in outlaw hijinks and situations that challenge their friendship.
The production costs:
Registration Fees
Renting rehearsal spaces
Performance stage
Obtain costumes and props
Provide a stipend to my actors for rehearsal and performance.
Stretch Goal - Hiring a lighting technician
The aim is to enter the Ellie & Tomasso: A Western Musical into several fringes for 2026. There are a nutty amount of expenses and I make little money in my day job.
It’s a pistol whippin,
leather flappin,
dust flingin,
knuckle clingin',
gun snatchin',
sweat beadin’,
eye squintin’
shoot o ’roma.
AGE: 9 - "The number of cat's lives, just the same now."
"Do I look like an owl because I don't give a hoot."
KID WONDER
SEEKS RETALIATION FOR THE MURDER OF HER PAH
IT'S NOT HER FIRST RODEO,
BUT PRETTY CLOSE TO IT
SONGS:
A VOW OF REVENGE
I'VE KILLED A HUNDRED MEN
BEST LUCKY LEFT
A DESERT JOURNEY
SLAMMA JAMMA
LIFE ON THE RUN
ONE MORE ADVENTURE
PROFESSIONAL RACKETEER
EXPERT GUNSMAN / MARKSMAN
HAS "BRILLIANT LITTLE BRAIN SCHEMES"
KNOWN FOR SUCH HEISTS LIKE
"THE SLAMMA JAMMA"
"THE SIDEWINDER"
MIDDLE NAME: Florance
GANGS LED:
Misfit Six
Rowdy Rogues
Mississippi Marauders
SONGS:
BEST LUCKY LEFT
CHARACTER SONG
SLAMMA JAMMA
LIFE ON THE RUN
ONE MORE ADVENTURE
"... No, he's THE hooligan!
BRINGER OF HARSH DEATH
DOES WHAT'S JUST BY WAY OF TIME
NEFARIOUS WITH A HIGH CULTURED, SOCIAL VEIL
STAGE OF GRIEF: DOUBT, ACCEPTANCE
SINGS WITH ELLIE "THE BALLAD OF THE BANDITS AT HIGH MOON"
STAGE OF GRIEF: ANGER
ARDENT CARD PLAYER
PLAYS WITH THE HIGH STAKES OF LIFE
CAN'T HELP TO SPEAK IN QUIPS THAT RHYME TO INTIMIDATE HIS FOE
STAGE OF GRIEF: BARGAINING
NOTHING BUT A LOW LIFE
"I WILL ROB A PRIEST ON THE SPOT."
"I SPEANT A LIFE OF SHOVELING DONKEY DUNG"
SONG: "NO MOON OVER MY GRAVE"
STAGE OF GRIEF: DEPRESSION
THE BAD EGG
STAGE OF GRIEF: DENIAL, BARGAINING
STAGES A BAPTISM FOR TOMASSO AND HIMSELF ON THE TRAIN TO INFLUENCE TOMASSO
"LORD, TOMASSO KNOWS NOT HOW PATHETIC HE IS. FORGIVE HIM."
Oversees The Jail Cell That Ellie And Tomasso Are Thrown In Act 1, Scene 8
Offers a transport contract to Ellie And Tomasso
ACT 1, SCENE 1
ACT 1, SCENE 2
Exciting swift and graceful train heist with disguises and gun shots and knock down take outs and climbing on top of the train and hanging off the back and chucking the safe off of it.
ACT 1, SCENE 3
At the train station a bulletin board is fixated and presents all the jobs, news and most importantly, wanted posters. The train ticket seller witnesses Ellie take the reward posters and tries to swade her out of it, but Ellie is quick witted and scares him off with her promise of revenge.
SONG - ACT 1, SCENE 4
She wants to be an Outlaw because she needs to match the terrible acts that father time did to her parents. But will she be able to buck up when it comes time to shoot? This song is powerful and emotional with inspiring sections.
ACT 1, SCENE 5
To start trouble to spread the word that she is a nefarious outlaw.
SONG - ACT 1, SCENE 5
CHORDS AND LYRICS
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QvijgN4V19n9Me7MMaZ9OAukjhtp_kMHzvLeRag_6kM/edit?tab=t.0
Goes In The Saloon To Start Trouble. She tries to offend and get on people's nerves. She annoys them. Gets under their skin. Talks about their mother. Says they'll let anyone in here. Look what the cat dragged in. Singing songs about people. Saying semi-mean things about them.
