Our Little Secret – Eastport South Manor Junior High School (2012)
Shannon Moran and Alex Gravina perform in Samantha Squicciarini’s play, “Our Little Secret.” Photo by Star Black.
Our Little Secret By Samantha Squicciarini
Click here to watch a video of this performance.
(SLIDE depicting an apple orchard. Lights up. Morning on a farm outside of
Philadelphia in 1787. Abby Smith, 13, and Benjamin Johnson, 13, are sitting under
the apple tree CS in between the both of their families farms when Tomas Jefferson’s
carriage paced n the road in front of them. Sound Cue- Horses Clopping)
ABBY: Benjamin! Benjamin! I was talking to you! Do you ever listen?
BEN: (Awakening from his day dream) Sorry, I’m just so used to drowning out your
voice.
ABBY; Ben, I was just telling you that the carriage over there is the carriage for Thomas
Jefferson. (Awkward pause) You know, I hope he is here is on a mission to either fix or
get rid of the Articles of Confederation. My parents are always talking about how our
country has no order and sooner or later we are just going to break out into war.
BEN: (Surprised/Confused) What are the Articles of Confederation?
ABBY: HOW do you not know this, I’ve only told 1,000 times! It is what our country
runs on, it’s our rules, laws, and rights…BUT they are a very bat fit for our country.
BEN: (Moaning) I get it…
ABBY: Then next time listen to me! I mean –
BEN: – GOD ABBY can you just shut up already?!! You’re like one hundred times more
annoying today!
ABBY: FINE! You can hang out alone then!
BEN: Finally, peace and quiet. Ah……
(Dreamlike music starts to play, lights fade to a bluish wash. Ben takes a nap when
Abby runs back onstage mere moments later, lights up).
ABBY: BEN! BEN! Wake up! LOOK!!!
BEN: I’m up, I’m up, gosssssh what IS IT.
(ABBY points at the road, a line of carriages heading toward the city. Men laughing and
shouting)
OFFSTAGE MALE VOICE: She’s in our sights, it’s been a long four days getting down
here, but we made it men!
ABBY: This is no joke; the carriages for Alexander Hamilton and George Washington
are heading for the city now! LOOK!
BEN: SO…
ABBY: I think I was right with why Thomas Jefferson is in Phili! I mean why would
these great and famous people all come to Philadelphia at the same time? Something is
up here.
BEN: (Reacted like he just got out of the situation) And it’s not our job to find out what it
is!
ABBY: No way! I think we should follow them to see where they go.
BEN: (moans) Why??
ABBY: I have always wanted to see history in the making and if I’m right this is my big
chance!
BEN: Can we go after I’m done with my nap please?
ABBY: Benjamin, you are now done with you nap. Let’s GO.
BEN: (whining) Abbbbbbbbbyyyyyyyyy!
ABBY: (Grabbing his arm) I said let’s go!
BEN: Ok, Ok, OK!
(Ben and Abby run after the carriages, Slide changes to the road once they exit. Audience
hears the sound of horses clopping)
ABBY: Hurry UP BEN!!!
(RENTER SR finally “arriving” at the state house in Philadelphia, slide changes to the
outside of the capital building once they return to stage)
BEN: WOW! Abby, see, we followed complete strangers all the way into town for them
just to go into this random building. Amazing…
ABBY: Ben, you obviously know nothing. First of all, these people aren’t just complete
strangers, Alexander Hamilton, due to his knowledge and skills in handling situations
and overall skills as statesman and military leader, was quickly promoted to the rank
of Lieutenant Colonel. On the first of March, 1977, Hamilton joined General George
Washington’s services as an Aide De-Camp, and don’t even get me started with George
Washington, I could go on for DAYS!
BEN: George Washington, I think I’ve heard that name somewhere before…I can’t
remember…I’ll think of it later.
ABBY: I can’t imagine how you don’t know him!
