In smoke and tears a new love is a’formed. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath be stored. He looseth the pain and suff’ring, mankind’s lesson be implored. Where the fatal shot makes people fall like rag dolls in a storm. The truth keeps marching on.
Hank and Angelika
Characters
Hank - Private in the American Army
Hawk - Buddy of Hank, American Sniper
Tom - Sherman Tank Pilot
General Patton
Colonel Harold
Angelika - Enigma coder for the Nazis
Hans- Private in the Wehrmacht
Jarmann - A Nazi Sniper, brother of Angelika
Oskar - Panzer Tank Pilot
Stroop - Nazi Lieutenant
Helena - Sister of Angelika, also an Enigma coder
Chester - American Lieutenant
Doc - American Medic
American Soldiers
Wehrmacht Soldiers
Herald
Setting
May
1945. The allies on all fronts are advancing into Nazi Germany. This takes
place in the Ruhr Region of Germany, where an army of Americans has pushed deep
into the Nazi heartland…
Act
1 Prologue
Herald: In smoke and tears a new
love is a’formed. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath be
stored. He looseth the pain and suff’ring, mankind’s lesson be implored. Where
the fatal shot makes people fall like rag dolls in a storm. The truth keeps
marching on.
[Exeunt]
Act
1 Scene 1
Enter Hans and Jarmann,
hiding behind a bush.
Hans: By my word, Jarmann, we shalt
not give them an easy time.
Jarmann: Ja, for then thy shouldn’t
fight. Shan’t be a Nazi.
Hans: Nein, I mean, when they come
near, we shalt at their back.
Jarmann: So you’ll pull out thy dirk
by thy hilt and stab? What an ape!
Hans: [Pulling Jarmann down] Quiet!
Does thee hear?
[Sound of men
talking off-stage]
Hans: That is not our native
tongue. It hath to be the British or Americans.
Jarmann: Pluck thy pistol out! Make a
scene, I’ll back thee with thy murdering-piece and sniper rifle.
Hans: What, so you may turn thy
back and run?
[Men shouting,
tanks rumbling]
Hans: My, my, a good group to be
executed we have here.
Jarmann: I wish we had Oskar with us.
He’d scare those enemy trucks off.
[Americans enter]
Hans: [Firing at the Americans] Fire! Back me!
Jarmann: [Killing a soldier] For our Fuhrer!
Sound of crashing undergrowth
behind.
Lieutenant
Stroop: Thy
fools! Why in Hitler’s name must thy uncover our secret outpost? Fire if you
want thy lives preserved!
Switch to the American
perspective
Lieutenant
Chester: Those
German bastards! Tanks forward! Infantry advance! Hand me my pistol and staff,
ho!
Tom: Copy that, Sarge! Traverse
left!
Hawk: [aside to Doc and Hank] Those Nazi scoundrels just took out Armie.
I’ll see to silencing one of their guns. [He
crouches, aims, and fires] Ha Ha! Another good shot.
Hank: Hey Doc, let’s go take out
that villain nest.
Doc: [Huge explosion] Woah! I don’t think that is safe!
Oskar: [Hiding in the undergrowth] Har har! My Panzer tank shall annihilate
the enemies. [Explosion] Help, Help,
me thinks I’m on fire! Augggh! [Voice
fading, Oskar dies]
Lieutenant
Stroop: Well,
the fatherland is now at stake. Retreat! Retreat! Fall back!
[Exeunt]
Act
1 Scene 2
Nighttime. The American camp.
Doc, Hawk, and Hank enter in their underwear, waiting for their clothes to dry.
Hawk: Well boys; That was a nice
skirmish we had right there. I heard the elite corps in today’s battle took one
of them Heinies prisoner. He was stripped and checked, and then taken to the
barbed wire camp. We’re lucky we did not get taken prisoner. I hear thy Nazis
bring upon POWs much pain and suff’ring. But we all did well!
Hank: Aye, you could say we are
just like brothers, quarreling hand in hand.
Doc: Great job, Hawk. That was a
nice shot thee made there. My sight would not allow me to be a good sniper. So
I became a medic instead.
Hank: What’s so great about being a
medic, Doc? I mean, when you could be out in the frontlines with all the glory?