I guess they’ll let anyone in here. Slaps on back and jokes. Outlaw doesn’t take it kindly. Repeats the phrase over and over and starts ranting about it. Freaking out. Then the outlaw tries to recover and keeps digging a hole while with idioms and terrible jokes.
All I'm saying I wouldn't want a nose like yours. But not say what is wrong with it. It's a nose alright. I'm looking at your nose. What's wrong with my nose? Nothin' Then why yous looking at it. Where else am I supposed to look.
Gun fire.
Ellie thinks she is shot.
Big and dramatic.
But she's not.
So she laughs it off.
The gang and saloon people are angry at her.
She has caused mayhem. But more of an annoyance and distraction from their evening.
They laugh.
You rube. A funny put down
Stating All The Amazing Hoodwinks She Has Done And That She's Killed 100 Men.
Ripped the scalp from their head
gazed upon me with dread
tell stories of their immediate killigs. Ellen has never killed anybody and always says that she’s killed 100 men or she killed 50 men or 12 men a dirty dozen it’s so when they’re telling these stories, you see the action on the other side of the stage in a vignette and then it way overdramatized meaning there might be lightning when there’s a punch and each punch is frozen for a second so you get to see the movement so the movement is scuffing around kerfuffle around and then they use funny words like that and then there’s the action and it’s frozen for a split second and it continues to move and then there’s things like lightning or a gunshot that exemplifies their outlaw quality
The grief is roughing up and teasing Ellie.
All go frozen as he enters. Tomasso sits at the bar and orders a whiskey.
TOMASSO!
Look who it is. The backstabber. Turns his back.
E: Infamous.
GANG MEMBER: what in the what now?
E: He's infamous. It's the infamous Tom...
GM: (muffles Ellie) Shut your bean hole you precarious pig.
T: (Reading from a newspaper smoking a cigar and drinking whiskey)
"Train coming to town Thursday."
"It says here, I'm not infamous... I'm a ruffian."
"5cents off creamed corn." "I'm not a big eater of creamed corn. Do you enjoy creamed corn."
GM: (Takes out gun. Points it shaking.)
You best take a step back now.
T: Takes a playful step forward teasing GM.
E: Whimpers
T: Give me the girl.
GM: You're gonna have to shoot me.
T: I'm not gonna shoot you.
E: HMMMmmMMMHHMMHMM
GM: (One hand holding Ellie close with hand over her mouth and the other hand holding gun.)
Don't be thinking you should be taking another step now you hear. I'll shoot.
T: (Inches forward his foot lifting his hands real slow to his waist. everyone is on edge. He has to pick up his back foot. starts to.)
GM: DOn't be moving that back foot now. I swear I'll shoot. I will. You got it coming. I says to you before remember? I'm trying to be fair their wayfarer. Just stay put. Shut up.
T: Are you hungry little one? Maybe you should eat. Now I don't have any food but I'm sure you can think of something to eat.
GM: Maybe you should give her some of that creamed corn that's on sale.
T: Now I'm gonna step forward now and you aint gonna be heatin no lead then.
GM: It's been a long time since you showed that thing you call a face around here. You don't get to call the shots no more.
T: Boy I could eat. Could you eat. You know what's funny. I did end up coming across that market. That's where I got this newspaper. And I didn't know before hand, but I bought some creamed corn thinking it was beans. My eyes are gettin kinda squinty. Oh you know, I'm a nice guy. I have that creamed corn right HERE!
(T: Throws the creamed corn at the GMs)
You know death is near for me. But it's right now for you.
E: Bites his hand.
(Shoots his pistol from the hip and takes out the gang)
Ellie runs away and follows Tomasso on his horse. They ride off.
Kind, sir, I beg of you dont even think about taking no step
ACT 1, SCENE 6
He tells her to get off. She is big and sad and dramatic about it. Crying. Tomasso says he works alone. Ellie says she knows something he doesn't know. But needs help getting revenge. The safe combo. Tomasso doesn't care about the safe code. Ellie says she knows a safe combo. Tomasso asks which safe. All safes aren't the same combo. Ellie doesn't know but saw a bird symbol on the side.
Three clicks due northwest
SONG - ACT 1, SCENE 6
Tomasso has had enough of Ellie's shenanigans about Revenge, but Ellie wants to be partners with Tomasso. This culmiunates into a convincing song.
SONG - ACT 1, SCENE 7
POTENTIAL LYRICS:
I crawl digging deep up through the sand.
No yellow bellied candied yam
Pitchow spit the sand right out my mouth.
Crawl
Live another day.
