Cast of Characters
Clemente: An 11 year old boy
Gonzalo: Clementes 9 year old brother
Grandmother: Clemente and Gonzalos grandmother in
her early 60s.
Grandfather: Clemente and Gonzalos Grandfather in
his late 60s.
Foxtrot: A border guard in his late 20’s
radio: A border guard on the radio in his
early 20s.
Romeo: A border guard in his late 20s.
cop: A cop in his late 30s
Setting: Clemente and Gonzalo are sitting at a table in their grandparents kitchen. On the stage there is a window prop that shows the farm outside and there is a sink against the window. The wall next to the window has cabinets against the wall, next to that is the front door at center stage. The houses are always on the left side of the stage and the farms are always behind the house at upstage all across the back and the road is always on right stage. Clementes grandmother sits across from the boys at the table near the sink. It is early in the morning and everyone is quiet.
Act one, scene 1.
(Clementes grandfather walks in the room from the front door at right center stage holding a pile of papers in his arms.)
Grandfather- I got the mail, Clemente, Gonzalo, you got a letter from your mother. (smiles)
Grandmother- Hand it here. *reaches for the mail as grandfather hands it to her*
(Grandmother flips through the mail looking for the letter while sorting through the important and unimportant mail.)
(Grandfather sits down at the table.)
Clemente- Did we really get a letter from mom? (smiles excitedly)
Gonzalo- What did she say?
Grandmother- Hold up, let me read it. (finds letter and opened it.)
(Grandmother reads letter for 5-6 seconds.)
Grandmother- She wants you two to come join her and your sisters in california.
Clemente: Really? How will we get their? Why didn’t she ask us to come when she first left? Why now?
Grandfather- She probably couldn't afford for you to come earlier when she first left.
Grandmother- She said you can come if you want to. If you would like to stay with us she said it would be ok but she would be disappointed.
Gonzalo- I want to stay! (smiles shyly, looks down)
Clemente- Wait, maybe i want to go.
Gonzalo-you can go while i stay.
Clemente-ok, see you later then…(walks to bedroom on left center stage and goes inside.)
Grandfather- Gonzalo, why don’t you want to go see your mother?
Gonzalo- Well, I would love to get to see her again but I could die on the way their.
Grandfather- Do you think you will ever go?
Gonzalo- Maybe, when i'm alot older.
(grandparents go outside to work the farm, Gonzalo follows grandparents outside and they tend to the animals.)
Setting: Clemente and Gonzales shared room which in on center left stage attached to the kitchen separated by a door. There are two twin sized beds in opposite corners of the room with thin blankets on them. Desk in between the two beds (mattresses with a blanket and pillow on).Window above desk.
(Clemente arrives at his and Gonzalos room and gets a bag from the corner of the room. He sits on the floor and starts to pack. Clemente puts a blanket, a filled water bottle, and some food he had saved in a plastic container in the bag (all this stuff is on the desk in the room). He than grabs his things and goes outside.)
(Once outside Clemente finds his grandparents and family.)
Clemente: I'm ready to cross the border. (walks out of the house to right center stage as everyone else comes towards him from the farm in the back. Except for gonzalo who goes by the door.)
Grandparents: We will miss you Clemente
Clemente: I will miss you too, can you drive me as far as you can?
Grandfather: Of course.
Clemente: Thanks
(Clemente walks towards Gonzalo who is standing by the front door at centerstage.)
Clemente: Are you sure you don’t want to come?
Gonzalo: I'm sure, I want to stay.
Clemente: Goodbye then.
Gonzalo: Goodbye.
Act 1 scene 2
(Clemente was driven by his grandparents on the road at right stage, they arrived and dropped him off near a dirt field with several hills surrounding it, there are three hills at left stage and the border fence is diagonally facing the audience at upper left stage opposite to the hills and forest at upper right stage. He walked all the way next to the border then he hide next to a small hill.)