Doc: The recognition you get as a
medic is very well unbelievable. It feels good to save other people’s lives.
Say, I must attend to the wounded.
[Doc puts on his
trousers and uniform, exits]
Enter General Patton
Hawk: General! What a pleasant
surprise. Umm… As thee may see, we were not quite expecting thee.
General Patton:
No fear,
great hero. We are all men, and I don’t at all mind you and your friend in just
your briefs. You see, I came with Colonel George to meet up and reinforce
Sergeant Chester. I heard just this afternoon of how your company was ambushed
by thy large German outpost, and how you and your comrades [looking at Hank] were as afraid of the
Nazis as tigers are of hares, and eagles are of mice.
Hank: Revered general, I don’t know
what to say. Thee defeated thy desert fox in North Africa and punched a hole in
Normandy. Your widespread reputation is respected by German High Command. Thee
deserves no better title as this of a general’s.
Patton: Well, peace be with you,
boys. Here comes your Sergeant.
Patton walks over to Sergeant
Chester. They talk in low voices.
Patton: Why do we stall when we have
an open road? Why are the paths to Berlin both dark and light? Why are the
deceased both honored and forgotten? Why is the morale of our army both high
and low? The German bastards! This war has dragged on too long. I remember my
past days. Rommel the desert fox. His army was a respectable pain. Covertly
unconcealed. Belligerently passive. Violent peace. And Normandy. Our boys fell
on the sand in heaps, and their blood dyed the waters nearby red. Ear-pounding
silence. Replenished tiredness. I can’t wait until Nazi Germany is defeated.
May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t.
Chester: Sir, we are pushing into
Cologne tomorrow, correct?
Patton: Correct. Waste no time. The
day after tomorrow, our troops will aid other Americans, so we’ll move into
Munster.
[Turning to the
camp’s soldiers]
Boys! Have a good night’s sleep, for tomorrow we
attack Cologne. We’ll be marching a lot in the next few days.
[Exeunt]
Act
1 Scene 3
Enter General Patton, Colonel
Harold, and Lieutenant Chester
Patton: Our country is desperate.
This war has been too bloody. Old chaps like me remember the Great War which
was supposed to end all wars. Talk about irony. We will sweep into Cologne
tomorrow. Tell the men to leave no survivors. Shoot the German soldiers that do
survive. I won’t have a coward in my army.
Chester: Are you sure, general? As far
as I know-
Patton: No buts! I need to make sure
all of our soldiers are mentally stable enough to kill a Nazi. I won’t have a
coward in my army.
Harold: I guess it is settled then.
Goodnight, comrades.
[Exeunt]
Act
2 Scene 1
Americans enter, marching.
Sherman Tanks rumble alongside the infantry.
Hank: Look yonder the sunrise, and
you can see the town. [aside] It
reminds me of my own hometown. It makes me miss home.
Hawk: There is a reason they call
me Hawk. Hawks see wide and far. Of course, I see Cologne in the distance.
Doc: Keep on the lookout for any
Nazis. I hear Cologne is heavily fortified. Thee must not die, or I shalt die
with you.
Tom: That’s sweet but quite
disgusting. Our Lord will punish you for suicide. Don’t worry, thy tank hath
high viewpoints. I shall blasteth anything that comes thy way.
Colonel Harold:
Men, know
that you will be honored in this fight of life and death. Know that if thee
dies, our country hath a better chance of being the victor in this war.
General Patton:
Forward
tanks! Our nation honors you and needs your bravery and valor. Today we depend
on you to storm Cologne.
Tom: Welp, that’s us. See you
later guys! My tank column! Forward!
[Tanks exit]
Lt. Chester: Infantry, be ready. There are
machine gun nests positioned all around Cologne, so you will have to capture
the Nazi gunners one by one. There will be casualties, but let God bless you
all. [aside to Colonel Harold] How
are you expecting our boys to go headfirst into all that bastard fire?
Colonel Harold:
Yes, we are
expecting you to command your men to dive into the bullets and take out the
Nazis.
Lt. Chester: But our young men of our
nation - there will be so many casualties.
Colonel Harold:
This is
straight from the command of General Patton. If I were you, I wouldn’t argue
with him.