CHORDS:
Em A D F#7 B Ab7 F#dim C#dm Falling Run Double Stops from A#, C#
Dm Gm A Dm C#7 C#dim Ab7 C7+9
DM Abm C#dim F#m6 F#dim6 Ab7 C#7 Ddim
E A D B C#7 Ab7
ACT 1, SCENE 7
It just feels like times have changed.
Times may have changed, but not me.
I’ll always be here.
Tomasso's character song is about the living a life of an outlaw without a gang or a partner on the open range - and being in cahoots with himself.
And To Run Away From What's Coming To Him
ACT 1, SCENE 8
SONG - ACT 1, SCENE 8
ACT 1, SCENE 8B
T: I’m not picky. As long as she is healthy and pretty and refined and debonair and has good taste and knows how to cook and has unique fashion and colorful
A little grease in your saddle
Ellie wants to wield and throw the knife to get experience skills killing.
It’s a mighty big knife, Mr. Tommaso, sir.
Hmmm. And mighty sharp.
(Whittling down a stick.)
Quite possibly you could maybe perchance let me hold it for a tiny little while. Really quick like.
Why would I go and do some thing upside down like giving a young thing like you a big ole knife
Cuz I ain’t little no more. I’m nine. And besides isn’t it best I come right out and ask you instead of going behind your back and pulling it from you holding up to your neck and giving up little tiny slice and a prick. (Demonstrating) cause you know I would.
Why would you go and do something like that? You ain’t even conniving. What kind of hoodwinks could you do?
Besides, you wouldn’t do that to me we friends we partners.
How do you know I wouldn’t do something like that to you maybe all of this it’s just to get what’s in your mind with the gold.
Who’s to say I just want what’s in your noggin.
Well deal will continue partners get that gold. If you give me the knife.
I give you this knife. It is your best interest not to pull it on me just so you know I got my hand on my 45.
Moon is out
Yodeling or barking howling contest. Who can do the saddest howl. Or begging howl. Or howl like danger. Or howl
Hey, you don’t gotta be no big jerk about it or nothing. I is only askings yous fellars a basic question. What are you doing around these parts? A feller can’t ask another feller gentlemen to fellar gentlemen.
Ellie is howling
Grrrr. Grrrrrr. You best quit all that racketeering. I’m thinking of a song.
Oh does it have yodeling. Yodalaheehoo
As a matter a facts it gosh darn does. How’d you know. Cause your chin was waggin. Up and down. Bobbing like a donkeys head going up a holler steeper than a barn raisin.
We are going to be partners.
The transport takes us by the train.
We can take the train. The gang will take the blame.
The grief gang.
It's dangerous.
They are true outlaws. The five of them.
Take it or leave it and I do not care which it is.
Origin of an object. Beer can came from where? Liter. Terrible things connotation. It was from a drunken priest. Who steals from the alms and offerings.
If life shuts a door, open it again. that’s how doors work.
Ellie and Tomasso each have to face one of the grief gang.
There are two settings on the stage.
On each side of the stage there is a vignette of
Tomasso and a grief gang member
Ellie and a grief gang member
They are being held in different cars to keep them from scheming.
That's why there are more than one person transporting the prisoners.
I have to define each grief member as their grief counterpart and why they are dangerous and threatening.
Mini manic mange mut
Keeps their suggestions and their opinions tucked sealed shut
"Mini manic mange muts,
Keeps their suggestions and their opinions tucked sealed shut."
2nd Villain Song - Intimidation Tactics.
A Grief Gang member sings this melodramatic song.
They are trying to weasel their way out of the noose in the deathly gallows.
It is their life or death last ditch effort to be redemed.
They’ll be nobody over my grave
No to swoon if I were brave
People only see me as a knave
They have a wife and 6 kids with one on the way.
All the things they did weas circumstantial.
The lyrics are the various things that will change when they are gone. Who will miss them. They are a nobody. They are harmless. They meant well but fell into a group of bad eggs / bad seeds / bad apples.
Ellie and Tomasso have to face another one of the grief gang.
VIGNETTE slightly different but similar.
The sermon from one of the grief gang members strikes a cord in Tomasso's nerve.
"Found in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 18:12-14) and the Gospel of Luke (Luke 15:3-7). In this parable, Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who has a hundred sheep but realizes that one of them is missing.
The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep in the open field and goes in search of the lost sheep. When he finds it, he joyfully carries it on his shoulders and returns home.
He then gathers his friends and neighbors to celebrate, saying that there is more rejoicing over one lost sheep that is found than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray."
