This is another play that I wrote for a class, entitled “The Heart of a Lion”.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
REGINALD……………………….…A young big-game hunter, age 25
LEONA…………………………………………A female lion, age 43 lion-years
Setting: Somewhere on the Serengeti plain in Tanzania
Time: Present day, autumn, shortly before dusk
(LEONA is napping on the grass near a group of trees. A
partially-devoured zebra carcass is on the ground nearby.
LEONA awakens to find REGINALD standing several
yards away, pointing a shotgun in her direction.)
LEONA
Whoa! Watch where you’re pointing that thing, man! You can hurt somebody. Haven’t you ever taken a gun safety course?
REGINALD
(surprised)
You can talk?
LEONA
(indignant)
Of course I can talk. I’m forty-three lion-years old. What do you think, I’m retarded?
REGINALD
I’ve just never encountered a talking lion before.
LEONA
Well, maybe you just never encountered a lion who thought you were worth talking to. My name is Leona. What’s yours?
REGINALD
(confused)
I didn’t know that lions had names.
LEONA
It seems there’s a lot you didn’t know. Your name, please?
REGINALD
(dumbfounded)
My… my name is Reginald.
LEONA
(politely)
Nice to meet you, Reginald. Now can you please stop pointing that thing at me?
REGINALD
Well, the thing is, I’m pointing it at you for a reason. I’m hunting you.
LEONA
(laughing)
No, you’re not. I know a little bit about hunting. If you’re hunting someone, you’re stalking your prey, trying to track them down, relishing the chase. But you’re standing here with a shotgun to my face. That’s not hunting; that’s threatening murder. Put the gun down, please.
REGINALD
I don’t think so. Who’s to say that the instant I put down this gun you wouldn’t rush forward and tear my throat out?
LEONA
Listen: I was just lying here minding my own business. I’m not interested in killing you. I already had half a zebra for dinner; you can have the other half if you want. Zebra tastes better than lion anyway, if you ask me.
REGINALD
Um… no thanks. I’m not hungry.
LEONA
(astonished)
Not hungry!? Then why the heck are you hunting?
REGINALD
Well… I’m hunting for a trophy.
LEONA
For a trophy!? What a ridiculous reason to hunt! You humans don’t make any sense at all.
REGINALD
(sternly)
Well, that may be, but my dear Victoria’s father forbade me to marry her unless I returned from this hunt with a lion. And I will marry Victoria. So make your peace with this world that you’re about to leave behind.
(LEONA stretches her neck, yawns, and grins)
LEONA
I’m already at peace with the world. Are you?
REGINALD
Don’t try to distract me, lion.
LEONA
It’s Leona, please. And I’m not trying to distract you. I do, however, want to offer you a deal.
(REGINALD lowers the gun slightly)
REGINALD
What kind of deal?
LEONA
How about this: if I show you where you can find some even better trophies; then will you let me go back to my children?
REGINALD
Better trophies? Like what?
LEONA
My husband. He’s abusive and lazy, and he mates with every other lioness he can get his paws on. Worst of all, his no-good brother just moved in with us after hurting his leg in a fight. Now the two of them sleep 20 hours a day and play the rest, all the time waiting for me to bring them food. I’m tired of it.
REGINALD
(surprised)
So you want me to kill your husband?
LEONA
And his brother. I’ve been looking for a way to get rid of them. So do we have a deal?
REGINALD
Two male lions? With manes and everything? They would make better trophies. But what if I don’t get them, or what if I get killed? Why should I take that risk when all I have to do is pull the trigger and bring you home?
LEONA
(shaking her head)
That’s just like a human: you’ve got a chance to experience the thrill of a true hunt, with a little risk involved, and your fear is holding you back.
(REGINALD raises the gun again)
REGINALD
(defensively)
I’m not afraid. You’re the one who should be scared. I’ve got the upper hand; I move one muscle and you die.
LEONA
(grinning)
That only proves that you’re afraid. Even if I couldn’t smell your fear in the air, I would know it from the gun. Guns are not the weapons of the brave. You kill from a distance, never allowing your enemy to get close. You are a coward. But against two male lions, it evens the odds a bit. I’m giving you a chance to be brave.