Lt. Chester: B-But---
Patton and
Harold: [together] We are your commanding
officers, and we demand you to follow orders.
Lt. Chester: [aside] Alright-alright, I’ll follow the orders. [sighing] A part of me tells me not to keep sending our young men into the battlefield to die.
Act
2 Scene 2
Defensive Positions around
Cologne.
Angelika: What lovely defenses we have
in my hometown. I hope they’ll hold up against the Americans.
Helena: Ja, I can’t stand seeing
Cologne destroyed. Those Amis may be brave, but they are very much misguided.
Say, sister. How do you like the new job?
Angelika: Oh, it is a pleasure. Our
country’s young men need intelligence to fend off those vicious allies, of
course. Yeah, writing enigma code is a good job to have at this time. The Brits
and Amis are advancing from the west and those no-good Soviets are closing in
from the east. We need as much propaganda now as we can muster so our people
remain to fight for us.
Jarmann: As I was saying, Hans. These
are my two older sisters.
Hans: Ja, Ja. Angelika is so very
pretty. How old is she?
Jarmann: Twenty-four.
Hans: That’s old enough to marry.
May I marry her? She looks petite, my kind of girl.
Jarmann: Well --
Hans: She’s old enough.
Jarmann: Well --
Hans: Please?
Jarmann: Ok, fine. Since you are a
good friend of mine. And handsome too. But wait another year, and by then
she’ll be ready.
Lt. Stroop: Stand at the ready, men. Here
come the Americans.
[Women exit. Men
hide in bushes]
Americans enter, marching
General Patton:
Be alert and
may God be with us. The Nazis could be anywhere.
Lt. Stroop: [standing up] You have searched and you have found. Fire!
Wehrmacht
Soldiers: All
for one and one for all!
Jarmann: Back me, I’ll steal away to
the back of the attacking force. There I’ll pick away at the American forces.
American
Soldiers: Need
a medic! Help!
Doc: Coming! What is it?
American
Soldier: My
back! Oh, my back!
Doc: I’ll tend to your wounds.
Hum, a gunshot. From a German sniper rifle. In his back. Everyone look out!
There are snipers!
Hank: Of course there are snipers.
The rest of the Nazi infantry have poor marksmanship.
Hawk: Well said, Hank. Push on for
the glory!
Tom: Ooh! A Tiger tank. Murder
Inc, Fury, and Pushon follow our tank. We need to stop that Tiger tank from
mowing down our boys! [explosion] Ugh! We’ve lost Pushon! Encircle the Tiger
tank! [Another explosion]
Tiger Tank
Crew: Augh!
I’m stuck! Help!
Doc: Although I’m an American
medic, my conscience has gotten the better of me. [pulls the German crew out]
There you go.
Tiger Tank
Crew: Danke.
Americans?!!
Hawk: Hands up! Hank, keep moving. This battle is taking forever.
Act
2 Scene 3
Enter Hank, walking through
the deserted streets of Cologne
Hank: This war has dragged on for
too long. Too many people hath died. I’ll never admit this to my friends and
senior officers, but I hate killing other people. What’s the difference between
Germans, Japanese, Americans, and British. There is no big difference. We are
all humans, and there shall be no war. I remember when I made my first kill
near Normandy. My weapon was spent, so I took out my dagger. Out, damned spot!
Who knew that Nazi private would have so much blood?
Enter Angelika
Angelika: Who art thou? And why are you
here? Ah, an American, I see. Hands up!
[Angelika
produces a Jugenfolk standard issue knife]
Hank: Who art thou? A woman loyal
to her fatherland?
Angelika: Ja, I am.
Hank: Oh, me! What separates us?
Race? What is race? Nothing important. You are the most beautiful woman I hath
ever met.
Angelika: And you are the most handsome
man I hath ever met.
Hank: Why don’t we sit down and
talk about our differences?
Angelika: Why, of course.
Hank: Nice to meet you, I’m Hank.
Angelika: Likewise here, I’m Angelika.
Hank: Race shouldn’t restrain one.
It’s not race that makes one different.
Angelika: Well, I guess it is true. But
oh!
Hank: What?
Angelika: Oh Hank! Wherefore art thou
Hank. Deny thy nation and refuse thy general, and stop being an American. Or
confess thy most sincerest love and I will no longer be a Nazi. ‘This but they
race this is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not an American. What’s American?
