Angela Kim & Ramila Gulieva
November 11, 2007
Writing 101
History Essay #2 – Mini play
Final Draft
SECRET’S OUT
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
Elizabeth Ann James: The protagonist of Secret’s Out. Elizabeth is a twenty-seven year old loyalist, who married a patriot man. Though she is a strong, courageous woman, she fears greatly of being exposed of who she truly is. She spends her days at home working in the garden, cleaning, cooking, and other house wife duties. Elizabeth hides her secret in New York with her husband, hoping that no one will find out that she is a loyalist. Her true identity is that not only is she a loyalist, but she is also related to the King. She hopes to live peacefully and happily with her husband with no interruptions of anyone finding out.
Andrew Owen James: A loyal husband to Elizabeth Ann James. He supports Elizabeth and himself as a New England merchant at age thirty-one. He is a hard-working patriot who despises loyalists.
Lady: A middle-aged woman who happens to be a loyalist and gets taken away by the authorities.
Child: The son of the middle-aged woman who also happens to be a loyalist and also gets captured by the authorities.
Police: A spectator of the town who is a patriot that happens to carry a conversation with two colonists passing by.
Colonist #1: A young lady who is also a patriot that loathes loyalists is surprised to know that there are loyalists existing in the town.
Colonist #2: A friend of the young lady [Colonist #1] who is also a patriot that hopes to exterminate all loyalists in the town.
Police Officer #1: A curious man of authority that is a patriot who wants to know where Elizabeth lives.
Police Officer #2: Another curious man of authority that is also a patriot, partner of Police Officer #1, who also wants to know where Elizabeth lives.
Ruth Bensen: A middle-aged woman who is a friend of Elizabeth’s, but is a patriot. Once she found out who Elizabeth really was, she wants nothing to do with her.
[Summary: Little before the American Revolution, in the southern side of New York, was a cozy, small, wooden house full of love and life. Next to the house was a cute little garden with beautiful flowers. Inside this house lived a middle class newly wed, trying to start a family. The wife was named Elizabeth Ann James, a housewife at age twenty-seven. Her husband, Andrew Owen James, was a New England Merchant, living at age thirty-one. They have been married for about two years, hoping to live happily ever after. But little did they know that their quest of living “happily ever after” would have many hardships as well as difficulties.]
ACT I: SCENE I
Enter Elizabeth.
[One beautiful morning, Elizabeth went outside to work in the garden. She wanted to prune the plants in the garden so that they would grow beautifully.]
Elizabeth: Oh my! How beautiful these roses have grown!
[While working in the garden, Elizabeth hears shouting across the neighborhood.]
Lady: No! Let go of me!
Child: Momma! I’m scared! Are they going to kill us?
Lady: What are you doing with my child?!
Exit Lady, Child, and Police.
[Elizabeth turns her head towards the noise and sees a woman and her child being taken away by the authoritative figures who were patriots. So she pondered to herself.]
Elizabeth: What’s going on? Why are they being taken away?
Enter Police, Colonist #1, and Colonist #2.
[After the woman and child had been captured, she hears another conversation going on between a police and two colonists.]
Police: Those damn loyalists.
Colonist #1: I’m surprised they were even here this long.
Colonist #2: How can they be for the King?! That’s just preposterous!
Police: Well good riddance.
[Immediately Elizabeth runs inside her house to speak with her husband.]
Exit all.
ACT I: SCENE II
Enter Elizabeth and Andrew.
[Panting, trying to catch her breath, Elizabeth shouts Andrew’s name.]
Elizabeth: Andrew! Andrew!
Andrew: What’s wrong Elizabeth?!
Elizabeth: A horrible thing has happened!
Andrew: What is it?!
Elizabeth: Just outside, while I was gardening, the authorities captured this woman and her child!
Andrew: Why?! How could they?
Elizabeth: Well, I over heard a couple of people talking with the police, and it seemed to me that the woman and her child were loyalists.
Andrew: What were those despicable creatures doing here?!
Elizabeth: Oh…I’m not quite sure, but they’re gone now.
Andrew: You don’t feel bad for them, do you?
Elizabeth: Oh of course not! I hate those filthy vermin.
Exit all.
ACT II: SCENE I
Enter Elizabeth.
