Never enough

Ms. T, the parent who complained that her daughter was reading too much, paid me another visit. "Taylor's bored," she said, quite bitchily. "I just don't think you're challenging her."

"That's upsetting for me to hear," I replied diplomatically, "since I've been modifying Taylor's assignments quite a bit. Did she tell you she's writing a play?"

"Yes, she showed us. But what about Social STudies homework?"

"It's on a historical topic. I had her research Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and slavery to find facts to make her play more historially accurate."

"Well, yes, she showed us that." Totally unimpressed.

For those of you who might be impressed, here is Taylor's play. It's a work in progress but under my tutelage it has grown from a few lines in her journal into what you see below. Enjoy!

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Once Upon
by Taylor T

Characters:

SAMANTHA is a 12 year old growing up to be a girly young lady.
ALEXUS a 12 year old and loves to be on the scene and is an inspiring director.
TAYLOR is a 12 year old and is a social butterfly that likes everyone and everything.
BRANDAN is a 12 year old and is a sports jock that can’t wait until practice.
MELINA is a loving 13 year old who loves all animals and all people and is a very quiet person.
LEAH is a 12 year old who loves to read and loves listening to stories and wants to become a writer one day.
GRANDMA is an elderly woman about 69, and loves to tell her grandchildren about the past.
HARRIET is a tough slave woman our major character.
MESSENGER is a person who helps Harriet gather up slaves to take away from slavery.
OTHERS are people who are slaves wanting to be free.
HELPER is a person that helps the slaves by hiding them in their house for the Under Ground Railroad.

{The children and Grandma sit down and listen carefully to what she has to say.}


SAMANTHA :What was it like in slavery, Grandma, and tell us stuff we don’t know.
MELINA :We already know that slavery was down south, and that the northern states had a bad fight with southern states called the Civil War.
GRANDMA : Well, I’m not going to tell you any of that {quietly say now}well it was harsh, hard, and everyone was pickin’ cotton every single day.

{Slaves sing Swing Low while picking the cotton.}
GRANDMA: And a messenger whispers in the dark.
Messenger :{whispering }Harriet Tubman is escapin’ and I’m goin’ wit’ her, if ya’ll want to come, and meet us at the courtyard.
OTHERS : {scared/ worried}Are, are we goin’ to get caught?
MESSENGER : {confident}No, not wit Harriet.
TAYLOR: {Anxious} Did they get caught Grandma?
ALEXUS: Did they use the Underground Railroad?
GRANDMA: {Surprised} Yes and this is how the railroad worked.
HARRIET: {serious} Ok, we goin bust out of here.
MESSENGER :Who’s wit hur.
OTHERS :Yeah!
HARREIT : So, we goin’ straight forward.
MESSENGER : { whisper}Hush, somebody’s callin’ my name.
{ Run aways sing Hush, Actors on the side call out names in a small voice}
LEAH :People helped them right ?
GRANDMA:Oh, yes and most of those people were white.
SAMANTHA: {Surprised} Really Grandma I thought that only blacks helped blacks.
GRANDMA :That’s how it usually was but there were some people that were against slavery and they wanted to help in any way possible.
TAYLOR:And how,
BRANDAN: {impatient} can we please go on with the rest of the story because I have to go to basketball practice in a little and I really want to here the rest of the story.
GRANDMA : OK, Brandon we’ll hurry, and the person usually helping will put them in a hiding place.
HELPER :Hide in the barn, I have a hidden floor patch under some of my hay.
OTHERS : we really appreciate this.
HELPER :No time I can already hear the horses outside.
MELINA: Did the owners find them?
GRANDMA : No, because they were so well hidden.
BRANDON : Grandma can you give us some examples of where they will hide?
GRANDMA: Well, they will usually hide them in barns, cabinets under hay, and even in trick doors.
MELINDA: Will the world ever go back to being like that?
GRANDMA: no, because of the Civil War.
BRANDON : where was Harriet Tubman a slave?
GRANDMA : She was a slave in Maryland.
SAMANTHA : really?
GRANDMA : Yes, she was.
ALEXUS: Where did they go after the Under Ground Railroad?
GRANDMA: They went to the north,
ALL: Why?
{ Actors hold hands and say free at last 3 xs}
GRANDMA : Cause that’s where they were free!!!!!!!!!
Brandan it’s about time for your practice, now come on!
SAMANTHA: Thanks for the great story Grandma.
GRANDMA: You are quite welcome, Ok, everyone coats on!
{Pretend as if by the car}
LEAH: Grandma, one day can you take us to a museum about black history?
GRANDMA: I’ll take you as soon as possible.
ALL: Yeah!
TAYLOR: All aboard the Under Ground Express!!
{All laugh}
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