“Desperate Escape”

A short scene by
Daniella Monet Camacho

ROLES
SUZY (Leanna)
GUARD (Jesus)
NARRATOR (Allen)
MRS. JEAN (Daniella)

(The scene begins on a large plantation in the South, where the sun begins
to rise and many of the members of the household begin to awaken from their sleep. The crops
are ready to be harvested, and the plantation owner Mrs. Jean knows exactly who will do the
job.)

NARRATOR
In the Autumn of 1850, the United States, or as it was referred to as the Union at the time, was
categorized into 3 groups: The North, whose economy was based on manufacturing and the
textile industry; the South, whose abundance of slaves was a result of the newly invented cotton
gin, and the West, where people in California had begun to settle in San Francisco and other
areas. But our journey begins in the South, where a young slave girl will change the decision of
how and where slaves should escape from their masters. That slave’s name was…

MASTER
Suzy. I’ve told you this many times before, your name is Suzy!

SUZY
Miss, my real name is…

MASTER
No, I’ve had enough. Your jungle name translates to idiot, I’m sure of it. Your name is Suzy, or
will my husband have to whip you again?

SUZY
N-no, ma’am.

MASTER
Good, I don’t need my husband to waste another slave anyway. Now I better be seeing you do
your work, or you can say goodbye to this plantation. (mumbles) But I’ll only get a few pounds
by doing it, though…

SUZY
Master?

MASTER
Did I not say to go already? Get out of my sight now!
 (SUZY exits stage l., and MASTER exits stage r. Scene changes to Suzy
in slave cabin)

SUZY
All of this is unfair! Everything I had was taken away from me, even my own name! Why must I
endure this pain…the only means of salvation is…escape. Wait, that’s it, a run to freedom. Just
like in those rumors I heard from the Master’s husband many weeks ago. But just like many
others, I must think of a plan.

(SUZY ruffles through whatever she has salvaged, and makes a sack of
supplies for the trip. She looks outside to see the sun beginning to rise.)

I do not have much time. Master—I mean, Mrs. Jean; she’s not my master anymore – will be
here soon.

MASTER
(Angrily) SUZY! Where are you!?

(SUZY quickly throws the sack of supplies in the corner and runs to
quickly get a hoe, exiting the cabin as if she was afraid of punishment.)

SUZY
Here, miss.

MASTER
Good to see you willing to work.

(SUZY remains silent, and moves to her workspace. The bell rings for
breakfast.)

MASTER
Looks like it is breakfast time. I want to see you people working when I get back, or I’ll make
sure I’ll whip you as many times as there are slaves on this plantation!

(MASTER exits stage l. with an irritated expression. SUZY quickly runs

into the cabin, and escapes, exiting stage r.)

NARRATOR
Suzy planned for freedom in the North, as many have done in the past. However, she was about
to find out that nowhere is safe anymore.

(SUZY runs through the forest, occasionally falling and tripping over
branches and thorn bushes. She fails to jump over a large tree root and falls over, letting go of
her sack of supplies.)
SUZY
I must be getting closer. But I’m running out of things I need. Wait…I think I see something
over there. It’s a guard, but maybe it’s a trap. I don’t know, but I’m willing to risk it. I’ll hide
first, and then I’ll see what happens.

(SUZY ruffles some bushes to get the guard’s attention. It works, making
the guard look in her direction.)

GUARD
Who’s there? Show yourself to a guard of the city of Boston!

(SUZY walks up slowly to the guard.)

Oh, look what we have here. A runaway slave! Seen a lot of you on the way here, all been freed.
But it looks like you’ve gone through a lot. I’ll make sure you get healed.

SUZY
Really, sir?

GUARD
Yes, indeed. Can you turn around for me?

(SUZY turn around for the guard. GUARD grabs her wrists and out her
arms behind her back.

Under the Fugitive Slave Act, passed on September 18, 1850, I am putting you under arrest, and
you will be sent back to your owner.

SUZY
What!? But the stories the slaves told me they all ran North!

GUARD
And they made it before the Fugitive Slave Act. But even so, they might be forced back, since
they’ll also take back slaves that were already freed.

SUZY
I wasn’t even close…

GUARD
Come on, little slave. Tell me where you had run away from, so I can take you back there.
MASTER
That won’t be necessary.

(Both SUZY and GUARD look at MASTER, who comes out of the
forest.)

(to GUARD) I want that flintlock pistol you have there, soldier, because she is my slave. I can
do whatever I want with her.

GUARD
You’re just a lady, but…I won’t meddle in your affairs. Very well.

(GUARD tosses the pistol to the MASTER)

MASTER
Hold her down.

(GUARD puts SUZY against a wall, while MASTER holds the pistol
against SUZY’s head.)

Too bad Suzy, I actually liked the gossip about you and your escape between the workers. In
fact, I didn’t have to whip any of them because you were gone. They were actually happy. But I
guess it would be better for them if you didn’t come back.

SUZY
I…have nothing to say. I’m just glad to be free.

MASTER
You still don’t get it, do you? You’ll die a slave!

(MASTER shoots the gun, causing SUZY to fall to the ground.)

She wasn’t worth the money I paid for her.

GUARD
How much did you pay?

MASTER
5 pounds. Now get her out of here. Her dead body’s not going to do anything but rot.

GUARD
I’ll let the police officers know.

(MASTER and GUARD leave stage l.)

NARRATOR
And thus ends the noble adventure of Suzy and her escape to the North, only to be the first
escapee to be charged by the Fugitive Slave Act, which had been created as a cause of the
Compromise of 1850. Luckily for her, the master informed the slaves of Suzy’s purpose of
capture, convincing slaves to run south. During the American Civil War, the Fugitive Slave Act
was made null and void to the Confederacy.