It is nor hand nor foot nor arm nor face nor any other part belonging to a man.
O be some other race! Hank, doff thy nationality, and for thy race, take all of
me.
Hank: From now on, just call me
love, and I shalt be redeemed. Are you going to leave me unsatisfied and not
tell me we can marry? Oh Angelika, you art my life.
Angelika: Oh Hank! It is too sudden
like the lightning. Too unadvised. But dear Hank, I’ll tell you this. If your
love is sincere, then I shall send you word through my sister. If you are
sincere, we shall get married in secret tomorrow. But adieu, love, I must go.
The German intelligence in this city calls me. I must go.
Hank: Wait, dear -
Angelika: Dear, I don’t want you to get
captured. If the Nazis find you here, they may shoot you.
Hank: I don’t care what they do to
me as long as I get a last kiss from you.
Angelika: [kisses Hank] Dear- I’ll see you tomorrow. And since it is still
early today, I shall send you my sister. Adieu
Hank: Adieu! [to himself] Oh, what great news. I must hurry back to camp.
Act
2 Scene 4
Cologne. Enter Doc, General
Patton, Lt. Chester, and Colonel Harold with a German Soldier Tied Up
Doc: Who’s this?
General Patton:
A Nazi. Kill
him.
Doc: Me? B-but I’m a medic. My
conscience! It’s clean, don’t make me do this!
Chester: Do what the general says.
Colonel Harold:
Or there
will be consequences.
Doc: No, really! I can’t! Don’t
make me. No!
Wehrmacht
Soldier: Please,
Please! My wife and children are at home. They need me! I’m only 19! I’m
supposed to have a long life ahead of me! Please! Please!
General Patton:
You fought
for the wrong side, and now you shall pay. Silence him!
Lieutenant Chester gags the
soldier.
Wehrmacht
Soldier: Mmmff!
Colonel Harold:
Kill him!
Lt. Chester: Listen to your commanding
officers.
Doc: I can’t
General Patton: Are you going to get me
killed, boy? Your life or his?
Doc: Mine! Just kill me! I can’t
kill him! He is defenseless.
General Patton: I won’t have a coward in my
army.
Colonel Harold wrenches Doc’s
arm out and makes him kill the soldier.
Lt. Chester: I’m sorry, chap. I know how
you feel. But you have to kill the enemy or you won’t survive.
[Exeunt]
Act
3 Scene 1
Hank: Your sister hath delivered
the message, and I hath come to confess and marry you.
Angelika: Oh, great joys! I was looking
forward to this day.
Hank: Same here, my love.
Angelika: I swear by the sun’s light
to love you everyday, just as the smiling sun casteth its sweet light everyday.
My love will be just as constant as the sun.
Hank: I swear by the moon-
Angelika: Don’t swear by the moon. It
changes phases too often.
Hank: Alright. I swear by all the
water on the earth that I will remain loyal to thee. Each drop of water on the
Earth represents my sincere love for you. Here comes your sister. [Helena
enters] Good Helena, thank you for bringing that message of good joy to me
yesterday eve’ning.
Helena: Good day to you sir. [aside to Angelika] What a foolish choice
of man you’ve made! He’s American, and I can tell that he’s not the equal of
Hans whom you are promised to.
Angelika: [to Helena] Hans is
disgusting and vulgar. This youth of 19 years of age, same as Hans, is so much
better.
Helena: Has love become blind? I’m a
Nazi and your brother is a Nazi. Now after so many loyal years to the Fuhrer,
you suddenly change. I had advised you to pick Hans.
[Helena exits]
Angelika: Oh, don’t you mind my sister.
She’s still disgruntled that I picked you over my brother Jarmann’s friend
Hans.
Hank: Who?
Angelika: Don’t worry. Now love, let’s take a stroll in the gardens now.
Act
3 Scene 2
Enter Doc and Hawk
Hawk: Now I bet you, those Germans
have retreated.
Doc: How can you guess? There are
still pockets of resistance in this city! We must be alert.
Hawk: Doc, sometimes it seems you
are a little too careful. You must sometimes be brave and courageous, even when
it comes to being a medic.
