Characters:

MISS FORTUNE:   Mysterious woman / mid 40s / Slavic sounding accent / isolated / mild language struggle

RINGMASTER: Mid-late 20s / mostly composed leader of the circus / handles himself like a gentleman except when made upset / charming, coy, arrogant / could be British or just stuck up

LIONSKEEPER: Late 30s / slightly illiterate, easily aggravated, mildly disturbed, keeper of the lions / …was Nelly’s death his fault? / New York accent

NELLY: The tightrope walker / only mentioned by name / killed in the last lion incident.

Setting:

The Circus (early 1910s)

The stage is set to look like the inside of a circus tent, with drapery of red and yellow fabric hanging from above to emulate this setting.

Scene I

(RINGMASTER and LIONSKEEPER are in discussion, dim lighting to indicate dusk, MISS FORTUNE runs out and interrupts.)

MISS FORTUNE: (Urgently) The lions are out again.

RINGMASTER: What?!

LIONSKEEPER: (Rolling his eyes) Not to worry, boss. I locked ‘em up myself. 

MISS FORTUNE: (Bigger) The lions are out again!

LIONSKEEPER: Listen, Miss Fortune, they are perfectly locked up. 

RINGMASTER: (To MISS FORTUNE) What makes you say so?

MISS FORTUNE: (Cryptically) I saw them.

LIONSKEEPER: Oi, so did I. I saw them safely to their den, all three locks tightly sealed. Ain’t nothing to worry about.

RINGMASTER: Did you see them in real life? 

MISS FORTUNE: Well, no.

RINGMASTER: Then where?

MISS FORTUNE: Crystal ball.

(LIONSKEEPER and RINGMASTER both dramatically sigh)

LIONSKEEPER: Damn it, lady, you can’t go running around shouting that you’ve seen the lions about. Think about Nelly!

MISS FORTUNE: I am thinking about Nelly. 

RINGMASTER: (Taking off his hat) Poor Nelly.

LIONSKEEPER: (Taking off his hat & shaking his head) Poor Nelly.

MISS FORTUNE: (Weighty, awkward pause) Ticket sales are dwindling.

RINGMASTER:  Do you foresee them going up?

MISS FORTUNE: Unlikely.

LIONSKEEPER: I thought having a fortune teller would be more fun. Geez.

MISS FORTUNE: It is not my fault future looks grim.

RINGMASTER: (Musing) Maybe we need a new attraction.

LIONSKEEPER: What good would that do?

MISS FORTUNE: There is very little hope for circus.

RINGMASTER: Things have been bad since we lost the tightrope act.

LIONSKEEPER: (Taking off his hat & shaking his head) Poor Nelly.

MISS FORTUNE: (Shaking her head) Poor Nelly.

RINGMASTER: I wonder if a monkey would help.

MISS FORTUNE: The lions would eat him too.

LIONSKEEPER: (Taking off his hat) Poor Nelly.

RINGMASTER: (With his head in his hands) I still see articles in the newspaper. And they’re only getting worse! “Mane Attraction: Lions at Lunch at the Family Circus.” It was three weeks ago, they can quit beating the story now. 

MISS FORTUNE: Because of investigation.

LIONSKEEPER: What investigation? You mean the cops? 

RINGMASTER: Worse, Scotland Yard. (Beat) They’re threatening to shut us down.

LIONSKEEPER: When?

MISS FORTUNE: Soon. 

LIONSKEEPER: But I thought they already did the investigation! After Nelly died …

RINGMASTER:  They’re reopening the case. Somebody turned in the missing lock … from the lion's cage.

LIONSKEEPER: (Paling) They won’t shut us down, will they?

RINGMASTER:  They wouldn’t.

MISS FORTUNE: (Amused) Might be for the best.

LIONSKEEPER: (Worried) Where would we go?

RINGMASTER:  Slovakia, mainly. 

LIONSKEEPER: The lions won’t like Slovakia.

RINGMASTER: Then we’ll take them to Albania.

MISS FORTUNE: The circus will not be shut down.

RINGMASTER: Have you seen it?

MISS FORTUNE: No.

RINGMASTER: Then how do you know?

MISS FORTUNE: (Shaking head) You know as well as I do, Ringmaster, that you would never allow for such a thing. (Stares at him intently. Lion roars offstage) The lions are out again. 

LIONSKEEPER: Look, if you’re so worried about the lions, I’ll go check on ‘em right now. 

(LIONSKEEPER exits)

RINGMASTER:  (Stepping towards her angrily) Would you stop with that?

MISS FORTUNE: With what?

RINGMASTER: Whatever you think you know, you don’t. 

MISS FORTUNE: (Feining ignorance) I only know what crystal ball shares.

RINGMASTER: I–

MISS FORTUNE: Or what fates impart to me.

