NARRATOR: Good evening. It has come to our attention through test scores and the like that we are facing an alarming and precipitous decline in the knowledge and comprehension that many students have for the subject of history.

The reason for this, we were told, is that many students today find the study of history to be inaccessible and incongruous to their daily life experience – in short, they find it, well, boring and irrelevant. In response, we here at No Shame have attempted to devise a new program of study intended to make history more relevant to the pupils of today.

Tonight, we present one in a series of dramatic vignettes we have developed that attempt to bring American history to life in a more modern way. It is now my privilege and pleasure to introduce you to one of America’s best-known stories, the story of – (a pause) – Punkahontas.

(Indian drummer, Indian boy and Punkahontas enter. Drummer beats drum as he enters. Narrator turns into Chief Powhatan and they all sit cross-legged in a semi-circle. Punkahontas should look very punk – black leather, chains, the rest. In fact, all should look very punk, if you wish. After some drum beats . . .)

POWHATAN: Bring in the prisoner.

(Indian brave enters, pushing in a shackled John Smith, who protests.)

INDIAN BRAVE: Get in there.

JOHN SMITH: Hey, let me go!

INDIAN BRAVE: Get down!

(The Indian brave pushes John Smith down to his knees.)

POWHATAN: So this is the leader of the white men who have encroached on our sacred lands?

JOHN SMITH: My name is Captain John Smith and I come in peace to –

POWHATAN: Silence! I am the Chief Powhatan and I shall decide your fate.

(The drummer beats the drum. Perhaps Powhatan consults an eight ball. Or not.)

Captain John Smith, for the crime of stealing our land, I sentence you to die. Assume the position.

(The Indian brave pushes Smith’s head down and picks up a hatchet.)

JOHN SMITH: Well, aren’t you going to do something?

PUNKAHONTAS: Not me. I’ve wanted to see one of these for a long time.

(Indian brave raises his hatchet and prepares to strike; the action freezes. And Chief Powhatan turns back into the narrator)

NARRATOR: Next week: The War of 1812 – the hip-hop version.

(Lights out. Wait for applause.)

JOHN SMITH (screams).

(A thud is heard.)

PUNKAHONTAS: Sweet.

INDIAN BOY: Awesome.

------- THE END -------

Narrator/Powhatan: Nelson Oliver

Punkahontas: Bunny

Indian brave: Steve Breeding

Indian drummer (no lines, but lots of drumming): Billy Atkins

John Smith: John Bryant

Indian boy: Keith Yancey

Dwayne Yancey

1791 Mount Pleasant Church Road

Fincastle, VA 24090

Days: 540 981 3113

Nights: 540 473 3313

E-mail: dwayneyancey@yahoo.com