[It is evening and while Elizabeth was reading her favorite book, she recalled the incident of when the loyalists had been taken away. As the thoughts all came back to her head, she started to worry. She walks over toward her nightstand table and opens a book. Inside the book was a gemmed box holding within it, a valuable family heirloom that had been past down for generations. This heirloom happened to be a golden ring with “God save the Queen” engraved on the inner part of the ring.]
Elizabeth: What do I do?
[Elizabeth hears a knock on the door]
Andrew: Elizabeth?
Elizabeth: Just a second!
[Quickly, Elizabeth tries to put everything away.]
Enter Andrew.
Andrew: Elizabeth? Is everything ready for supp..what was that?
Elizabeth: What was what?
Andrew: That. You just had it in your hand a few moments ago.
Elizabeth: Oh it’s nothing really. But yes supper is ready so shall we go and eat?
Andrew: …Alright.
Exit Elizabeth and Andrew.
ACT II: SCENE II
Enter Elizabeth and Andrew.
[Ever since the incident that had happened before supper, Andrew could not stop thinking about what she had been hiding from him. He was so curious that he wanted to check it out for himself when Elizabeth wasn’t around. One morning, while Elizabeth was sleeping, he started to rummage through her belongings. After a few moments of searching, he finally had found the book, but before he could open it, Elizabeth had woken up.]
Elizabeth: Darling, what are you doing?
Andrew: Oh, just looking for my socks, that’s all.
Elizabeth: It is in the second drawer next to the chair.
Andrew: Thank you dear. Well I’m off to work.
Exit Andrew.
ACT II: SCENE III
Enter Andrew.
[When Andrew came home from work, once again, Andrew attempted to find out what was hidden inside the book. While Elizabeth was out back in the garden working, he went through the drawer again.]
Andrew: Let’s see here. I think it was in this drawer.
[Andrew takes the book out and opens the book.]
Andrew: There’s a box here.
[He was so anxious to see what was inside the box that he immediately went in to open the box with no hesitation.]
Andrew: A ring?! What is this?!
[Andrew was very shocked to see this majestic ring. While he was observing the ring, he came across some engravings on the inner part of the ring.]
Andrew: “God save the Queen”? Could it be?! My wife a loyalist?!
[Andrew was so traumatized by this that he stormed out of the room with the ring and went out to the garden to confront Elizabeth.]
Exit Andrew.
ACT III: SCENE I
Enter Elizabeth (She is gardening).
[Elizabeth is pruning the garden, trimming the plants, and pulling weeds, happily.]
Andrew storms in.
[Andrew shouts Elizabeth’s name]
Andrew: ELIZABETH!
[She is startled by her husband’s voice, and wonders what is wrong.]
Elizabeth: What is wrong dear?
[Andrew holds out the ring.]
Andrew: What is the meaning of this?!
[Worried that the neighbors would hear, she asks him to go inside.]
Elizabeth: Andrew please! Let’s take it inside.
[Both Elizabeth and Andrew walk toward the house and goes inside.]
Exit Andrew and Elizabeth.
ACT III: SCENE II
[Confused Andrew and fearful Elizabeth came inside the house.]
Enter Andrew and Elizabeth.
Andrew: I don’t understand!?... Explain Elizabeth!
Elizabeth: I wanted to tell you about this, but could not.
Andrew: How could you?
Elizabeth: I saw how you reacted to the other loyalists and that made me fearful. But Please! Don’t be angry with me.
Andrew: I am not angry but I’m puzzled. What good did you find in the English king?!
Andrew: He established so many acts that take away our liberty, rights and now we have to let in those despicable British soldiers to our house.
Elizabeth: I realize that but he established this law to pay the depth after the last war and taxes in America is less than England. We must be grateful that our King is so kind that he protects us.
Act III: Scene II
[Confused Andrew and fearful Elizabeth came inside the house]
Andrew: I don’t understand!? … Explain Elizabeth!?
Elizabeth: I wanted to tell you about this, but couldn’t.
Andrew: How could you?
Elizabeth: I saw how you reacted to the other loyalists and that made me fearful. (Elizabeth begs) Please! Do not be angry with me.