RINGMASTER:  (Getting angry) Miss Fortune … 

MISS FORTUNE: Or what the cards decree.

RINGMASTER: You’re not a real fortune teller! 

MISS FORTUNE: Says who?

RINGMASTER: I hired you off the side of the road in Romania!

MISS FORTUNE: I foretold everything with Nelly and the lions, didn’t I? 

RINGMASTER: That’s enough.

MISS FORTUNE: And you chose not to listen … Her blood is on your stained hands, Ringmaster. 

RINGMASTER: (Grabbing her wrist) ENOUGH!

LIONSKEEPER: (Clueless) Say, what’s with all the commotion?

RINGMASTER: Nothing at all. (Recomposing himself) How are the lions?

LIONSKEEPER: Exactly as I left em, just like I said. 

RINGMASTER: Never doubted you, Lionel.

MISS FORTUNE: (Knowingly) Just wait.

LIONSKEEPER: Not this again! Boss, you gotta tell her to stop with these “premonitions.” They give me the creeps!

RINGMASTER: (Pointedly) Miss Fortune, why don’t we save the clairvoyance for the guests?

MISS FORTUNE: I cannot control what the crystal ball shares with me.

LIONSKEEPER: Well, you don’t gotta share it with us!

RINGMASTER:  Please, Miss Fortune, that’s enough for tonight. The lions are tucked away and there’s no need to cause alarm.

(Ringmaster and Lionskeeper begin to walk away, the lighting shifts, Miss

Fortune enters a trance.)

MISS FORTUNE:

Across the line, her final climb, 

walks Nelly to her demise. 

Her heart a-pound, above the ground, 

they pace with hungry eyes.

The crowds had run, the show was done, 

but Nelly stays trapped on high.

Trapeze in reach, a daring feat, 

she leaps down from the sky.

The exit in sight, she swings with her might, 

right into the jaws of the pride.

(Snapping out of it, gasps, and says with urgency) 

The lions are out again!

LIONSKEEPER: Yeah, yeah, we heard you the last twelve times.

MISS FORTUNE: Think about Nelly!

RINGMASTER / 

LIONSKEEPER: (Exasperated) We ARE thinking about Nelly!

MISS FORTUNE: Poor Nelly.

RINGMASTER / 

LIONSKEEPER: (Hats off, shaking heads) Poor Nelly.

RINGMASTER: (Snapping hat back on) Stop with that! Enough about the past, I thought you saw the future!

MISS FORTUNE: (Sourly) If we do not dwell on past then we are doomed to repeat it. 

(Ringmaster takes a step towards her, very annoyed, Lionskeeper is clueless.)

LIONSKEEPER: Say, didn’t I read that in a fortune cookie somewhere?

RINGMASTER: (Sighing) I’m sure you did. 

LIONSKEEPER: I did! When we were touring in– in– (Snapping his fingers)

RINGMASTER: Is this relevant at all? 

LIONSKEEPER: I– no. Wait! Nelly was there.

RINGMASTER: Is that important?

LIONSKEEPER: I guess not. 

MISS FORTUNE: What did her fortune read? Stay away from large cats?

(Light chuckle, before a quiet pause.)

LIONSKEEPER: She was the best of us.

MISS FORTUNE: (Shaking her head) Poor Nelly.

RINGMASTER: (Shaking his head) Poor Nelly.

LIONSKEEPER: (Shaking his head) Poor Nelly.

RINGMASTER: They want to shut us down. Maybe it is for the best. (Beat) They think we killed her.

LIONSKEEPER: Come on boss. It won’t come to that. (Hesitant) If anything, I reckon it was my fault. 

RINGMASTER: Don’t say that, old friend. It’ll only wreck your consciousness.

LIONSKEEPER: Keeps me up at night, just thinking about it. 

RINGMASTER:  (Gathering an idea) Let’s get a drink, Lionel.

MISS FORTUNE: (Eyeing him skeptically) It’s very late, Ringmaster.

RINGMASTER: You should have been a nun, Miss Fortune.

(RINGMASTER loops his arm around LIONSKEEPER and they walk off stage.)

MISS FORTUNE: This will not end well.

(MISS FORTUNE exits. Blackout.)

Scene II

(LIONSKEEPER and RINGMASTER stumble onto the stage, arm and arm, both very drunk, blue lights to indicate late at night. LIONSKEEPER is sobbing. RINGMASTER is acting empathetic, but is plotting his own agenda.)

LIONSKEEPER: I didn’t mean for it to happen, boss!

RINGMASTER: I know you didn’t, Lionel.

LIONSKEEPER: I checked the locks after their performance. I swear!

RINGMASTER: But how can you be certain?

LIONSKEEPER: That’s just it, boss. I’m not certain at all. I should’ve been more careful. I should’ve double checked– no, triple checked– the locks. But I know I checked them! There’s no way it could have been me. 