Doc: Of course I’m courageous! Who
ever said I’m not?
Hawk: Well Doc, we heard about what
happened last night…
Doc: I won’t kill defenseless
Germans.
Hawk: Oh right. Here comes Hank.
Enter Hank
Doc: How now, Hank. Why so happy?
Hank: Oh, just for my own reasons.
Hawk: Oooooh, Hank! What did you
do?
Hank: I think you guessed it.
Hawk: I thought y- [gunshot]
Hank: Quick, Doc! Let’s find cover
and treat his wounds.
Hawk: [weakly] Doc! Help me. Owwww,
that hurts. My stomach!
Doc: C’mon, stand up! We need to
get you to an aid post. I’m not a surgeon, but a surgeon will be able to help.
[Tries to help
Hawk stand up]
Hawk: Ow! Momma! Just put me down.
What happened?
Hank: You were shot.
Hawk: Am I dying?
Doc: I-I think so.
Hawk: Will you guys write to my mom
for me?
Hank and Doc: Yes we will. As you said,
we’re like brothers right?
Hawk: That’s true. Goodbye, my
friends. [He breathes out and dies]
Doc: The brave John “Hawk” McGraw
is dead.
[Leaves
crunching]
Hank: Listen! And hide!
[They hide]
Jarmann: Woah, that was a good kill.
Bullseye!
Hank: Angelika, my love for you
hath softened my soul. May I return all of this peace and love and replace it
with anger. That man killed my friend so I shall avenge my friend’s death. May
fate and strength be on my side!
Hank leaps out of the bush
Hank: You bastard! [He shoots, Jarmann dies] Who is this?
Jarmann? Oh, no, no, no!
[to himself] I can’t believe I have killed the brother
of my new wife. How will I ever get her to love me again! It is impossible. I
just can’t believe it!
Doc: C’mon Hank, let’s get back to
camp.
[Exeunt]
Act
3 Scene 3
Enter Angelika
Angelika: Oh fly, oh me! This war must
end. What if my dear husband will die in the war. O, better to look at the
bright side of this rather to muse over what I cannot control. So fly, my
spirit. Please me! Helena, is there any news?
Helena enters, red-eyed.
Helena: All is well and nothing can
go wrong.
Angelika: Sister! Tell me why you
sniffle softly and your eyes are all red.
Helena: Oh, woe! I saw his corpse.
Angelika: Oh no! My husband?
Helena: I saw his gunshot wound
embedded in the middle of his forehead.
Angelika: My husband? Oh woe me!
Helena: No! Jarmann, your brother.
Angelika: Are Jarmann and Hank both
dead? My dear brother and dearer husband? What is the point of life when those
two don’t live?
Helena: Jarmann sniped and killed
one of Hank’s friends, and out of rage, Hank killed Jarmann.
Angelika: Lamb-faced wolf! Dove-like
raven! Angelic demon! Manly coward! Damned saint! Honorable villain. Just why,
Hank, did you kill my brother? Oh, me! Why do I weep when I know that Jarmann
would have killed Hank?
Helena: Will you not speak bad
about the person who killed your brother?
Angelika: Oh, I regret criticizing
him. He is my husband after all. Leave me, Helena. I need time to think.
[Exeunt]
Act
4 Scene 1
Enter Hans and Lt. Stroop,
Cologne Nazi HQ.
Lt. Stroop: In the enigma coding office,
Angelika just cries and cries nonstop. She doesn’t seem happy anymore.
Hans: I’ve always wanted to marry
her, but she just doesn’t seem interested in me. And plus, her brother Jarmann
told me I could marry her, but now he’s dead, shot by that bastard Ami.
Lt. Stroop: If she marries you, then do
you think you’ll be able to make her happy and let her return to her normal
self?
Hans: Sure I can, Lieutenant! Will
you marry us tomorrow?
Lt. Stroop: I’m sick of seeing that girl
cry and cry and cry nonstop. I’m concerned about her, so I’ll say yes to that
request.
Hans: Har har! Tomorrow she shall
be my wife!
[Exeunt]
Act
4 Scene 2
The American offensive
positions at Cologne.
General Patton:
Good work,
men! Tomorrow we will begin our final push into this city which many men have
died in. Your country honors you for your bravery in this campaign to force the
Nazis to surrender.