The guards, who appeared to be taking a nap from what he could see, so that gave Clemente a chance to make a run for it. Unfortunately he was wrong)
radio: FOXTROT ARE YOU THERE?
Foxtrot: “huh” yea i'm awake.
Romeo: hey look, there's a kid trying to pass the border.
Foxtrot: not on my grounds (Foxtrot gathers a few guards and they start to chase Clemente trying to catch him)
( Clemente manages to run fast enough and when he was out of sight he ducked behind a large pile of boulders at middle right stage. He sits down and tries to think of a plan to get around and past the border.)
(Clemente saw a near bye forest at right upper stage and figured if he hid in the forest he could make it to the border easier. When the coast was clear he ran quickly towards the wall which is partly in the forest.)
Clemente: Maybe I can make it to that forest over there without being seen… (runs towards and into the forest.)
(He was able to hide next to the wall, He was able to cross the border of mexico.)
Act 1 scene 3
(Clemente eventually found the farm his mom was at early the next morning. house is two rooms like the grandparents house and laid out the same way, same with the farm and the road from the grandparents house.)
Setting: A small shack near a cauliflower farm. Outside it has small plants and brush and a road that leads to the farm. The farm is consisted of long rows of cauliflower plants.
(Clemente saw his mom outside the shack and he ran to her smiling.)
Clemente: Mom! I made it all by myself. I missed you. (Hugs mom)
Mom: Hi how are you? (looks around) Where is your brother?
Clemente: I'm good, and gonzalo didn’t want to come. I don't know why, sorry.
Mom: I guess its ok, I did say that you could decide if you wanted to come or not. Oh, You must be tired, come inside.
(They both walk inside the shack at left center stage. and Clemente's sisters are inside.)
*Sisters names- oldest- Maria, middle- Isabella, youngest-Camila*
Mom- Your brother made it home. *Smiles*
Maria: Hay, how are you Clemente?
Clemente: Alright, kinda tired from the trip here.
Isabella: Where's Gonzalo? Didn’t he come as well?
Clemente: No He didn’t want to come, he wanted to stay with grandma and grandpa back in mexico.
Mom: You can sit down Clemente there are some chairs in the back, Camila get your brother a chair please.
Camila: Ok. (Sighs and stands up to get Clemente a chair.)
(Camila brings Clemente a chair and Clemente sits down.)
Clemente: Thanks Camila… Sorry, I don’t remember you much. I think i've only seen you once before now.
Camila: It’s alright, I don’t remember you at all.(Smiles and sits back down)
Clemente: Ok? Um, Mom when are we going to work?
Mom: We don’t need to work until tomorrow, I figured that you would be tired from your trip up here and I convinced the people running the farm to give us a day break. In the other room there's a bed if you want to sleep.
Clemente: Ok, thanks mom. It was nice to see you again.( faces Maria, Isabelle, and Camila) Sorry Gonzalo couldn't come.
(Clemente walks into bedroom)
The next Day.
Act 1 Scene 4
Setting: Outside shack.
Clemente: So, what do we do exactly?
Maria: Well we just pick the cauliflower and gather them together. At the end we see how much we four picked and we get payed.
Clemente: That's it?
Maria: Well yea, pretty much, I guess.
Clemente: Ok than.
Mom: Ok Today we have the west side of the fields. Clemente, did Maria explain what to do?
Clemente: Yea.
Mom: Then let's get going. Oh, one more thing Clemente. Next week you are going to start school.
Clemente: What, why, I want to work with you guys.
Mom: Well Camila will be going to school also. She's in the same grade as you.
Camila: I have to go to school also? I thought that ended last year.(folds arms and looks away)
Mom:(laughs) No You have school for many, many more years after now.
Camila: Why dont Isabel and Maria need to go to school?
Mom: Because they need to help work so you you too can go to school. No more questions let's go ok?
Camila & Clemente: Fine.
(They start to walk to the west fields behind the shack on left upper stage.)
Act 1 Scene 5
The next week night before school.
