28x15 - Episode 15

[bunniefuu]

[THEME MUSIC]

-[SINGING] It's a beautiful
day in this neighborhood,

a beautiful day for a
neighbor, would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

It's a neighborly day in this
beautywood, a neighborly day

for a beauty, would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have
a neighbor just like you.

I've always wanted to live
in a neighborhood with you.

So let's make the most
of this beautiful day

since we're together we might
as well say, would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

Won't you be my neighbor?

Won't you please,
won't you please,

please won't you be my neighbor?

-Hi, neighbor.

How are you faring today?

That means how are you doing.

I want to show you these things.

Can you imagine
what they might be?

They look a little like things
for a miniature dollhouse,

don't they?

This is a stool and
this is a couch.

They're really
models of furniture

which a friend of mine makes.

Her name is Maya Lin.

And I asked her if I could
bring you to her studio

where she works at
designing things like this.

She said she'd call
us after a while

to tell when she was
ready for us to come.

Let's think of something
do while we're waiting.

Yeah.

-I know what I need to do.

When I came in I
noticed that there

was a screw missing
at the front door.

I'll show you.

See these screws here?

Well, this one's missing.

Yeah.

So I'll get a screw
and a screwdriver.

This is-- this is
just the right kind.

Yeah.

Think of something to
do while we're waiting.

There.

There's the job done.

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

-Oh, there's the phone.

Maybe that's she now.

[TELEPHONE RINGING]

-Hello?

Hi.

Yes, I was just
finishing up something.

Uh-ha.

Just a little job.

If you're ready, yeah,
I'll be glad to come.

Uh-ha.

I've already told
them about it, yeah,

and I'll bring the models back.

All right.

Thanks so much.

All right.

Bye, bye.

That was Maya Lin.

She says she's ready
for us to visit.

So, are you ready
to go to her studio?

I am.

Take the models of the
stool and the couch.

Let's go visit Maya Lin.

Come along.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Maya.

-Hi Fred.

How are you?

-I'm fine.

I hope you are.

-Very well.

-I'd like you to know my
television neighbor Maya Lin.

-Hello.

-Thanks for loaning
me the models.

-Oh, you're very welcome.

Would you like to
see the real things?

-Sure would.

-Come on over here.

-OK.

Wow.

-Here it is.

-This is the couch?

-This is the couch, and
I'm sitting on the stool.

So, we can start with the couch.

-I remember going like that.

-Yes, here's the model.

And you've got a maple
base and a leather top,

and, try laying down on it.

-May I?

-Yes, please do.

-Oh my, that's very comfortable.

-It's supposed to
conform to the human body

as well as be somewhat
reminiscent of a landscape,

which is where my
sculptural work comes in.

And I get a lot of my
inspiration from the earth

and from images of nature.

And the stool is based
on the landscape works,

but it's also based on
non-Western furniture

traditions.

This is an African
headrest and--

-How do you use that?

-You put the back of your neck
on this and you lean back,

and it's actually much more
comfortable than it might look.

But to me, it's the beauty and
simplicity of the form which

inspired me to create
a set of furniture--

[INAUDIBLE] Let me try this.

You say you put it here?

-You put it there
and you can lay down

and-- it's an African headrest.

-Wow.

-What do you think?

-I wouldn't have expected
it to be so comfortable.

-Same here.

There's some porcelain pillows
from China that are also very,

very comfortable and you
would never expected it.

And then these
tops are, well, do

you have a marble by any chance?

I seem to have lost one.

-I do have a marble here.

-Well this is very helpful
because there's a slight play

on the surface of this and the
table tops are ever so slightly

convex and the stools are
ever so slightly concave

so that in a way the stools
you can sit more comfortably.

And this is going back again
to the notion of the earth.

Remember as a kid when you
find out that the Earth is not

round, not flat,
the Earth is round,

and you go around trying to
find the curve of the Earth.

And so that also plays
into this set of furniture

that I designed.

-Can I try the marble once more?

-Please do.

It sits right on center, but
then once you go off center

it rolls right off.

-But if it's right there--

-Yeah.

