Oregon Fever
- 30 minutes
- 3 Males, 3 Females, Min/Max 6
$7.00 – $75.00
In this one-act period drama Joshua Blanchard is preparing to leave Kansas to head west on the Oregon Trail in l835. On this climactic day, his youngest son dies, his daughter decides to marry and stay at home, and he has an important confrontation with his wife.
Performs well for middle school, high school, community theater. Great for Reader’s Theater, American history or social studies class.
Play Details
Overview
All of these crises reflect the hardship of life on the prairie, and the human cost of breaking new territory, both in your soul and in your life. David Rush portrays life on the prairie with truth and sensitivity in this one-act drama.
An excellent script for
- classroom study
- Reader’s Theater
- short easy scenes
- easy dialogue
- history studies
- goldrush period studies
Written by by David Rush,
From the Play
Cast List:
Isaac Shurtleff, mid-20s, a farming lad.
Naomi Blanchard, about 15
Joshua Blanchard, pioneer/ farmer, late 30’s, Naomi’s father.
Emma Blanchard, his wife
Henry Metcalf,
Time: 1835
Place: Interior of a small prairie cabin on the Iowa plains. Spring. 1835. The room is nearly bare, since the occupants are very soon going to be leaving: a table, a few chairs, etc. Scattered around are bales, boxes, bundles, and other signs of moving day.
Naomi: You gotta stop being afraid of folks, Isaac.
Isaac: I ain’t afraid of folks.
Naomi: Every time you come around here, you get tongue-twisted and stuttery.
Isaac: I ain’t afraid of folks in general; only your Paw.
Naomi: Paw? He’s an old coon hound!
Isaac: He always growls and mutters when he sees me. I swear, he just walks into the room and I start quaking like pudding.
Naomi: He’s trying to rattle up your fence is all.
Isaac: I don’t think he takes much to me. I think he looks at me and figures he’s seeing a fool. One of these days I gotta find a way to change his mind.
Naomi: It better be soon, Isaac; you’re gonna have to ask him for permission, you know.
Isaac: I know. And I’m ready. I practiced a speech all day yesterday.
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