| Summary: | Rendon, Marcie R. The Rough-Face Girl. BAPA Imagination Stage, 2000. Contact publisher regarding price. 38 pp. Reviewer: Elizabeth Moss Reading Level: Primary; Intermediate Rating: Dependable Genre: Folklore; Plays; Fairy Tales; Beauty and Goodness Subject: Drama--Reviews; Cinderella (Tales)--Adaptations--Juvenile drama; Indians of North America--Legends--Juvenile drama; Theme: See the world with beauty Production Requirements: Simple to moderate sets and costumes Acts: 3 Run Time: 20 min. Characters: 4F, 1M Cast: Adults Time Period: Past After her father passes away, Dos' two older sisters mistreat her. One day, her sisters decide that they will go to the Invisible One and try to marry him. The Invisible One can only marry one who can see him. It is the responsibility of the Invisible One’s sister to ask questions of the perspective brides. After the two sisters fail at seeing him, Dos tries and succeeds. Dos then forgives her sisters and everyone lives together happily ever after. This is a re-telling of the old Algonquin legend. The dialogue is interspersed with songs that, unless done well, would slow down this piece. The language itself has a modern feel to it that contrasts against the setting of a long time ago when the unnatural can occur. The characters are not as fully developed as they could be. The speech of each character does not differ widely from one person to another. The plot does not have a lot of action or a main conflict. The climax lacks the full impact because none of the characters go on a personal journey. No one realizes past flaws or gains new perspective. The theme is woven well into the story. It flows in with the plot and dialogue without overstating it. Yet, there is little interpretation as to the plot of this story. The sets and costumes should be fairly easily done. Each character has one costume and there are only two locations required. This is a play that would work well for those who want a little-known piece of folklore. 38 p. Children's Book and Play Review, May 2003
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