(Clemente is nervous about school the next day and is thinking about going back to mexico.)
Clemente: (lays on bed next to Camila in the room attached to the living room, kitchen thing on left center stage) Are you also nervous about going to school tomorrow?
Camila: (Thinks for a few seconds) Yea, I guess so.
Clemente: Should we go back to mexico?
Camila: I haven't lived in mexico since I was 2 years old? This is home for me right here.
Clemente: That doesn’t answer my question though.
Camila: No I wouldn't go back just to avoid school. I would miss my friends and mom, and our sisters.
Clemente: Oh…
Camila: Wait you're not going back right? (sits up quickly)
Clemente: What? No. It's just that I don’t know anyone here and it will be odd at first. That's all.
Camila: Oh, ok. (lays back down)
(Clemente goes outside and is alone.)
Clemente: Should I stay here or go back to mexico? If I stay here I could go to college and live a good life. But if I go home tonight without anyone knowing I can be with my brother and Grandparents again. (sits down and thinks)
Option 1: Clemente stays
Option 2: Clemente goes back home.
Act 1 Scene 6
Option 1:
Clemente: I have decided to stay here and finish school.
(Clemente took the bus to school and the scene cuts to many years later as the “bus” leaves the stage.)
(“bus comes back on stage and drops Clemente off but a few years older and he walks inside the house which is at middle center stage. Once inside he picks up the phone to call his grandparents.)
Clemente: (on the phone) hola abuela abuelo
grandparents:hola ¿cómo es everying allí.
Clemente: Bueno voy a high school pronto.
grandparents: Eso es genial, hacen yu quiere decir hola a gonzalo.
Clemente: Por supuesto.
gonzalo: ¿Hola?
Clemente:Hola hermano.
gonzalo: cómos américa gusta?
Clemente: su bueno, me voy a high escuela, fresco, voy a verlos a todos más tarde,
everyone: bye
(The grandparents and Gonzalo are on a speaker in the background)
Clemente: I wonder where mom and everyone is.
(Clemente looks around and walks to left center stage and then back.)
Clemente: Whatever than, I got to get to highschool so i'm not late.
(clemente gets back on the “bus” at right center stage and it drives off stage again. It comes back a few seconds later with Clemente in graduation cloths to represent it being after he graduates.)
(Mom and sisters run out of the house to congratulate Clemente)
Clemente: I'm glad I came to California, thanks for letting me come mom.
Mom: anytime, but I wonder how Gonzalo is doing.
Clemente: He's probably fine but I wish he could have come all those years ago.
( everyone hugs congratulating Clemente again)
The end of option 1:
Act 1 Scene 7
Option 2
(Clemente decided to go back to Mexico)
(along the way, a cops found him walking to the border and asked him for an ID that showed he was allowed to be in america.)
Cop: Hay, yea you. ( Walked towards Clemente from upstage right towards Clemente at Centerstage.)
Clemente: Hey, um i'm kinda in a rush so i'm gonna go ok?
Cop: Yea of corse but first I need to see an ID.
Clemente: I'm sorry I don’t have an ID, I snuck across the border a few weeks ago and was just leaving, so if I could go on my way that would be great.
Cop: If you don’t have an ID you need to come with me. (Cop takes Clemente to the border*A line from center stage right to downstage right.*)
(Clemente walked from the border on his way miles mack home. About half way he tripped and was stung by a scorpion.)
Clemente: (Screamed in agony and clutched his leg where he was stung, he crawled towards a nearby tree at lower left stage and leaned against it.)
Clemente: I need to get to a hospital…(Tries to stand but collapses shouting from the pain.)
(Clemente fell asleep and when morning came pain shot up from both his legs up to his waist and could hardly move. He was hungry and thirsty and panicked once the sun came out.)
(A few hours later the poison from the scorpion had reached his arms and the sun came out to what felt like 115 degrees.)
(Dehydrated, hungry, and severely poisoned, Clemente slowly died.)
