Script Spotlight: Traveling Back to the Old West — A Timeless Crossing by Bruce Thomas

What do you get when two Wild West history buffs board a private train and accidentally slip through a time warp into the actual Old West? A 60-minute adventure packed with humor, history, and more than a few surprises.

Bruce Thomas's Traveling Back to the Old West — A Timeless Crossing follows cousins Emmett and Jasper, who set out to gather authentic material for a Wild West novel and end up with far more than they bargained for.

Thomas, a longtime actor and dramatist based in Simi Valley, California, brings both a performer's instinct and a curious intellect to his writing. We asked him a few questions about the script.

Where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

I was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the home of the 82nd Airborne Division. My dad was stationed there back in 1949. Currently, I reside in Simi Valley, California.

What is your background in drama and theater?

I have always pursued acting and drama as an avocation in local playhouses, as well as various film productions.

What got you interested in writing a story about time travel and the Old West?

My interest in actual time geometry, such as time warps, stems from extensive reading on the subject of quantum mechanics. Its theoretical application in the fictitious time travel experience of my main characters was fun to play with.

The play moves through several different settings — an office, a train, multiple Old West towns. Any advice for directors on staging the transitions?

The use of painted backdrops depicting the transitions to different locations would work well. Such backdrops foster the imagination of the audience while the focus remains on the dialog between characters. It need not be expensive or complicated. It's the actor's job to capture the attention of the audience. Props and backdrops merely set the tone.

What do you think would be the greatest challenge for a modern person who suddenly found themselves back in the Old West?

The greatest challenge would be in reconciling this new reality. Given a little time, the experience could become thrilling. To be able to experience another time in history firsthand is precisely what the main characters wanted. Only then could authentic accounts be recorded in their writing.

What one would be unable to reconcile is the time lag in their modern life after their return. Theoretically, time travel can only be accomplished at light speed — which inevitably causes time dilation, with roughly one year and four months passing back home for each day spent in the Old West. Is it worth it? Ha!

Who are some of your favorite playwrights?

I enjoy reading the works of Neil Simon, George Bernard Shaw, Tennessee Williams, and of course, Shakespeare.