### Act 1, Scene 3: Who Owns the Night

- Backdrop: Savannah.
- Stage setup: Tent fixture on playrail
- Props: Lori's hat, backpack and GPS receiver (Xan), Poke's backpack, Mika's sunglasses and backpack (Zefiro), Tent (Pinky, CJ), 4 torches (Xan for Suberi's torch), LED Eyes for Hyenas and 2x LEDs on a rod
- Puppets: Lori (Eisfuchs), Lionel (Lynard), Mika (Tani), Poke (Fairlight), Kyanga (Zefiro), Hyena 2 Eyes (Reesa), Hyena 3 Eyes (Pan), Suberi (Eisfuchs), Jabari (Tigerseye), two other lions (o'wolf, Kyron)
- PreRec: Kyanga, other Hyenas
- Setting: Somewhere in the Savannah at Dusk. Lionel, Mika, Lori and Poke are setting up camp for the night.

##### INTRO

Lori: “Loreena Mc Folkmanis, Ogwambi Travel log, Day 1”

Lori: “I just arrived at my destination airport, and I am very grateful that I have friends who are crazy enough to come with me on a trip like this. At first it had felt awkward to ask Lionel to join me. But when I told him about the Lions of the Ogwambi Plain he was instantly hooked, and he assured me that the prospect of visiting the home of his ancestors would be more than enough of a reward. Mika joined in without a second thought. She said she didn't have any better idea for her summer vacation anyways.”

Lori: “Isn't it crazy how all the adventures we've gone through together have raised the bar so much that an anthropomorphological expedition suddenly feels like a holiday trip? I love my friends! We're really like one big family.”

Lori: “I just wish I didn't have to fly chicken class. Mika and Lionel have enough air miles to fly pretty much anywhere they want, but I don't, and most of Professor Malinowski's Budget had already been spent on the equipment. On top of that there was one more person we needed to take with us: Poke. Because, if anybody has ever thought of leaving a ferret home alone for two weeks, let me give you some advice: Don't. Seriously. Just don't. In comparison, Flying chicken class is a small price to pay.”

##### MAIN DIALOGUE

Curtain - open

AMB-04 Campsite Day

Lights on

Heroes arrive on scene from [7].

Lori comes in, wearing a tropical hat and a backpack. She carries a GPS receiver.

Lori: “We're almost there! The site I've chosen for our camp is right ahead of us.”

Lori walks to the middle of the stage.

0301 - GPS unit beeps.

Lori: “And there we are!”

Poke comes in, carrying a backpack.

Poke: “Phew! Was about time! I still don't get why we had to walk all the way!”

Lori: “Because we're going to meet one of the last indigenous tribes of wild lions and we must make ourselves look as harmless as possible. Besides … do you see any roads here?”

Poke: “Smartass!”

Lori: “Watch your mouth. The only reason why you are here is that you didn't want to be home alone, so you'd better not bite the paw that pays your return ticket, okay?”

Poke: “Double smartass!”

Lori grmpfs and starts setting up the tent … nobody helps her. She struggles with ropes, tent poles, getting subsequently more tangled in stuff while the others talk.

Lionel comes bouncing in, singing happily.

Lionel: “Oh, I love the sun, I love the grass, I love this place! Ahhhhh!”

Lionel flops down on his back, four paws in the air.

Lionel: “I could just lie here all day and let the sun shine on my belly. It's like coming home.”

Mika drags herself in, waring sunglasses, gasping for air and sets down her backpack.

Hold Mikas backpack

Mika: “Well, glad to see at least one of us is enjoying himself.”

Lionel: “Oh come on! How can you not enjoy a wonderful place like this?”

Mika: “Yeah, the scenery is nice, but try enjoying it while wearing a winter fur coat!”

Poke: “I can help you shave it off if you want to!”

Mika: “And I can help you die if you want to!”

Lori: “Will you guys please stop arguing, and help me set up this tent?”

Lionel: “Allrightallright!”

Together, they set up the tent in just a few seconds. It's a modern tent that basically sets itself up. *FUMPF*

Set up the tent

Everyone gets inside the tent.

Lori turns on the light inside the tent.

