Crazy Life of Cuy

Cuy the Guinea Pig is a trickster who uses various tactics to escape the hungry fox. This play is based on a folktale from the Andes Mountains and was created by Sara Feinberg and her 5th grade students for National Hispanic Heritage Month. Most of her students are from Ecuador, so they loved creating a play based on a story from their part of the world. This play weaves in a few words in Spanish.

About the Playwright…

Sara Feinberg has taught theatre for more than 20 years, both in schools and in local and nationally known theatres, such as The Children’s Theatre in Minneapolis. She has written countless plays for hundreds of groups of children and teens over her tenure as a teaching artist and has designed, produced, and directed productions for students from preschool to adults. Sara graduated from Ithaca College with a major in music (voice) and a minor in theatre and has a master’s in teaching from Hamline University. Currently, Sara works full-time as a theatre teacher to students in grades K-8.

Excerpt from the play:

CHARACTERS:
CUY, the guinea pig
FOX
FARMER
DOLL (non-speaking role)
NARRATOR 1
NARRATOR 2

Casting is flexible. You can use just one narrator, add more narrators, and even have more than one Cuy and Fox. Another option is for the narrators to also play Cuy and the Fox. All characters can be played by any gender and you can modify pronouns as needed.

SETTING: The Andes Mountains

Scene 1:

(Cuy and the Narrators enter. One option is to have actors become the rock that Cuy is holding up.)

Narrator 1: Once, there was a guinea pig named Cuy who lived in the Andes mountains. Oh no! Wait! What is happening? The fox is trying to eat Cuy!

Fox: I’m going to eat you!

Cuy: Ay, no! The Fox is going to eat me! But I have a plan.

Narrator 2: That guinea pig has an idea! He can tell The Fox that the sky is falling.

Cuy: I’ll hold this rock up high, and The Fox will think the sky is falling.

Fox: What are you doing?

Cuy: The sky is falling! Can you hold this rock for me?

Fox: Okay, Cuy. I’ve got it. You can go away for a moment.

Cuy: Great! I’ll be back in a jiffy.

Narrators 1 & 2: Three hours later…

Fox: It’s so hot. Hopefully, he comes back just as he promised.

Narrator 1: But Cuy never promised…

Fox: I’m gonna put down the rock for a little bit…

(Fox steps away, but the rock stays up.)

Fox: That pesky Cuy was lying! The sky isn’t falling! I will get him.

(All exit.)

Scene 2:

(Narrators, Fox and Cuy enter. Consider having actors become the cave if you want.)

Narrators 1 & 2: The next day…

Narrator 1: The Fox ran into Cuy. But Cuy was prepared.

Fox: I finally found you! You’re gonna be my dinner!

Cuy: Oh no! Not again!

Narrator 2: This time, Cuy tells The Fox the world is ending.

Cuy: The world is ending! It’s going to rain fire and lightning!

Fox: Thanks for telling me! I think I should go inside this cave.

Cuy: When the world ends, remember I was your last friend.

Fox: I will see you on the other side, my friend.

Narrator 1: Once The Fox is inside, Cuy puts rocks over the mouth of the cave.

Cuy: I’m going to get a snack while he’s in there.

Narrator 1 & 2: 24 hours later…

Fox: I’ve been waiting for so long. I think I’ll kick these rocks out and see what the world looks like.

Narrator 2: The Fox kicks down the rocks.

Fox: That little guinea pig tricked me again! I’m going to eat him if it’s the last thing I do!

(All exit.)