The King's Plague (Rielle and the Owl Hunter - Part I) by Daniel Prillaman

NEW DRAFT - 3/21/24

MEDIEVAL DARK FANTASY ADVENTURE
FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: When an unknown illness places King Aymon upon his deathbed, the Princess Friede embarks on a journey west in search of an apothecary who might hold the knowledge needed to save his life. Along the way, she must enlist the assistance of a woman in the only profession older than nobility, an Owl Hunter, who...
NEW DRAFT - 3/21/24

MEDIEVAL DARK FANTASY ADVENTURE
FULL-LENGTH [In Development]: When an unknown illness places King Aymon upon his deathbed, the Princess Friede embarks on a journey west in search of an apothecary who might hold the knowledge needed to save his life. Along the way, she must enlist the assistance of a woman in the only profession older than nobility, an Owl Hunter, who puts others in their graves in exchange for coin.

Content Warning: Graphic violence, sexual content, false imprisonment.

(I am actively welcoming feedback at this time. If you have any thoughts you wish to share, please feel free to email me at danielprillaman@gmail.com)
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The King's Plague (Rielle and the Owl Hunter - Part I)

Recommended by

  • Samantha Marchant:
    30 Mar. 2024
    “ This script is solid. I LOVE the use of the moon and sun characters, so theatrical. This story moves and I can't wait to see what happens next to these characters. The ending is totally satisfying to solidify this script as a complete night of theatre while at the same time laying the ground work for future parts. Fantasy on stage! Do it! With this play! ”
  • Greg Mandryk:
    29 Mar. 2024
    “ Wow! Fantasy isn't a genre that gets a lot of love in theatre these days. But Daniel Prillaman has a vision and any theatre willing to stage this (and its sequels) will earn my utmost respect. More likely, they'll keep producing musical versions of 80s and 90s flicks. But the inner D&D nerd in me hopes they'll come around and tell tales of knights and swashbucklers and kingdoms in peril. A fella can dream.

    Anyway, this is good stuff. You should give it a read. ”
  • Jillian Blevins:
    19 Feb. 2023
    “ Daniel Prillaman’s knack for writing genre is in full effect in this fantasy adventure. Set in a mideval world that’s familiar yet totally original, RATOH’s greatest asset is it’s dynamic use of language; at times evoking Shakespearean formality, at others colloquial directness, and, in his dreamlike personifications of the sun and moon, poetry. These linguistic shifts are pulling triple duty, telling us much about relationship and character arcs, as well as offering clues to the intricacies of this darkly fantastical world. In a departure from typical quest stories, complex female characters are front and center. ”
View all 5 recommendations

Character Information

DOUBLING: With regard to doubling, SUN and MOON portray the roles noted above.

The rest of the cast may be doubled as is reasonable to serve the producing company's needs, but some suggestions are:
-The same actor may portray THE MAN BEHIND THE FENCE and CLIENT
-The same actor may portray THE MAN IN THE ROAD and GIDEON
-The same actor may portray BARNABAS and SIGEBERT
THE HORSES: The two horses, LÆNDIRIL and SURTHAAR, may be created by actors, puppets/puppeteers, or any chosen means of the producing company.
THE IDENTITY OF THE MASKED FIGURE: The Masked Figure's identity, while not explicitly revealed, is heavily implied in the penultimate scene of the play. Should a producing company wish, it should be possible for the actor who portrays the character behind the disguise to do so without trouble. They do not have to do so. For the purposes of making this design choice, the identity of the figure as [REDACTED] is confirmed in an appendix following the play.

  • King Aymon Ægenwulf
    King of Rivka.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Queen Winfrid
    Queen of Rivka.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Atticus
    Firstborn son of Aymon and Winfrid.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Lorenz
    Secondborn son of Aymon and Winfrid.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Friede
    Youngest child and only daughter of Aymon and Winfrid.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Sun
    A Sage.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Moon
    A Sage.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • The Man Behind the Fence
    A man on the road.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Mærwynn
    An Owl Hunter.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Vermilla
    A common whore. (Portrayed by Sun.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • The Man in the Road
    A man in the road.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Othsryd
    A servant of the royal family. (Portrayed by Moon.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Masked Figure
    Someone who wants to hide their identity.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Barnabas
    A facilitator of sorts.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Client
    A client of Vermilla.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Gideon
    A servant of Countess Ankaret.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Neerabosi
    A guest of Countess Ankaret. (Portrayed by Moon.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Sigebert
    A guest of Countess Ankaret.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Countess Ankaret
    A wealthy widow. (Portrayed by Sun.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary