In the year 1849, Ruth Maramin and her three daughters join a wagon company and begin a journey over the Oregon Trail. Seeking to find “a song” in the west, she and a group of women in the company cling to each other as they face the ordeals, trials and losses of the trek. At each place along the vast western trail she struggles to make sense of an ever more difficult crossing. She becomes close to the wagon master, Josiah Bozeman, who helps her cope as she loses, in different ways, all three of her daughters. In the end she reaches Oregon and finds hope again in a new life. She has found the Pioneer Song.
CHARACTERS: 13+ women /7+ men/ 1 boy
RUTH MARAMIN- a widow in her mid to late forties
SARAH MARAMIN- Ruth’s oldest daughter 23-26
ESTHER MARAMIN- Ruth’s second daughter 20
TESSI MARAMIN- Ruth’s youngest daughter 15
JOSIAH BOZEMAN- The wagon master late 40’s early 50’s
MRS. JOHNSON- a mother of five children 30-40
MARY DOVE- a consumptive prostitute 25-30
FAITH MARTIN- a middle aged gossip 35-45
MERCY TIBBS- Faith’s constant companion and gossip 35-45
SONJA- an abused wife 25-30
HEBER FIELDS- a young Mormon boy 20-25
REUBEN- Sonya’s abusive husband 30-35
CHORUS OF WOMEN AND MEN
THE DEAD
JACK JOHNSON- a man drowned in the River 30-40
WOMAN DIED OF TYPHOID
WOMAN DIED IN CHILDBIRTH
LUNATIC WOMAN
BOY died of pneumonia
SMALL BOY drowned in the river
WOMAN DIED OF SMALLPOX
MAN DIED OF SMALLPOX
JAMES TIBBS- Mercy’s husband 35-45
The dead are double cast from the chorus of women and men.
TIME AND ACTION:
The action takes place from the spring of 1852 to the spring of 1853 on the Oregon Trail and the Willamette Valley.
SONG LISTING
ACT I
1 Far Away In The West Ruth, Mary Dove, Sonja, Faith, Mercy & Chorus
2 Mama Be Near Me Sarah & Ruth
3 Big Blue Chorus
4 Marry A Yankee Mercy & Faith
5 Pioneer Song Esther, Tessi, Mary Dove & Chorus
6 Song Of The Suicide Mary Dove
7 Day After Day Ruth & Chorus
ACT II
8 Chimney Rock Chorus
9 Come Home Ruth
10 Lonesome Prairie Sea James Tibbs
11 Gold/Rain Comes Down Chorus
12 Come Home Reprise Ruth
13 Gold/Rain Comes Down Chorus
14 Chimney Rock Reprise Chorus
15 Ruth’s Lament Ruth
16 Ruth’s Lament Reprise Chorus
17 Willamette Valley Sonja and Chorus
18 Pioneer Song Finale Chorus