Buried Treasure at Old Fort Snelling

by Jenna Zark
with music by Gary Rue

Follow the story of Barbara Ann Shadecker, a 13-year-old refugee from the Canadian Red River colony fleeing the starvation and turmoil that befell her family when they journeyed from Switzerland to the New World. Ann, as she prefers to be called, becomes governess to the colonel’s children at the army post, called Fort Snelling, in 1823. She dreams of going back home, where she lived in wealth and leisure. After hearing a rumor of buried treasure on the grounds of Fort Snelling, Ann decides to look for it according to the clues she picks up from listening to the children. As the adventure unfolds, Ann finds something better than treasure—the warmth of friendship and the beginning of a new home and life.

Regular price $12.00

Quick Details

  • Type: Musical
  • Estimated Run Time: 60 minutes
  • Availability: Available for productions worldwide
  • Cast Size: 12 characters
Music Preview

Full Details

Roles:

  • Barbara Ann Schdecker: a 13 year old Swiss refugee from the Red River colony
  • John Shadecker: Ann's young brother, 10 years old
  • John Tully: 8 year old Red River refugee
  • Mary Snelling: 10 year old daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Snelling
  • William Joe Snelling: 19 year old son of Colonel Snelling
  • Henry Snelling: 8 year old son of Colonel Snelling
  • Caroline Hamilton: 15 year old daughter of Major Hamilton, 5th infantry
  • Eleanor: 12 year old daughter of the cook at Fort Snelling
  • Ruth: 13 year old daughter of the laundress at Fort Snelling
  • India: 14 year old who works for Lawrence Talliaferro and was brought from Virginia
  • Elizia: 12 year old who works for Lawurence Talliaferro and was brought from St. Louis
  • Colette: 14 year old Red River refugee and Barbara Ann's friend.

The following resources are included in each performance license:
  • Permission to photocopy the PDF script/score for your production so there is no additional cost for these assets.
  • Vocal demo tracks for rehearsal

The following resources may be added to you license for an additional fee:
  • Professionally recorded performance tracks for backtracking, underscoring, and sound effects.
  • Logo/Media package

Jenna Zark

Jenna is an award-winning author and playwright. Her columns for TC Jewfolk were the basis for Her book Crooked Lines and frequently went viral at sites around the country. She is also the author of three middle-grade books: The Beat on Ruby’s Street, Fool's Errand and North Beat Christmas, released by Dragon Moon PressAll books achieved top-50 ranking in select Amazon categories. The Beat on Ruby’s Street won first prize from Wishing Shelf awards in the UK and was a finalist for the Minnesota Author’s Project.

Her play A Body of Water was published by Dramatists Play Service, produced at Circle Repertory Company in New York and chosen by the National Foundation for Jewish Culture as a play that "breaks new ground." She is also a lyricist and is still trying to figure out if it’s easier to write a play, book or a song.

Gary Rue

A performer and composer, Gary Rue has been playing music for audiences throughout the western hemisphere since the mid-’60s, beginning with various town halls in the upper Midwest and graduating to East Coast “tent” tours that included the Big Apple (Carnegie Hall as music director and duet partner for Gene Pitney) and on to far-flung points in Canada and the Caribbean. Early along the way, Rue began writing music of his own and was rewarded with some of his songs being recorded by (among others) Nick Lowe and Helen Reddy, as well as many prominent regional artists. He is the author of nearly 80 scores for music theatre, including The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales, which toured the U.S. and China with Dallas Children’s Theater. Rue is also a 2010 Minnesota Music Hall of Fame inductee and an active touring musician and educator.

Originally produced by Steppingstone Theatre