And then--

-The stools are
all called stones,

and the chairs called longitude.

And the whole series, which
is again about the Earth,

is the Earth is, in
parentheses, not flat.

-Is it fun to make it?

-Oh, I've had so much
fun working on this.

To begin with a little
idea in your head

that you then make
a little model of--

and sometimes I actually don't
start with an idea in my head

I use the model making
as-- I'm not even thinking,

I just make something.

And in a way I think
through my hands that way.

And so you make
something this big

and then you let someone else
fabricate, and bring it up,

and study it at a larger
scale, and a larger scale.

And to see it change
from the small model

to the finished
piece is so much fun.

I actually can't think of a
better way of spending my days

then just imagining
something and then

having it built for you.

-What are you working on now?

-Well, right now I'm working on
a library and other sculptures

that sort of are
about to get built.

Actually a poetry garden
for another library,

but I'd love to show
you the library.

-Good.

Where is it?

-It's this way.

And--

-Is this it?

-This is it.

This is the site plan for it.

I think when you start on a
project like this you begin

with a very small, small little
model which you can see right

here, and this describes
the entire compound

at [INAUDIBLE] Farm.

And there's the pond and this
library overlooks the pond,

and this is actually
an existing structure.

It's an 1800's barn,
a Tennessee barn

which is raised up one level.

And so the idea was
to preserve as much

an old building on the outside.

But then, if I can get
behind you, on the inside

is the library.

So you come up the stairs
or the elevator here--

receptionist is here-- all
the books are over in here.

There's a reading
area to sit and read

and a table to read by too, and
computer terminals over here,

and another sort of
children seating area here.

-Right in an old barn.

-In an old barn.

-Is it fun to see that model.

Have you always liked doing
things like this, Maya?

-Oh, I can't
remember a time when

I wasn't making
something with my hands.

Ever since I was a little
girl I always made things.

Just made a mess in my
bedroom making all sorts

of-- everything from metal
work, to jewelry, to rugs,

to candles, to clay-- any
medium I could get my hands

I was busy making something.

-You love that--

-Oh, I can't resist.

Actually there's something
I'd really like to show you.

It's one of my favorite pieces.

It's a clock.

-Oh, a clock.

-It's a clock.

And-- turn the light table on.

-How does it work?

-Well, how does it work.

It works so that this
glass disc is illuminated

and the solid disc
goes back and forth

shutting the light source off.

Let me show you.

Here's-- I have
to put this here,

and if you can imagine an
illuminated face which is this.

And I'll just move
the piece of paper--

-And it tells you time it is.

-The shadow one will
tell you what time is.

And what moves is
the solid disc.

I'm sort of doing
it the opposite way

here because it's easier.

But it's literally--
you're using

the idea of a solar
eclipse, or a lunar eclipse,

to create a shadow line that
will tell your time of day,

and at 12 noon the discs
are completely separate.

So the one disc is completely
illuminated and at 12 midnight

the discs are completely
aligned and all

the light source is eclipsed.

And--

-Well where is this?

-Well this is very nearby here.

Would you like to go see it?

-Sure.

-Let me take you there.

-OK.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Is this it?

-This is it.

Why don't we go on
down and see the clock?

-Oh good.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-I have always liked escalators.

-I know.

They're so much fun.

-And so-- do we go this way?

-We go this way
to see the clock.

Let me show you.

-This is a great place.

-Yeah.

-Where's the clock?

-You have to look up.

-Oh, my.

Isn't that wonderful.

It's so big Maya.

-Yeah.

If we go over here it's
almost one o'clock.

So, if you-- you have to look
directly up right at the line

and then you can
see the shadow line

and that will tell the
exact time up to 15 minutes

and then the piece will move
back that way and then back

again.

So--

-And every 15 minutes
it goes like--

-Every 15 minutes it jumps,
so if you can stand still

you'll watch time move.

-And you know what
I like, I like

to see those twinkling lights.

If you just go back like this--

-You definitely can capture it.

And it is like catching
the stars in the moon.

-The stars and
the moon together.

Yep, together.

