Author Description

Cast: 5m., 4w. (13 either gender, extras as desired. With doubling as few as 2 to 3 m., 2 w., 1 either gender.) This play follows the adventures of the Shoshone girl who was kidnapped from her people only to become the best-known Native American woman of all time. Sacagawea's grasp of languages and her knowledge of the terrain made her an indispensable part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The play explores her early childhood vision and naming, her marriage to Toussaint Charboneau, their joining the Corps of Discovery's epic voyage west, and finally the company's vote on where to establish a winter camp. Both Sacagawea and York, Clark's slave, became so important to the company that they were allowed to vote in this election-the first recorded vote of a woman, a Native American and a black man in America. This play works equally well as a large school project or a professional touring piece. Songs in the style of Native American flute music may be used to enhance the piece and create transitions as the action moves across the Great Plains along the Missouri, Snake and Columbia rivers. Flexible set. Approximate Running Time: 60 minutes.