RINGMASTER: Who else could have left the gates unlocked?

LIONSKEEPER: (Immediately losing footing for his argument) It could only have been me! I killed her!

RINGMASTER: What are you going to do now?

LIONSKEEPER: Whatdya mean? 

RINGMASTER: The investigation is starting soon, you know. They’re going to be looking for what went wrong … and now we know … it was all your fault.

LIONSKEEPER: (Hopelessly) It was all my fault. 

RINGMASTER: It must have been so hard for you all this time … with no one to turn to … no one to tell. Thank you for trusting me with this.

LIONSKEEPER: You’re not gonna tell anyone, are you?

RINGMASTER: Well … when Scotland Yard comes to our door, I don’t know if I’ll have a choice.

LIONSKEEPER: But they’re going to put me away!

RINGMASTER: Maybe permanently.

LIONSKEEPER: I can’t go back, boss! I won’t make it through the clink a second time. I can’t do a life sentence! Last time I was there, I barely escaped with both my hands. Imagine what will happen with a LIFE SENTENCE. 

RINGMASTER: (Falsely sweet) I wish I could help you, Lionel, I really do. (Beat) Maybe if you turn yourself in, they might make you an offer? It might not even be a life sentence.

LIONSKEEPER: You don’t get it! I can’t go back there again. I just can’t!

RINGMASTER: Now, Lionel, it can’t be that bad.

LIONSKEEPER: (Annoyed) And how would you know? You’ve never seen a hard day in your life! You don’t know what it’s like to sleep with one eye open, always waiting for the worst to strike—waiting every day to be shanked or skinned. You’ve slept on silk pillows since the day you were born!

RINGMASTER: Come now, Lionel, I didn’t mean to upset you.

LIONSKEEPER: How could you not? I killed a girl and I’m going back to jail. I’ve never been more unstable in my life!

RINGMASTER: When has your life ever been stable?

LIONSKEEPER: (Scoffing) Of course, this is just a joke to you, ain’t it? 

RINGMASTER: Lionel—

LIONSKEEPER: No! Don’t talk down to me a second more, boss. I’m tired of you treating me like a child! 

RINGMASTER: Lionel, you’re my oldest friend.

LIONSKEEPER: I’ve only worked here two years. 

RINGMASTER: You’re not a child.

LIONSKEEPER: And you’re not my friend!

RINGMASTER: Well, that’s a bit brash.

LIONSKEEPER: What does it matter anyways? I’m dead already.

RINGMASTER: Look, I didn’t mean to upset you. Let’s get you to bed.

LIONSKEEPER: (Crying again) I killed her, boss. I killed Nelly. 

RINGMASTER: I know you did. 

LIONSKEEPER: (Deeply confused and still crying) I just don’t understand. There’s no way it could have been me. I followed protocol to a tee: I gave them their treats, I locked up the cage, I told them goodnight. I know I checked the locks! But who else could have done this? (Lamenting) It's my fault. It’s my fault she’s dead. I’m just so guilty, I can’t stand it anymore. And now they might shut down the circus? I know how much this place means to you. I’m sorry, boss, I’m so sorry. 

RINGMASTER: I know, pal, I know. 

LIONSKEEPER: (Weakly) I killed her.

(Exit. Blackout.)

Scene III

(Same setting, the lights are brighter to indicate dawn, maybe a rooster crow. MISS FORTUNE enters screaming. RINGMASTER runs on stage from the opposite side. Miss Fortune is hysterical.)

RINGMASTER: What is it? What’s happened?

MISS FORTUNE: Blood, blood, so much blood.

RINGMASTER: What are you talking about?

MISS FORTUNE: Arms, and limbs, and blood, and blood.

RINGMASTER: What are you saying?

MISS FORTUNE: He’s DEAD.

RINGMASTER: Who’s dead?

MISS FORTUNE: (Frantically) Lionel! Who else?

RINGMASTER: What– what do you mean?

MISS FORTUNE: Lionel is dead! He fed himself to lions!

RINGMASTER: No … No, he can’t be. I was with him, just a few hours ago. How do you know?

MISS FORTUNE: I saw it!

RINGMASTER: Saw it where? In the crystal ball?

MISS FORTUNE: (Frustrated) No, you fool, I saw it just now! In lion cage! (Getting closer to him accusingly) What have you done?

RINGMASTER: (Indignant) Nothing. I haven’t done anything!

MISS FORTUNE: You got into his head and twisted him around!

RINGMASTER: I did not! I– I didn’t mean to.

MISS FORTUNE: You did!

RINGMASTER: I thought he would turn himself in, damn it!

MISS FORTUNE: You would do anything to keep yourself safe, you selfish bastard.

RINGMASTER: Nelly’s death was his fault! I’m just trying to run an honest company.

