The Girl Scouts’ Good Deed

by Edith Lavell

Genre: Comedy
Setting:
Format of Original Source: Short Story
Recommended Adaptation Length: Two Hours

Candidate for Adaptation? Promising

EXCERPT:

Then, that night, like a harsh discord on one instrument breaking the harmony of an orchestra, she heard Ruth’s detestable remark: “Here comes Frieda Hammer–look out for your jewelry!” her whole nature rebelled. Sick at heart, and regretting that she had ever allowed the Scouts to persuade her to leave home, she now wanted, more than anything else, to get away from them. She hated them all, Marjorie included!

COMMENTS:

Chris Smith writes: The Girl Scouts’ Good Turn is a charming, light-hearted look at a year at Miss Allen’s girls’ school – with class elections, holidays, parties, friendships, and rivalries. Written in the 1920’s (when teen girls were named Eshter, Mildred, Doris, Ethel, Frieda, Marjorie, and Ruth – the Ashleys and Brittanys of their day), this novella is part of a series and often refers to past adventures of the Pansy troop, a prestigious Girl Scout troop. The “good turn” in the title refers to the troop sponsoring a horrid, ungrateful country girl to attend the school. It could be adapted as a straightforward family musical period piece, much like Little Women, or a writer could take advantage of the already sarcastic dialogue of some characters and create a campy, over-the-top adaptation – making the silliness into matters of life and death. Plenty of roles for girls, but there are so many characters, it would have to be pruned back quite a bit.

NOTE from Staff: So-o-o wholesome. Can that be parodied, or perhaps it is a strength? There are a series of Girl Scout books by Ms. Lavell. Lots of parts for young women, of course.

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