Tomasso is swindled by one of the gang members who tries to sell them on the location of a secret ingredient for life vitality. He gets them to try it and they pass out. The gang member points out how incredibly old Tomasso is and how weak he is. Just stating an observation. Put him on the stand because Tomasso was an outlaw and how can he do what he is doing currently as an outlaw. He broke outlaw code. He'll never be an outlaw again.
The sermon from one of the grief gang members strikes a cord in Tomasso's nerve.
"Found in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 18:12-14) and the Gospel of Luke (Luke 15:3-7). In this parable, Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who has a hundred sheep but realizes that one of them is missing.
The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep in the open field and goes in search of the lost sheep. When he finds it, he joyfully carries it on his shoulders and returns home.
He then gathers his friends and neighbors to celebrate, saying that there is more rejoicing over one lost sheep that is found than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray."
TOMASSO IS TIED UP
The tides have turned and the gang member has a speech about how they'll be rich by taking Tomasso into the sherif. Dead or alive. It's his choice. The gang member talks of torturing Tomasso and as he about to Ellie enters.
HABERDASHERY
Digging around in a bag/puse for a great length of time. And it builds mystery and anticipation is it a gun.
Ellie has to deal with one of the grief gang member who gets away. The grief member escapes to the forest. It is a fool's moon as they say in this world. Because you'd have to be a fool to have a shootout at high moon. Witching hour. Tomasso is on the heals of Ellie who is starting to care about her. They meet weird characters and members of the grief gang. They are killed one by one except a couple.
There is a confrontation and test of their friendship and partnership.
Well aint you a back stabbing some of a bitch. Why you go and do something like that!
You a back stabbing son of mule.
I ain’t no good for nothin bad egg back stabber. I knew you would do something I don’t know what but something so I back stabbed you first
Well I knew you were a back stabbing some of bitch so I did this to cover my greasy hide.
Ellie has to deal with one of the grief gang member who gets away. The grief member escapes to the forest. It is a fool's moon as they say in this world. Because you'd have to be a fool to have a shootout at high moon. Witching hour. Tomasso is on the heals of Ellie who is starting to care about her. They meet weird characters and members of the grief gang. They are killed one by one except a couple.
Where ever we go we bring grief.
We rob everything. We kill everyone.
Well, don’t you find yourself in quite a Greek sized predicaMENT. Yous gotta put a bullet in my head to stay a boy but if you kill me, you, in a very unfortunate turn of events, become a man - the very devil makes you a man because what’s yous abouts to do is what a man of the devil does and that’s murder.
Ask yourself… Am I a murderer.
No but in an act of calculated pre revenge I am about to serve you up a meal. A meal you will not like. Full of sweet revenge and sour led. I will take you down before you even think about taking my friend.
Oh but I’m always taking. I am the one and only time thief. They don’t call me the time thief for nothing. That’s what I do each day I take just a little bit no more but you never notice letting time slip by giving it to me. Second by second and I keep those seconds in my many pockets. People are Never caring. Now all of a sudden it’s so precious. Well what’s it gonna be bub. Me or him
Tomasso and Ellie are camping for the night. Ellie goes to fetch water. Meets Father Time.
It just feels like times have changed.
Times may have changed, but not me.
Tomasso!
TRAIN HEIST SONG REPRISE
A few short snippet micro scenes of Ellie and Tomasso doing Outlaw stuff together. Sneaking, blowing stuff up. Her crawling through small places. Him in disguise. Her showing him a disguise. Him showing her how to shoot better. Her cooking better beans by adding whiskey.
Drop your gun belt but I particularly like this gun belt so I’m not gonna do that. Well I particularly don’t like that gun belt on you but on me well I am pretty particular about my gun belts so I’m gonna have to decline because I won’t be able to find this particular gun belt, anywhere else, you’re real particular about your gun belts, aren’t you? I don’t particularly like that. You are too particular. I’d like to ask you a question a particular question that you may not particularly like I’m gonna ask you the same question I did before kindly takeoff your gun belt and hand it to me, oh this gun belt the thing is you stated that you were going to ask me a question but then you made a statement so what’s your question you made a demand a command and I take a stand I will not takeoff this gun belt and handed to you man and put it in your hand.
Dwelling
Tonic
Heinous
Virile
The whole kit n caboodle
Don’t be on the receiving end of his IRE (anger)
I’ve done this dance before
In cahoots
Malarkey
Debacle
That’s alls I'm saying.
It's what I'm saying is all.
Unscrupulous
They got into a ROW (a quarrel, a fight)
Don’t be going on trying to slip a sunset past a rooster
Wittering - to talk for a long time about things that are not that important or something n consequential.
