MARGUERITA'S SECRET DIARY
By Tom Smith

Characters:
Actor 1 (F) Marguerita, Visitor Woman
Actor 2 (F) Hearth Girl, Farmwoman, Nayoo
Actor 3 (M/F) Old Woman, Harry/Larry/Mary/Mo, Sister 1
Actor 4 (M) Father, Javier, Sister 2, N'Karna
(If single cast, 8W, 6M)

Time/Place:
Nearby.The recent past.

Running time:
45 minutes.

Summary:
At the opening, the audience is introduced to Marguerita Michelle Two-Bear, a young woman whose mother is from Mexico, father is from Colorado, and grandparents are from the Ute Reservation.  Growing up in a tri-cultural environment, she has heard many different types of stories. She decides to tell three of these.

Hearth Girl is the first story told. It takes place in a small cabin nestled in the Appalachian Mountains . Hearth Girl lives with her father, who one day mysteriously vanishes. She is left alone to fend for herself, which she does, always hopeful that her father will return. 

One day an old woman appears and pleads with Hearth Girl to give her food and shelter. Hearth Girl agrees. But the old woman is a tyrant, ruling over Hearth Girl with an iron fist. Or is she?

Javier y los Conejos: Javier and the Rabbits is the second story. Told in both Spanish and English, Javier and the Rabbits tells the story of Javier Pollocorazòn, a very gullible young boy.One day, while walking in the woods, he gets lost and wanders around until he finds a farm. Too tired to keep looking for his way home, Javier spends the night in a rabbit hutch.

The next morning, a wicked Farmwoman finds Javier asleep in her hutch.Needing extra help around her farm, she forces Javier to work off his “rent” for sleeping on her property. She gives him so much work to do that he again falls asleep in her rabbit hutch. Each day she assigns him new chores to be completed, and each day he falls asleep in her rabbit hutch.

Upset that he may never again see his mother, Javier begins to cry. Four rabbits approach him, and surprise him with their ability to communicate…

The final story is Nayoo, the Burn-Face Girl. Nayoo and her two sisters live in a small village. While Nayoo is kind and caring, her sisters are cruel and heartless. 

One night, Nayoo and her sisters hear of a meeting in the village square.There, Visitor Woman explains that she has a brother, N'Karna, who is looking for a bride. The person who completes three tasks by sunrise will win his hand in marriage. As a wedding gift, the winner will also receive N'Karna's wealth and a magical wish…

Marguerita's Secret Diary reinforces the importance of sharing stories, and recording them to share with future generations.