Turn on the light inside the tent

Lori: “Ah. Wonderful. This time we've got everything we need. And this tent is waterproof, fireproof, windproof …”

Poke: “Is it also bulletproof?”

All: “Ah, come on …”

Mika: “Say, Lori, wouldn't it make more sense to travel during the night when it's nice and cool, and rest during the day instead?”

Lori switches to storyteller mode.

AMB-04 STOP
AMB-05 Campsite Night Transition

0302 - Mystery

Lights fadeout ca. 3-4 min (from daylight to cold blue to total darkness)

Lori: “No, no nonono! That's way too dangerous! The savannah is not the same place during the night that it is during the day! The day belongs to the sun, which is the mother of life! And so, it is inhabited by the creatures like you and me, those who embrace life! It is a time of beauty, warmth and … light! But when the night falls, the savannah changes! The creatures of the sun retreat to their homes, their burrows, their tents … and the savannah turns into a different world! The night belongs to the moon … who is the harbinger of decay, of chaos, of cold desperation. And so it is inhabited only by creatures who fear the sun … the dark servants of death itself! Woe betide those creatures of the day who dare walk in the night … because to them, the night does not belong.”

Total Darkness

STOP 0302
0303 - Music End

Everyone: “Woah!”

Poke: “Holy shit. Did you just make that up?”

Lori chuckles.

Lori: “No. It's one of the very few recorded legends of the The Lions of the Ogwambi Plains. They have hundreds of stories like that, which are passed on from generation to generation. It's how they preserve their wisdom, their history, and their mythology.”

Lionel: “That's fascinating! But don't the stories change a lot over time when they're being retold again and again? How do you know what's truth and what's fiction?”

Lori: “That's precisely what I'm here for. The goal of this expedition is to write down as much of the ancient lore of the tribe as possible. And that's also why I asked you to join me, Lionel. You're a lion, and I'm not. It's your birthright to know the wisdom of your ancestors.”

Lionel: “This is beginning to sound a lot more complicated than what you told me before we went on this trip.”

Lori: “Nothing that's worthwhile is ever easy, you know.”

Poke: “Triple Smartass.”

Lori: “Poke!”

Poke: “Oh come on, Lionel, don’t tell me you haven’t been in a situation like this before. Sitting in a tent, civilization a thousand miles away, about to go into the territory of a pack of feral lion warriors on an anthropopuspectacular expedition lead by Mrs. Loreena McShitsHerPants! I mean, what could possibly go …”

Lori (interrupting): “Poke! Don't say it!”

Poke: “What could possible go wrong?”

0304 - Hyenas 1 (crack + short laugh)

Lori (whispering angrily): “I told you not to say it!”

Poke: “Why? I thought that story was all made up.”

Lori (whispering): “No! I said, we don't know yet how much of it is made up!”

Mika: “Oh shit.”

0305 - Hyenas 2 (feet, distant laughing, cracking)

Lionel (whispering): “Oh great. Okay. Whatever is going on outside, I think it's best not to draw any attention. Lori, turn the light off. And everybody be quiet. If you need to make a noise, now's your final chance.”

Lori sneezes.

Poke farts.

Mika *unngghhs* (close to unconciousness)

Lionel: “Okay. Now, lights off.”

0306 - Hyenas 3 + Music

Tent-Light's goes out. Total darkness.

Glowing eyes appearing in the dark.

Glowing eyes approaching the tent from both sides. (enter from [7]: Reesa, Zefiro, Pan. Reesa walks around the tent)

0306 - (Tani) (Reesa) (Pan) Hyenas sniff and growl giggle menacingly.

0306 - (Tani) Kyanga: “Look what we have here …”

0306 - (Reesa) Hyena 2: “They're trespassing on our territory …”

0306 - (Pan) Hyena 3: “And we don't like that …”

0306 - (Tani) Kyanga: “No, we don't like that …”

0306 - (Reesa) Hyena 2: “And I smell … a lion. A Lion!”

0306 - (Tani) (Reesa) (Pan) Hyenas growling grows louder

0306 - (Pan) Hyena 3: “A lion? How dare they!”

0306 - (Reesa) Hyena 2 (angry): “It's against the law!”

