For Creative today, we are featuring a piece from a short play written by junior Sophia Thomas!
Sophia is a Creative Writing major with a minor in Theater. Her play featured below is adapted from a bigger project, which is currently a work in progress.
We hope you enjoy!
A Prince’s Dilemma by Sophia Thomas
Characters:
LEO
CYRUS
Setting: A palace courtyard
Enter LEO and CYRUS. LEO leads CYRUS as they walk along the courtyard path. This is the first time they are meeting. They both take a liking to each other.
LEO: Hey, you never told me your name.
CYRUS: And you never told me yours.
LEO: You don’t know my name? But you know I’m the Prince.
CYRUS: (shrugs) A Prince should still have the decency to introduce himself, should he not?
LEO: (laughs) I guess you’re right. How silly of me. Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Prince Leonardo III. But I like to go by Leo.
CYRUS: Very nice to meet you, Leo.
Beat.
LEO: Care to tell me your name?
CYRUS: (ignoring him) Is that a fountain over there? (CYRUS crosses to the fountain and sits on the edge of it.)
LEO: Hey! (CYRUS smiles at LEO). Fine, don’t tell me your name. I’ll find out eventually.
The two admire the fountain for a moment.
CYRUS: This fountain is beautiful.
LEO: Thank you. It’s been here for as long as I can remember. My great grandfather remembers it being built when he was my age.
CYRUS: Really?
LEO: Mm-hm. It’s an old fountain.
CYRUS laughs. He looks into LEO’s eyes.
CYRUS: Thank you for bringing me out here.
LEO: Of course.
A moment of silence.
CYRUS: So, what’s life like being a Prince?
LEO: Ugh. Don’t even ask me that question.
CYRUS: What do you mean?
LEO: That’s all I ever hear, especially from the media. “What’s it like being a Prince?”, “Isn’t it nice having your life planned out for you?”, “You must feel so lucky.” It’s the same thing over and over again.
CYRUS: It’s not nice. Is it?
LEO: Huh?
CYRUS: Having your whole life planned out for you. It’s not nice. Is it?
LEO: Well… no. It’s really not. But I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. I do have a good life. I’ve got a roof over my head, good food to eat, and a loving family. Some aren’t so lucky…
CYRUS: (looks down for a moment, thinking about his own home life, which isn’t as fantastical as being a Prince.)
LEO: But sometimes, being here, with everyone telling you how to live. What to do, what to say, who to marry. I don’t know. I just can’t help but feel…
CYRUS: Trapped.
LEO: (looks at him) Yeah. Exactly.
CYRUS: Have you ever tried getting away?
LEO: I’ve thought about it. When I was thirteen I had gotten into a really bad argument with my dad. I told him that when I turned fifteen, I wanted to go to high school, like normal kids. He got upset and told me his son wouldn’t be caught dead at a public high school. We had a full blown screaming match. I hated him that night.
CYRUS: What happened after that?
LEO: I came up with this plan to run away. Hopefully I would meet this really nice family and they would take me in. And then they could let me go to high school. But I chickened out. I made it maybe two miles outside the palace before I turned around and walked back.
CYRUS: Two miles?! You rebel!
LEO: (giggles) Shut up!
CYRUS: Sorry, sorry! Please, continue.
LEO: Anyway, as I found myself getting further away from the palace – from my home – I thought about how much I’d miss my family. Even my dad, who I cursed out that night. This life is difficult. But it’s all I’ve ever known.
CYRUS: Is there anyone you would’ve missed the most? You know, if you went through with it?
LEO: My little sister. She’s like my best friend. I tell her everything. Well, there is one thing I haven’t told her.
CYRUS: What is it?
LEO: (slight panic) Oh, it’s nothing. Nevermind. Forget I said anything. (Beat). So what about you? What’s your family like? Is your dad also a royal pain in the ass?
CYRUS: Actually, my father passed away.
Another moment of silence.
LEO: I’m so sorry…
CYRUS: It’s okay. You didn’t know.