A bunch of muckety mucks
Pennies in my pocket - Beans In My Jeans
Not for nothing but I’ve never quit on naught
Not for naught
Accoutrements
Unbeknownst
Mental Faculties
Your Gibblies are roasting up - fired up
Not a man to trifle with
Exercised their God given virtue of forgiveness
Provenance - history of somethings authenticity and quality
Rustling someone’s jimmies. - Evoke Fear
The yips- fear of something
Fur de lance - Exotic Snake
We’re not here to run roughshod over it
Before you go and get your pant legs in a knot
The plan is to get in and get out.
Vexed
Hum dinger
Film flam
doozie
Don't you Razzle dazzle me
You’ve successfully yanked my yoke
Not for nothing but
You didn’t hear it from me or the bees
Knock em dead
Toodaloo caraboo
Shirgrin
Here (Fear) goes nothing
Spill the beans / means
Indubitably
Widow Maker - dead forest vine
Rough Air - not turbulence - tension
Plan B because plan A was fly by the seat of our pants and shoot from the hip
CONCEPTS:
The guy who doesn’t die when it’s his time
The guy who doesn’t leave
Where’s my thinking cap. Oh wait I don’t have one. Can I borrow yours?
A piece of a map that we can cap off the map
COVERSATON BITS:
This is not a request just an ask. It’s an ask. You have to do it. But you know. If it strikes you you should do it. Oh wait I have a favor. This is from our bond. Oh I need a solid. I have to give you a calling. This is your calling. I’m summoning you to do something. I’m calling in my Return favor. Help a guy out. Do it for charity.
Fantastic. Awesome. Wonderful. Sure thing. Oh I’m on it. Sarcastic Thanks variation. Amazing. Lovely. Warms my cup.
I am going to give you the short and the skinny of it. I’m not beating around the bush. Let’s stop drop and roll on a dime and get this on a roll
There is a strong aroma in this house, and I cannot put my finger on it and I can’t put my nose on it. No one could say I am nose blind, but in this very moment, there is a strong aroma and aroma walked in through these halls these rooms.
So close but can’t catch a break song monologue
SONG LYRICS?
So sorry. So sorry. I feel sorry for your mother
So pathetic
To have a scoundrel and one that doesn’t bring a payroll
It’s gonna hurt like ——- and then they keep saying things as the guy is in pain from a bullet wound and they do all their sayings and forget to operate. Or as they do start it gets weirder or more graphic. analogies and non sensical sayings. Stepping on a monkey’s tail. Or describing twisting and nudging the bullet won’t come out utensils are stuck. Bullet is lodged .
skidoosh
It’s the least I could do - song?
Song - asa matter of fact… I do
Song: better than nothing
Song: look on the bright side there is always a silver lining, it could be worse
You know what you should do
You knew what you could do
You can be my number two
my right hand man
my go to guy
my rough and tumble
my ride along
my confidante
my shoulder to cry on
my ride or die
my backup
that’s me in your corner. Always.
I’ll keep you up to snuff. I’ll lift you up which builds me tough.
Keep each other rough n tumble. So
if you stumble in this rumble
I’ll catch your fumble yah schlub
bub
My ambidextrous bestest
my lucky lefty and righty tighty
Undisclosed location. We have a meeting tomorrow at an undisclosed location. If you know what I mean. Where is that? I was hoping you would know. You told me about it just now. Why don’t you know? Well It’s undisclosed! I can’t know everything. If I knew everything I think I would explode. Pop like an over inflated balloon. That’s not true. You’re full of hot air. Oh no you think? That’s how it all begins. Early signs of explosion. it’s all happening sooner than expected. Much too fast. What is gonna happen to me? I mean you try and plan for these moments in your life. But you can not always be on top of things like this. Other things take precedent. Other things take priority. Like reading Knee Slapper magazines or sliding down a banister. Or going undercover as a …
an island with palms that flap and clap traps that can cause mishaps.
Stop asking if something is a good idea and start asking yourself if you can play it off as a bit if it doesn’t go well.
NAMES:
Penelope, Lucinda, Ruby, Myrtle, Mildred, Pearl, Mabel, Agatha, Piper, Beatrice, Dottie, IdaMae, Margaret, Bernadine, Netta, Hazel, Hilda, Esther, Charlotte, Claude, Genevive
Tad
Tilford
Reginald
QUOTES:
“You pay a great deal too dear for what’s given freely.” (Shakespeare)
You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.