Colonel Harold:
We’ve got no
time to spare. Too many people have already died from this war, and we must end
it now! Those German dogs just won’t give up.
Lt. Chester: Tomorrow you will be swarming
the city’s inner defenses. Take all prisoners you can. At 7:00 AM tomorrow, we
will begin a bombardment of the city. Be ready to invade. For glory and honor!
[Commanding
officers exit]
Doc: Oh, my! But there will be so
many casualties.
Enter Hank
Hank: What did the general just
tell us? Is there something very important?
Doc: Yes. We will invade tomorrow
at 9:00 AM.
Hank: [aside] I need to get to the
city center before nine or my love may perish! [to Doc] What else?
Doc: Our officers told us to take
many prisoners and the war must end.
Hank: Alright then, goodnight Doc!
[aside] Yup, I really hope the war
will end soon. I will depart camp at 7:00 AM tomorrow.
[Exeunt]
Act
4 Scene 3
German Garrison. Enter Lt.
Stroop, Hans, Wehrmacht Soldiers, and Angelika
Wehrmacht
Soldier: Sir,
we’re awfully low on ammo. We have little men to counter the offensive. We have
little supply left.
Lt. Stroop: This war is going badly. Tell
the logistics manager that we need supplies here. And fast!
Wehrmacht
Soldier: Right
away, sir!
German Reconnaissance:
Sir, Sir!
Lt. Stroop: What is it, Sirrah?
German Recon: The city’s west center is
being attacked! Sergeant Doff needs thy help!
Lt. Stroop: Right away. Come along men.
[All exit except
Angelika and Hans]
Hans: We shall get married, right
here and now in thy office.
Angelika: No! Stop! Let go of me, you
mangy beast!
Hans: You shall never talk to me
like that!
Angelika: Who’s the boss here? I’m
twenty-four, and you’re only nineteen. And plus, I already have a lover.
Hans: You--Quiet!
Outside. Enter Hank.
Hank: Angelika! Where are you! [Woman screaming and pleading] That
sounds like Angelika! And it’s coming from that office! [Hank throws open the door to find Hans in his underwear but Angelika is
still unscathed] What are you doing in your underwear to my babe? Get off!
[He pushes Hans to the ground]
Hans: No one tells me what to do -
Just leave us alone, bastard American!
Hank: My gun tells you what to do!
[He shoots] Come on Angelika, flee
with me to the American camp.
Angelika: Ok, just give me a few
moments. [She goes into the office and takes out some belongings] Let’s go.
Hank: [Gasps] Angelika! Look out! Run! Duck!
A shell flies straight at
them and explodes into the office.
Angelika: No big deal, dear, let’s get
out of here. [Eyes widen in horror]
Hank! Run for your life! Go, Go, Go! I’ll be fine!
The office building is
reduced to a heap of rubble, Hank runs.
Hank: No, No! Dear! Angelika! Angelika! The lady angel’s dead! Oh no! Please let this be a dream! [Sobbing] No, No! I can’t live without - Ouch! Ow! What was that! [Voice fades. A Nazi stands above him snickering. He was hit by a tranquilizer gunshot]
Epilogue
Rheinberg Camp. Hank wakes
up.
German Officer:
Welcome to
Rheinberg Camp. It’s a pleasure to have you here. I have your new POW clothes
over there. You can keep your underwear on. You will also notice that you are
gagged and tightly trussed up. We can set you free of your bonds, but you must
build us flying bombs. Are you for it?
Hank: Mmmf!
German Officer:
What did you
say, boy?
Hank: MMMFFF!
German Officer:
Speak, boy!
Hank: Mfff!
German Officer:
Right, you
can’t.
[Takes off the
gag]
Hank: What are you doing to me? Let
me go!
German Officer:
We can let
you go, but you must toil much in the labor camp.
Hank: Fine
[The officer
unties him, but doesn’t give him shirts or pants]
German Officer:
It’s hot
enough outside. Go! Find your assembly line!
[Exeunt]
Ending
Hank would return, bruised and battered after the war
to America, but he would never forget his fellows in his company. He would
never forget all the sweat, tears, and bloodshed of the war. But most of all,
he always remembered his sweet Angelika.