The End
Clemente: An 11 year old boy
Gonzalo: Clementes 9 year old brother
Grandmother: Clemente and Gonzalos grandmother in
her early 60s.
Grandfather: Clemente and Gonzalos Grandfather in
his late 60s.
Foxtrot: A border guard in his late 20’s
radio: A border guard on the radio in his
early 20s.
Romeo: A border guard in his late 20s.
cop: A cop in his late 30s
Setting: Clemente and Gonzalo are sitting at a table in their grandparents kitchen. On the stage there is a window prop that shows the farm outside and there is a sink against the window. The wall next to the window has cabinets against the wall, next to that is the front door at center stage. The houses are always on the left side of the stage and the farms are always behind the house at upstage all across the back and the road is always on right stage. Clementes grandmother sits across from the boys at the table near the sink. It is early in the morning and everyone is quiet.
Act one, scene 1.
(Clementes grandfather walks in the room from the front door at right center stage holding a pile of papers in his arms.)
Grandfather- I got the mail, Clemente, Gonzalo, you got a letter from your mother. (smiles)
Grandmother- Hand it here. *reaches for the mail as grandfather hands it to her*
(Grandmother flips through the mail looking for the letter while sorting through the important and unimportant mail.)
(Grandfather sits down at the table.)
Clemente- Did we really get a letter from mom? (smiles excitedly)
Gonzalo- What did she say?
Grandmother- Hold up, let me read it. (finds letter and opened it.)
(Grandmother reads letter for 5-6 seconds.)
Grandmother- She wants you two to come join her and your sisters in california.
Clemente: Really? How will we get their? Why didn’t she ask us to come when she first left? Why now?
Grandfather- She probably couldn't afford for you to come earlier when she first left.
Grandmother- She said you can come if you want to. If you would like to stay with us she said it would be ok but she would be disappointed.
Gonzalo- I want to stay! (smiles shyly, looks down)
Clemente- Wait, maybe i want to go.
Gonzalo-you can go while i stay.
Clemente-ok, see you later then…(walks to bedroom on left center stage and goes inside.)
Grandfather- Gonzalo, why don’t you want to go see your mother?
Gonzalo- Well, I would love to get to see her again but I could die on the way their.
Grandfather- Do you think you will ever go?
Gonzalo- Maybe, when i'm alot older.
(grandparents go outside to work the farm, Gonzalo follows grandparents outside and they tend to the animals.)
Setting: Clemente and Gonzales shared room which in on center left stage attached to the kitchen separated by a door. There are two twin sized beds in opposite corners of the room with thin blankets on them. Desk in between the two beds (mattresses with a blanket and pillow on).Window above desk.
(Clemente arrives at his and Gonzalos room and gets a bag from the corner of the room. He sits on the floor and starts to pack. Clemente puts a blanket, a filled water bottle, and some food he had saved in a plastic container in the bag (all this stuff is on the desk in the room). He than grabs his things and goes outside.)
(Once outside Clemente finds his grandparents and family.)
Clemente: I'm ready to cross the border. (walks out of the house to right center stage as everyone else comes towards him from the farm in the back. Except for gonzalo who goes by the door.)
Grandparents: We will miss you Clemente
Clemente: I will miss you too, can you drive me as far as you can?
Grandfather: Of course.
Clemente: Thanks
(Clemente walks towards Gonzalo who is standing by the front door at centerstage.)
Clemente: Are you sure you don’t want to come?
Gonzalo: I'm sure, I want to stay.
Clemente: Goodbye then.
Gonzalo: Goodbye.
Act 1 scene 2
(Clemente was driven by his grandparents on the road at right stage, they arrived and dropped him off near a dirt field with several hills surrounding it, there are three hills at left stage and the border fence is diagonally facing the audience at upper left stage opposite to the hills and forest at upper right stage. He walked all the way next to the border then he hide next to a small hill.)
