Even in the United States, the melting pot of the world, most Americans have little understanding of the heartaches, frustrations, hopes, and fears of newcomers until they "melt" into the likeness of the old timers. Perhaps this play will help unify our nation at a critical time in history by making us more aware, therefore more compassionate, toward those in the melting process.

Dr. Quintero is a highly skilled psychiatrist. But as a refugee from Cuba, he and his family find life in United States difficult. Arriving in Miami, he discovers that it will take years before he can practice his profession as he had hoped and expected. He learns that it may be easier in Idaho, so—as the play opens—we find the Quintero family entering their new home, a farmhouse on the outskirts of Blackfoot. The Quintero daughters find life in Blackfoot High School...well...different. American and Cuban social customs are far from similar. Caschita is a beautiful and talented senior; Rosa is a fun-loving, outgoing sophomore. The friends—and enemies—they make help develop a suspenseful, lively plot, with some laughs and some tears. The climax of the play is the Miss Blackfoot Pageant, giving your students an opportunity to display their solo talents.

Each director is expected to revise the dialogue to fit his/her own performers. To reduce the length of the show, some of the talent may be omitted or, if necessary, the entire talent contest may be omitted, with the MC giving each girl her discussion question as the last feature of the pageant. The main setting for this 2-act play is the simple, sparsely furnished living room of the Quinteros' new home. Two scenes are played in a school corridor; these scenes may be set on the stage apron or in a small area of the stage. The Miss Blackfoot Pageant may be played on the apron.

See also: Plays About Family Relationships