-Oh, you've got the whole sky.

Now did this turn out the
way you imagined it would?

-It's actually so
close to the model

that it just made me
very, very happy to see

it when it was first built.

-Oh, I can imagine.

-Yeah.

Nope it's very, very
close to what can imagine.

-You have an idea and then--

-There it is.

-Thank you for
showing us [INAUDIBLE]

-Oh, you're welcome.

I'm glad you could come.

-Well, I know you have to
get back to work and so do I.

-Yep.

-At my place but I
really loved being here.

-Well thank you for coming.

-Shall we go on the
escalator together?

-Yes

-OK

-Let's do it.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Thanks so much Maya.

-Take care.

-Good to be with you.

-Bye, bye.

-Bye, see you soon.

Let's go to my place.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Isn't that wonderful seeing
how somebody uses her ideas,

makes a model of
them, and then people

construct the big
things from the models.

But most of the time
the ideas come first.

See how important ideas are?

Let's have some make believe.

That's like having
some ideas isn't it?

Come on, trolley.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Now last time we pretended
that Lady Elaine was finally

able to land her
yo-yo helicopter

because of guitar music.

But King Friday still
says, no yo-yos allowed

in the Neighborhood
of Make Believe,

just because he doesn't
know how to make

a yo-yo on a string work well.

Well, let's think more
about that neighborhood now.

Ready trolley?

Neighborhood of Make Believe.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Could you help us Mayor Maggie?

-I'd like to try.

What do you need?

-Well, everybody's
tired of daddy's rule.

-You mean, no yo-yos
in Make Believe.

-Yes.

Could you help him
change his mind?

-That's a pretty big
order Prince Tuesday.

-Well I hope you'll
try Mayor Maggie.

See ya later.

-I'll do my best.

Oh, now what am I going to do?

-Speedy delivery.

Speedy delivery.

Good day Mayor Maggie.

-Hello Mr. McFeely.

-Have you seen King Friday?

-Not yet, but I'm supposed
to have a meeting with him

in a few minutes.

-Well I'm so busy today I
wonder if you could give him

this delivery when
you do see him.

-Of course.

It looks like a
little videotape.

-Just right for
a little machine.

It's from Yo-Yo Ma.

-The cellist?

-That's right, it
should be wonderful.

Well a busy day,
thank you very much.

Oh speedy delivery.

Wow, I wonder if he's playing
the cello on this tape.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Mayor Maggie I presume.

-Correct as usual King Friday.

-And what is your news?

-First of all, Mr.
McFeely just brought

this videotape from Yo-Yo--

-Uh, Uh-- there's
that word again.

I don't want to hear
that word again.

I shall return.

-Honestly King.

Yo-Yo is part of a
man's name and he

wouldn't even let me tell him.

What's going on
over at the factory?

-I wouldn't know why--

-Hello neighbors.

-Oh hello Mayor Maggie,
I'm glad you're here.

Look at what Corny invented.

-A yo-yo

-Yep, I call it Ray, R- A- Y.
It's a royal a*t*matic yo-yo.

-Yo-yos aren't allowed
in the neighborhood.

-Oh, Corny knows that but he
thought, if King Friday liked

this one, royal and all,
he might change his mind.

-A royal a*t*matic yo-yo.

I see.

-It was just an idea.

-A potentially
very helpful idea.

-Well you all are
welcome to have it.

You show how it works, will you?

-Oh I surely will.

-Yeah, I've got to
get back to my work.

See you all.

-Bye for now Corny.

-Want to see me turn it on?

-Yes.

-It's great.

-Want to turn it on?

-Yes.

-Same way.

-Please, stay right here.

-All right.

-And if I call you,
please bring it over.

-I will.

Oh, will you need to
videotape machine as well?

-I hope we'll be needing one.

-OK, I'll bring
one just in case.

-You think of everything.

-Ah, Associate Mayor
at your service.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-King Friday.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Mayor Maggie I presume.

-Correct as usual and all.

I know you've outlawed yo-yos--

-Until I find one
I can use well.

-Well I think we've found
a very royal one for you.