(REGINALD snorts derisively)
REGINALD
By sending me after two male lions? You’re not giving me a chance to be brave; you’re giving me a chance to die.
LEONA
But it’s the same thing, Reginald. We lions risk death every day. You might look around at these peaceful plains and think that life is easy on the Serengeti. But the truth is that the natural world is filled with untold dangers. Even in our place at the top of the food chain, we awaken every day with the knowledge that it could be our last.
REGINALD
Well, I didn’t wake up this morning prepared to die. And I won’t be smooth-talked into walking into a lion’s den.
LEONA
Well, you won’t need to enter the den. The sky is getting dark. When my husband and his brother awaken and realize that I haven’t returned with their dinner, they’ll come searching for me. If you hide out here, they’ll arrive before long. All you’ll have to do is shoot them with your little gun.
REGINALD
(pensively)
It’s still risky. I only have two shots before I need to reload. With two full-grown lions, I wouldn’t be able to miss.
LEONA
(grinning)
And that’s where the thrill of the hunt comes in. You never know what’s gonna happen. But if you want to truly be brave, to know what it’s like to have the heart of a lion, to prove yourself to Victoria and her father, then you will take the risk.
(REGINALD again lowers the gun slightly)
REGINALD
(hesitantly)
I don’t know…
LEONA
I’ll tell you what, Reginald: I will assist you. Shoot my husband first; you’ll know him by the streaks of red in his mane. He’s the stronger and faster of the two, but you’ll have the element of surprise. Be sure that you don’t miss. After that, shoot his brother immediately. His injured leg should slow him enough for you to take the shot. If you miss, I’ll keep him away from you until you’ve had a chance to reload. How does that sound?
REGINALD
(doubtfully)
How do I know that I can trust you?
LEONA
You don’t. But I swear on the lives of my children that I will do as I’ve said.
REGINALD
(thinking)
Okay, we’ll play the game your way. But you stay in front of me. If anything goes wrong, I promise I’ll shoot you first.
LEONA
It’s a deal. But we’ve got to be quick. The sky is turning red and the shadows are getting long. They’ll be coming soon. Luckily these trees are downwind from the direction of our den, and the zebra should help to hide your scent. Otherwise, my husband would be able to smell your fear.
(pauses)
But still: try not to be too afraid, Reginald.
(LEONA leads REGINALD to the nearby group of trees,
where LEONA crouches down in hiding. REGINALD
ducks down several feet behind her, with his gun at the ready.
A minute later two male lions approach, one with red streaks
in his mane and the other slightly smaller limping on its left
hind leg. The lions pause in front of the group of trees and
begin to sniff the air. REGINALD takes aim and fires, bringing
down the larger lion with his first shot. The second lion turns
and rushes toward the clump of trees. REGINALD fires again,
and the second lion falls dead. REGINALD emerges from the
hiding place, followed by LEONA.)
REGINALD
(excited)
I did it! It worked!
LEONA
I told you that it would. You just had to be brave, Reginald.
REGINALD
Now I’ll bring home two male lions as trophies: one for Victoria and one for her father. I don’t know how to thank you, Leona. Victoria will be so happy!
(REGINALD stands over the bodies of the two dead
lions. LEONA walks up behind him)
LEONA
(sadly)
She won’t be as happy as all that, Reginald.
REGINALD
(startled)
What? What do you mean?
LEONA
(emotionlessly)
I mean that you won’t be returning to your Victoria.
REGINALD
(frightened)
But… you promised! Leona! You swore on the lives of your children!
LEONA
(growling)
I swore an oath that I would help you kill my husband and his brother. Beyond that I made no promises. I’ve been true to my word, Reginald. Now make your peace with this world you’re about to leave behind.
(REGINALD instinctively raises his gun, aims at LEONA,
and pulls the trigger, but the weapon is not loaded. LEONA
roars and leaps on REGINALD, and his agonized screams
are heard as the lights fade to black.)
CURTAIN
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