R.I.P Lunch (the last male white rhino at the zoo)

by Mallory Jane Weiss

Lunch is dead. That is, Grenade Launcher — the last male white rhino (a SIGNATURE EXHIBIT) at the once-glorious (now, not-so-much) Greenwood Zoo — has died. This is really going to impact the sale to the German investor. Thankfully, Lunch impregnated one of the female white rhinos before he kicked the bucket — it's just not the one they thought he loved. Over the course of the sixteen-month gestation period, the...

Lunch is dead. That is, Grenade Launcher — the last male white rhino (a SIGNATURE EXHIBIT) at the once-glorious (now, not-so-much) Greenwood Zoo — has died. This is really going to impact the sale to the German investor. Thankfully, Lunch impregnated one of the female white rhinos before he kicked the bucket — it's just not the one they thought he loved. Over the course of the sixteen-month gestation period, the two female white rhinos — Margot and Emily Dickinson — attempt to heal their broken friendship, while the zoo's education department — namely, Ramona, Nat, and Leo — must wait to discover not only the fate of the zoo but the fate of the near-extinct white rhino.

R.I.P Lunch (the last male white rhino at the zoo) is a play about the inextricable nature of endings and beginnings and how we hold loss and love simultaneously.

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R.I.P Lunch (the last male white rhino at the zoo)

Character Information

DOUBLING NOTE: If need be, the actor playing VET can double as OTTO. In that case, GERALDINE could also double as MAINTENANCE WORKER TWO (disguised), if need be. But GERALDINE should not be doubled unless the VET and OTTO are doubled, for clarity's sake.
RHINO BABY can be played by a child or can be a puppet/gesture
  • NAT
    25-year-old woman, dramatic, eager, high-strung, extremely passionate
    20-30
  • RAMONA
    33-year-old woman, driven, measured, responsible, would love to be in charge
    33
  • LEO
    28-year-old man, blunt, defensive, overcompensating, seemingly detached (but is he?)
    28
  • VET
    44-year-old man, basically a detective in a noir film but also a zoo veterinarian, he's a lot but he's been through a lot, so he's mostly forgiven
    44
  • MARGOT
    a female rhino, normally no-nonsense and blunt... now no-nonsense and also betrayed and also heartbroken, so she's pretty darn defensive
    [played by a woman actor; 40s]
    38-50
  • EMILY DICKINSON
    a female rhino, energetic and usually able to find the beauty in everything, except her world's been upended so that's become a lot harder; expressive
    [played by a woman actor; late 30s, early 40s; she should appear slightly younger than the actor playing MARGOT]
    36-49
  • SHELBY
    45-year-old man, runs the zoo with a can-do spirit that sometimes falls flat, not the most business savvy, trying his best
    45
  • OTTO
    35-year-old man, a German investor, the world is his oyster... just as long as he's more successful than his brother
    35
  • MAINTENANCE WORKER (GERALDINE)
    oh, honey, she's seen a thing or two in her time; passer of time, cleaner of messes; maybe up to no good....
  • MAINTENANCE WORKER TWO
    no lines, a replacement; passer of time, cleaner of messes
  • RHINO BABY
    no lines, preferably played by a child or a puppet/gesture

Development History

Production History

Awards