MISS FORTUNE: (Deadpan) All of your employees are either homeless or criminals.

RINGMASTER: Whatever.

MISS FORTUNE: Don’t pretend like you’re a good man, Ringmaster. You’re the worst of us all. 

RINGMASTER: (Getting angry) What are you getting at?

MISS FORTUNE: You are not only murderer, but coward too.

RINGMASTER: I am neither. 

MISS FORTUNE: (Chuckling) Then you are in denial as well.

RINGMASTER: Whatever happened, I did it to save the circus. 

MISS FORTUNE: And what is circus now? Bones being prepared for the grave—waiting, always waiting, for the day it is our turn, and the lions are let loose. And we will be nothing but arms, and limbs, and blood, and blood. 

RINGMASTER: No need to be so gruesome. This was the last time.

MISS FORTUNE: So you think … 

RINGMASTER: (Definitively) It was the last time. 

MISS FORTUNE: This is not some macabre forethought, Ringmaster, but warning! You and your beloved circus are to be slaughtered, mauled, and mangled, just as Nelly and Lionel. And who will be responsible when your kingdom crumbles to ashes, but you? And who will care? We all will be scraps of sinew, and organs, and tissue, and nothing. But I know you … you will not listen. 

RINGMASTER: You’re not a real fortune teller! I gave you your phoney name and that ridiculous crystal ball!

MISS FORTUNE: I don’t need your insipid ball to see what shall pass. I’m as real as blood that mats lions’ manes.

RINGMASTER: You foretold one woman’s death, that hardly counts.

MISS FORTUNE: This is your problem—you are too arrogant. You wait for worst things to happen before you realize I was right all along. 

RINGMASTER: (Angry snort) Miss Fortune, I don’t change my plans off your cheap premonitions because you’re a fraud! You’re a homeless, heartless, middle-aged woman that I picked up from the side of the road. You mean nothing, you inspire nothing, you see nothing. Your “prediction” about Nelly was merely coincidence. 

MISS FORTUNE: Faithless, impudent man. (Ringmaster scoffs) When fates come knocking on your door, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ve written your own ending.

RINGMASTER: Stop saying that.

MISS FORTUNE: You know what you did, Ringmaster. 

RINGMASTER: Stop saying that.

MISS FORTUNE: The show must go on, no matter cost—even so far as letting innocent girl die in name of disaster, just so you can bask in headlines that follow. Lionel locked the cages, didn’t he, Ringmaster? I don’t recall seeing you under big top as Nelly was torn to shreds. Where were you when lions got loose? 

RINGMASTER: Muse all you want, Miss Fortune, I’d never admit to something like that.

MISS FORTUNE: No, you’d just let people like Lionel take the fall. 

RINGMASTER: (Agitated) Lionel killed himself. I didn’t push him into the den.

MISS FORTUNE: But you may as well have. After Lionel, it’d be me. And then the clowns. And the next, and the next, and the next. All so that you get to keep your good name and precious circus.

RINGMASTER: (Losing his mind) ENOUGH! ENOUGH! I did what I had to do. Who cares if it was selfish? I have been working towards this my ENTIRE life. I could never face myself again. I would be nothing without this circus. I can’t afford to lose now. I’ve invested everything … I’ve only done whatever I thought necessary. It is not my fault Lionel fed himself to the lions. It is not my fault that the lions chose to maul Nelly. I cannot be blamed for choosing not to listen to the feeble delusions of a deranged lunatic! You can’t prove you saw that prophecy, how could I possibly have known the lions would be out? I’m innocent!

MISS FORTUNE: But deep down you know truth … you know what would happen when Scotland Yard arrived for investigation. (Grabbing him by the arm) Your fingerprints are on the lock that was turned in, aren’t they? 

RINGMASTER: (Pulling away) Let me go. 

MISS FORTUNE: (Staring at him knowingly) I hear tremor in your tongue. I see the hesitation in your eyes … 

RINGMASTER: You don’t scare me, you old hag. 

MISS FORTUNE: It’s not me you should be afraid of. 

RINGMASTER: Oh, really? Then what should I be scared of?

MISS FORTUNE: The lions are out again, Ringmaster.

RINGMASTER: Stop with that. (Miss Fortune says nothing, but glares accusingly at him as she exits stage right) Come back here. (Ringmaster is left alone on the stage) Miss Fortune, don’t ignore me! You’re just trying to get in my head … It won’t work! I’m telling you, it won’t work. There are no lions! They’re still in the den! (Realization dawns on him) The den that Lionel left open when he threw himself in. No, please, no! (Ringmaster runs towards stage left. Lions roar from offstage left.) Miss Fortune! (Ringmaster runs towards stage right. Lions roar from offstage right. Ringmaster is stuck center stage.) Oh, damn.

(Lions snarl, black out, Ringmaster screams.)

THE END.