-You have?

Where is it?

-Before I tell you, will
you promise me something?

-And what might that be?

-If you like the
new yo-yo will you

allow us all to see this
idea from Yo-Yo Ma tape?

-If I like it and if I'm able
to use it, yes I promise.

Now where is this
special something?

-Neighbor Aber, please come.

-Hello everyone.

-Neighbor Aber I presume.

-Correct as usual King Friday.

Mayor Maggie, should I
install the videotape machine?

-Oh, I think you should.

-All right.

Here, I'll put in the tape
so that's all ready to go.

-You must both be
very confident--

-Oh we are.

-Yes, all right.

Where is this royal yo-yo?

-Oh, it's right here Sir.

-Oh.

Oh.

Now what about this contraption?

-Well all you have
to do to make it

work Kind Friday
is simply touch it.

-You mean a king touches this
and the yo-yo begins to work?

-Yes Sir.

-Well, I shall see about that.

[LAUGHING]

-Oh, why yes.

Now that's what I
would call a yo-yo.

-And you a yo-yo expert.

-Oh yes, let me see here-- and
a king will touch it again.

Oh, lovely and again--
Oh, very good, yes.

-Could we--

-This is spectacular.

Yes-- royal yo-yo.

-Could we watch the
idea from Yo-Yo Ma now?

-Oh, oh yes.

Of course.

Yes.

Yes, of course.

-King Friday I presume.

-Correct as usual Mr. Ma.

-I trust you're feeling
better about yo-yos.

-Oh, much better thank you.

-Well, this Yo-Yo
would like to play

some cello music for
you and your yo-yo.

-Oh, very good.

I trust it's music by Bach?

-It is because I know you
have sophisticated taste.

-Carry on Mr. Ma.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Oh that was great.

-That was wonderful.

-Yes.

Thank you Yo-Yo Ma.

-Long live the king.

Some day let's play
a musical duet.

Farewell for now.

-Oh look a cello
and a bass viol.

-He wants to play a duet
with you King Friday.

-He really does and so we shall.

Ah-- you may have this thing.

It's not much fun it
practically yo-yos itself.

I shall practice my bass viol.

That's much more
satisfying for me.

-Good for you King Friday.

-So everyone's
allowed yo-yos now.

-How could it be otherwise?

After all I'm
preparing for a duet

with the best Yo-Yo of all.

Farewell.

-Farewell King Friday.

-Daddy says everyone's
allowed to yo-yo.

-That's right.

I thank you Mayor Maggie.

-And I thank Mr. Aber.

-And we all thank Corny--

-Indeed.

-Yo-Yo Ma, his cello, and some
music by Johann Sebastian Bach.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-Oh yes trolley.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-King Friday finally found
out what was really important.

Everybody has different talents.

Some people like to yo-yo,
some people like to play music,

some people like
to do other things.

So long as what you're
doing is helping

you and other people--
that's all the matters.

You know when I was a little boy
I would often go to the piano

and play about
how I was feeling.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-But my sister didn't care
about playing the piano.

She wanted to paint
pictures all the time.

Well she grew up to
be a color artist,

and I grew up to
be a piano player.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

-So some of the
things that you feel

like doing to express
yourself when you're little,

you keep developing all
during your lifetime.

That's one of the great
things about people growing.

It's soon time for
me to go and I just

want you to know
that little or big,

you always have
people who love you.

It's what's inside
you that matters most.

That's where all sizes of
helpful ideas come from.

Inside is where you
can always be growing.

THEME SONG: It's such a good
feeling to know you're alive.

It's such a happy feeling
you're growing inside.

And when you wake
up ready to say,

I think I'll make
a snappy new day.

It's such a good feeling,
a very good feeling,

the feeling you know that I'll
be back when the week is new

and I'll have more
ideas for you and you'll

have things you'll want
to talk about I will to.

-We'll all have things
we want to talk about

and we'll all be
together next time.

Bye, bye. [MUSIC PLAYING]

-For anyone who
would like to know,

here's the PBS neighborhood
online address.

[MUSIC PLAYING]