0306 - (Tani) Kyanga (angry): “The night is ours! Not theirs!”

0306 - (Reesa) Hyena 2(angry): “Yes it is! And we are going to keep it!”

0306 - (Pan) Hyena 3 (angry): “They will have to pay!”

0306 - (Tani) Kyanga (angry): “They will have to die!”

0306 - (Reesa) Hyena 2 (angry): “Yes! We will kill them! Kill them!”

0306 - (Tani) (Reesa) (Pan) Hyenas (rising, repeating at random): “Kill them!”

The hyenas work themselves into a frenzy, while everyone inside the tent is crapping their pants.

0306 - (Tani) (Reesa) (Pan) The hyenas shout and shriek and hiss and laugh (attack frenzy)

The hyenas tear the tent down.

0306 - Tearing the tent down

Lori, Lionel, Poke (panic): “Aaah!”

Mika (angry): “Hey you! Whoever you are! Leave us alone! Everyone, fight! Fight for your lives! Aaah!”

Everyone fights in the dark, screaming. (Reesa and Pan move towards Tani)

Poke disappears.

Lori: “Help! Help!”

Lionel: “Lori! Stay close to me! I … rawr … ar … ghh … Let go! Let … go! RAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

0307 - Lionel roars

0308 - (Tani) Kyanga: “Shut up, Lion!”

0308 - loud crack

Lori shrieks, and disappears.

Mika: “Take this you bastard!”

0309 - pan hit

A pair of glowing eyes gets flung into the air (Reesa).

Mika: “And this!”

0309 - pan hit

Another pair of glowing eyes goes flying (Pan). Many hyenas jump on Mika at once.

0306 STOP
0310 - Growling + Music Cue 4 (Rise, Hit, Suspense)

Mika: “And … Argh!”

0310 - (Tani) (Reesa) (Pan) Heavy breathing and growling (silently, menacingly)

0310 - (Tani) Kyanga: “So, what are you waiting for? You heard my orders: Kill them!”

0310 - (Tani) (Reesa) (Pan) Hyenas growl and giggle

Four lions with burning torches come running in at full speed from 1.

0310 - The lions roar fiercely + Music Cue 5 (Rescue)

The lions use their torches to fight the hyenas.

0310 - Fighting, then whining hyenas fleeing

The hyenas fight at first, then flee to [7].

The lions stand around Mika and Lionel, holding up their torches.

Suberi: “By Jua and Angani … this is not what I had expected.”

Jabari: “Who is this guy?”

Suberi: “I don't know. I've never seen him before.”

Jabari: “He's been beaten up badly, but he seems to still be alive. Hey. Hey you. Hey! Do you hear me? Hey!”

Jabari shakes Lionel.

Lionel (slowly coming to): “W-w-what? What? Who are you?”

Suberi: “My Name is Suberi. And you're very lucky that I heard your call. What is your name, and what are you doing here?”

Lionel: “My name is Lionel. And I'm here with my friends. Oh my God! Mika? Mika! Are you alright?”

Mika coughs

Mika (shaken): “No. Not really. But I've been worse.”

Lionel (relieved): “Thank goodness! Where are the others? Poke? Lori?”

Poke's head pops out of one of the backpacks.

Poke: “I'm here. Are they gone yet?”

Suberi: “Look, I don't know what your business is, but it's very dangerous to stay here. The enemy might already be regrouping for a second attack, so let's get out of here.”

Lionel looks around.

Lionel: “Not so fast! We're still missing one person. Lori? Lori!”

Suberi (whispers intently): “Shh! Are you crazy? Stop shouting!”

Lionel: “But we can't leave without Lori! Where is she?”

Suberi: “She's probably just as dead as you will be if we stay here any longer.”

Lionel (looks back and forth): “But … but … ”

Mika: “Lionel. You know that we don't stand a chance alone.”

Lionel: “But … we can't … I mean …”

0311 - Ending Music

Mika just looks Lionel in the eyes.

Lionel stares back at her.

Lionel sighs

Lionel turns around.

Suberi: “Alright then. Follow me.”

They all leave to [1].

AMB-05 STOP

Curtain - Close