BEN: His name does ring a bell…I just can’t place it…
ABBY: (Rolling eyes) Alright, so…
BEN: Look! There’s a window, we can see what they are talking about from here! They
will never see us. (Ben walks to the window. Lights isolated on the “window” DS left)
ABBY: Well, I saw the window too, I was just waiting for you to notice it.
BEN: Sure, Abby.
ABBY: Well what’s going on now??
BEN: I don’t know…they’re just talking.
VOICES are heard, as if they’re in the audience
VOICE OF JAMES MADISON: State Delaware representatives, Bassett.
VOICE OF RICHARD BASSETT: Present
VOICE OF JAMES MADISON Bedford.
VOICE OF GRUNNING BEDFORD: Present
VOICE OF JAMES MADISON: Broom
VOICE OF JACOB BROOM: Present
ABBY: OH MY GOSH they’re taking roll call! Isn’t this exciting?
BEN: (yelling) I can’t hear a thing!!!
ABBY: SHHHHHHH!!!! I bet they heard that!
BEN: (whispering) Oh, sorry, I forgot.
ABBY: It’s okay, just be quiet.
BEN: (Mimicking) Just be quiet.
ABBY: BEN!
BEN: Sorry.
ABBY: Listen.
JAMES MADISON: All in favor of revising the articles raise your right hand.
ABBY: Only a few raised their hand for just revising the articles! This is good news Ben,
considering that the articles practically ruined our country!
BEN: How do you know this stuff Abby? I wish I were as smart as you.
ABBY: I listen to everything everyone says, even if I’m not intended to hear it.
BEN: So you’re a know it all.
ABBY: (Yelling really loud) No I’m not!
JAMES MADISON: Did you hear that?
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: I believe it came from outside!
GEORGE WASHINGTON: What is that outside the window over there?
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: It seems to me that we have two spies on our hands.
JAMES MADISON: Come in here you two!
BEN: Oh no Abby they caught us!
ABBY: Shut up Ben!
(ABBY and BEN climb through the window, she is standing center stage, “talking” with
the founding fathers)
ABBY: I would just like to make a point Mr. Madison.
JAMES MADISON: And you are?
ABBY: Abigail Smith, sir.
JAMES MADISON: And your little friend here?
BEN: Benjamin Johnson, sir.
JAMES MADISON: Hmmm. Very well. Go ahead young lady.
ABBY: Well, what will happen in the future, when things change and these rules are out
dated?
JAMES MADISON: Your point?
ABBY: You know, my parents are always talking about how much things have changed
since they were kids. And, well, I thought what if when we have kids, society has
changed so much so that the older rules don’t really make sense anymore.
JAMES MADISON: Again, your point?
ABBY: Well, what if the government wants to make a new law and they can’t, because
right now there’s no way to ADD to the current laws?
JAMES MADISON: Oh you young people, what do you expect us to do about that? A
law is a law.
ABBY: Well, not exactly. I was thinking that one of those laws itself should be that the
government can add to the current laws that society abides by.
JAMES MADISON: Oh, well, I suppose we can take that idea into consideration.
Adding a rule for amendments is a very good idea, but, now you two must leave. The
rest of this meeting is strictly grown up talk.
ABBY/BEN: Thank you sir! (Abby and Ben climb back through the window. Lights back
up to full)
BEN: WE just possibly just saved our country from a HUGE dilemma!
ABBY: WE?
BEN: (Sheepish) Oh, well, I guess it was “YOU”.
ABBY: (Slaps BEN on the back and says) You’re learning! (Abby smiles, then struts off
the stage.)
BEN: (Addressing the audience) She is going to be impossible to live with now! “I told
them to this and I told them to that and I was the one that thought of something they
didn’t, blah, blah, blah…(mimic with talking hands)
OFFSTAGE ABBY: Come on Ben, and I heard that!
BEN: Coming! Hey, I wonder what your mom will say about this?
(ABBY peeks her head onstage)
ABBY: Actually, let’s keep this our little secret.
BEN: (Shrugging) Ok, if you say so. (BEN looks at the audience one more time, shrugs
his shoulders, shakes his head, and runs offstage)
BLACKOUT