Andrew: I am not angry. I’m just very frustrated. (Andrew pauses) What good did you find in English king!? He established so many acts that take away our liberty, rights and now we have to let in those despicable British solders to our house. (http://0-find.galegroup.com.catalog.kcls.org:80/gvrl/infomark.do?&contentSet=EBKS&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=GVRL.americanhistory&docId=CX3425000037&source=gale&userGroupName=kcls_web&version=1.0)
Elizabeth: I realize that but he established this law to pay the depth after last war that we fought against French. (http://0-find.galegroup.com.catalog.kcls.org:80/gvrl/infomark.do?&contentSet=EBKS&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=GVRL.americanhistory&docId=CX3411900124&source=gale&userGroupName=kcls_web&version=1.0)
Andrew: It is not fair; we are English too but cannot enjoy the same rights as the English in Britain without having representatives in Parliament. (http://0-find.galegroup.com.catalog.kcls.org:80/gvrl/infomark.do?&contentSet=EBKS&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=GVRL.americanhistory&docId=CX3425000037&source=gale&userGroupName=kcls_web&version=1.0)
Elizabeth: I doubted that it was possible for people who lived so far from the parent country could enjoy the same liberties as people in the parent country. We should be grateful to the King of England because we pay fewer taxes here than people in Great Britain. (http://0-find.galegroup.com.catalog.kcls.org:80/gvrl/infomark.do?&contentSet=EBKS&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=GVRL.americanhistory&docId=CX3411900124&source=gale&userGroupName=kcls_web&version=1.0)
Andrew: Elizabeth. Answer me. Why did the King make us care for and allow English soldiers live in our houses?
Elizabeth: Because he sent these soldiers to protect us.
Andrew: I believe that America should become an independent country without any tyrant.
Elizabeth: I do not agree with you because if America will separate from Britain it will not have any protection from the enemies. (http://0-find.galegroup.com.catalog.kcls.org:80/gvrl/infomark.do?&contentSet=EBKS&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=GVRL.americanhistory&docId=CX3411900124&source=gale&userGroupName=kcls_web&version=1.0)
Andrew: This is why I hate loyalists; they think so different from patriots.
Andrew: Elizabeth you should have told me a long time ago that you were one of those loyalists. We married by love and promised each other that we will be together no matter what until death, but now look what happened.
Elizabeth and Andrew exit the stage.
Act III: Scene III
Elizabeth on stage.
[Everyday in the morning, Elizabeth went to a small market to buy groceries. However, this morning the weather was cloudy hence Elizabeth put on a long raincoat. While she was coming home, Elizabeth overheard a conversation between two police officers and woman named Ruth Bensen. This woman, though, is actually a friend of Elizabeth.]
Police Officer #1: Do you know where Elizabeth Ann James lives?
Ruth Bensen: Oh, what seems to be the problem officers?
Police Officer #2: We found out that she is a loyalist.
Ruth Bensen: Is that so?! Who would’ve known! That devious child! I’m sorry but I do not know who this Elizabeth Ann James is anymore, nor do I wish to know her. Good day to you sirs.
Police Officers: Very well then, carry on.
Exit Ruth and Police Officers.
ACT III: SCENE IV
Enter Elizabeth.
[At home, the terrified Elizabeth sits and worries. She had hoped that no one would ever find out, but turned out to be the total opposite of her expectations. She sits in the living room crunched up, thinking about what will happen to her.]
Elizabeth: Oh, my goodness! Everyone is after me!
[With fear in her eyes, Elizabeth stood up and started pacing.]
Elizabeth: Andrew! Andrew! Where are you?!
Enter Andrew.
Andrew: What’s the matter?
Elizabeth: They’re after me!
Andrew: Who is after you?
Elizabeth: The police! They found out somehow because I over heard that two men dressed in uniform asked for my location.
Andrew: Really? Then Elizabeth, shall we leave this town together and move to another town where no one will be able to find us?
Elizabeth: You would do that for me?
Andrew: I told you. I made a promise. I am willing to go anywhere with you.
Elizabeth: (relieved) Thank you dear.
Andrew: Let us go pack our stuff then.
Exit Elizabeth and Andrew.
[The next day, Andrew and Elizabeth part from the town without a say to anyone, hoping to truly live happily ever after.]
THE END
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