The guards, who appeared to be taking a nap from what he could see, so that gave Clemente a chance to make a run for it. Unfortunately he was wrong)
radio: FOXTROT ARE YOU THERE?
Foxtrot: “huh” yea i'm awake.
Romeo: hey look, there's a kid trying to pass the border.
Foxtrot: not on my grounds (Foxtrot gathers a few guards and they start to chase Clemente trying to catch him)
( Clemente manages to run fast enough and when he was out of sight he ducked behind a large pile of boulders at middle right stage. He sits down and tries to think of a plan to get around and past the border.)
(Clemente saw a near bye forest at right upper stage and figured if he hid in the forest he could make it to the border easier. When the coast was clear he ran quickly towards the wall which is partly in the forest.)
Clemente: Maybe I can make it to that forest over there without being seen… (runs towards and into the forest.)
(He was able to hide next to the wall, He was able to cross the border of mexico.)
Act 1 scene 3
(Clemente eventually found the farm his mom was at early the next morning. house is two rooms like the grandparents house and laid out the same way, same with the farm and the road from the grandparents house.)
Setting: A small shack near a cauliflower farm. Outside it has small plants and brush and a road that leads to the farm. The farm is consisted of long rows of cauliflower plants.
(Clemente saw his mom outside the shack and he ran to her smiling.)
Clemente: Mom! I made it all by myself. I missed you. (Hugs mom)
Mom: Hi how are you? (looks around) Where is your brother?
Clemente: I'm good, and gonzalo didn’t want to come. I don't know why, sorry.
Mom: I guess its ok, I did say that you could decide if you wanted to come or not. Oh, You must be tired, come inside.
(They both walk inside the shack at left center stage. and Clemente's sisters are inside.)
*Sisters names- oldest- Maria, middle- Isabella, youngest-Camila*
Mom- Your brother made it home. *Smiles*
Maria: Hay, how are you Clemente?
Clemente: Alright, kinda tired from the trip here.
Isabella: Where's Gonzalo? Didn’t he come as well?
Clemente: No He didn’t want to come, he wanted to stay with grandma and grandpa back in mexico.
Mom: You can sit down Clemente there are some chairs in the back, Camila get your brother a chair please.
Camila: Ok. (Sighs and stands up to get Clemente a chair.)
(Camila brings Clemente a chair and Clemente sits down.)
Clemente: Thanks Camila… Sorry, I don’t remember you much. I think i've only seen you once before now.
Camila: It’s alright, I don’t remember you at all.(Smiles and sits back down)
Clemente: Ok? Um, Mom when are we going to work?
Mom: We don’t need to work until tomorrow, I figured that you would be tired from your trip up here and I convinced the people running the farm to give us a day break. In the other room there's a bed if you want to sleep.
Clemente: Ok, thanks mom. It was nice to see you again.( faces Maria, Isabelle, and Camila) Sorry Gonzalo couldn't come.
(Clemente walks into bedroom)
The next Day.
Act 1 Scene 4
Setting: Outside shack.
Clemente: So, what do we do exactly?
Maria: Well we just pick the cauliflower and gather them together. At the end we see how much we four picked and we get payed.
Clemente: That's it?
Maria: Well yea, pretty much, I guess.
Clemente: Ok than.
Mom: Ok Today we have the west side of the fields. Clemente, did Maria explain what to do?
Clemente: Yea.
Mom: Then let's get going. Oh, one more thing Clemente. Next week you are going to start school.
Clemente: What, why, I want to work with you guys.
Mom: Well Camila will be going to school also. She's in the same grade as you.
Camila: I have to go to school also? I thought that ended last year.(folds arms and looks away)
Mom:(laughs) No You have school for many, many more years after now.
Camila: Why dont Isabel and Maria need to go to school?
Mom: Because they need to help work so you you too can go to school. No more questions let's go ok?
Camila & Clemente: Fine.
(They start to walk to the west fields behind the shack on left upper stage.)
Act 1 Scene 5
The next week night before school.
(Clemente is nervous about school the next day and is thinking about going back to mexico.)
Clemente: (lays on bed next to Camila in the room attached to the living room, kitchen thing on left center stage) Are you also nervous about going to school tomorrow?
Camila: (Thinks for a few seconds) Yea, I guess so.
Clemente: Should we go back to mexico?
Camila: I haven't lived in mexico since I was 2 years old? This is home for me right here.
Clemente: That doesn’t answer my question though.
Camila: No I wouldn't go back just to avoid school. I would miss my friends and mom, and our sisters.
Clemente: Oh…
Camila: Wait you're not going back right? (sits up quickly)
Clemente: What? No. It's just that I don’t know anyone here and it will be odd at first. That's all.
Camila: Oh, ok. (lays back down)
(Clemente goes outside and is alone.)
Clemente: Should I stay here or go back to mexico? If I stay here I could go to college and live a good life. But if I go home tonight without anyone knowing I can be with my brother and Grandparents again. (sits down and thinks)
Option 1: Clemente stays
Option 2: Clemente goes back home.
Act 1 Scene 6
Option 1:
Clemente: I have decided to stay here and finish school.
(Clemente took the bus to school and the scene cuts to many years later as the “bus” leaves the stage.)
(“bus comes back on stage and drops Clemente off but a few years older and he walks inside the house which is at middle center stage. Once inside he picks up the phone to call his grandparents.)
Clemente: (on the phone) hola abuela abuelo
grandparents:hola ¿cómo es everying allí.
Clemente: Bueno voy a high school pronto.
grandparents: Eso es genial, hacen yu quiere decir hola a gonzalo.
Clemente: Por supuesto.
gonzalo: ¿Hola?
Clemente:Hola hermano.
gonzalo: cómos américa gusta?
Clemente: su bueno, me voy a high escuela, fresco, voy a verlos a todos más tarde,
everyone: bye
(The grandparents and Gonzalo are on a speaker in the background)
Clemente: I wonder where mom and everyone is.
(Clemente looks around and walks to left center stage and then back.)
Clemente: Whatever than, I got to get to highschool so i'm not late.
(clemente gets back on the “bus” at right center stage and it drives off stage again. It comes back a few seconds later with Clemente in graduation cloths to represent it being after he graduates.)
(Mom and sisters run out of the house to congratulate Clemente)
Clemente: I'm glad I came to California, thanks for letting me come mom.
Mom: anytime, but I wonder how Gonzalo is doing.
Clemente: He's probably fine but I wish he could have come all those years ago.
( everyone hugs congratulating Clemente again)
The end of option 1:
Act 1 Scene 7
Option 2
(Clemente decided to go back to Mexico)
(along the way, a cops found him walking to the border and asked him for an ID that showed he was allowed to be in america.)
Cop: Hay, yea you. ( Walked towards Clemente from upstage right towards Clemente at Centerstage.)
Clemente: Hey, um i'm kinda in a rush so i'm gonna go ok?
Cop: Yea of corse but first I need to see an ID.
Clemente: I'm sorry I don’t have an ID, I snuck across the border a few weeks ago and was just leaving, so if I could go on my way that would be great.
Cop: If you don’t have an ID you need to come with me. (Cop takes Clemente to the border*A line from center stage right to downstage right.*)
(Clemente walked from the border on his way miles mack home. About half way he tripped and was stung by a scorpion.)
Clemente: (Screamed in agony and clutched his leg where he was stung, he crawled towards a nearby tree at lower left stage and leaned against it.)
Clemente: I need to get to a hospital…(Tries to stand but collapses shouting from the pain.)
(Clemente fell asleep and when morning came pain shot up from both his legs up to his waist and could hardly move. He was hungry and thirsty and panicked once the sun came out.)
(A few hours later the poison from the scorpion had reached his arms and the sun came out to what felt like 115 degrees.)
(Dehydrated, hungry, and severely poisoned, Clemente slowly died.)
The End