Part II
The Theater of Many Names
This beast was built as the Courthouse Theater with a single show in mind with such groundbreaking features as no fly loft, a solid cement stage, and large pipes at 7' on eather side of the stage. I built a set for this one time that had to fit in front of the hatfield haint set no piece could be larger than 7'x4' to get it onstage!
Show 1 Elvira v. Melvin ie: The Courthouse Show
Staring Dan Embry as Melvin the accused chicken thief
Janna Henlabin as Elvira Manshy happles in love and tact
Wayne Milnus as the Judge who just wants to try out his new "Lightnin' Chair
as well as the bailif, and the colonal (defence attorney) and a lucky audiance member who got to through the swich!
Poor melvin never stood a chance. they throw the back wall open to reveal a Frankinstine wall of dials, jacobs ladders, flash pots etc. His attorney worked out a deal by where he would be spared if he married Elvira, but Melvin decided he'd rather fry. He changes his mind at the last minute, but too late, the swich is thrown. He survives with frized out hair, a fried chicken leg in his pocket which prompts the Colonal to change carers, and is led away by his new wife.
Next the theater changed its name to the Gaslight Theater for a show no one remembers because it never happened, and to this day I don't know why. It was to be called Gaslights and Gingham, a variety show. Instead a show premiered called:
Show II: The Musical Feud
The Hatfield and McCoys battle it out in a tallent contest for a big cash prize! A live band onstage, A singing contest
"Singing, you call that singing'
I've heard a pine knot in a sawmill sound like that
To be fair, I can compare
Its like fingernails on blackboards
or pulling tales on cats"
etc.
Love story subplot between the kids....you know the rest
Next another name change to the Riverfront Playhouse with
Show III: The Hatfield Haint
Jeff Kimes as the Hatfield Kid
Janna Henlabin as MA
A realter tries sells the Hatfields a house right next door to the McCoys! McCoy decides to Haunt the house to scare them of using the previous owners (moomshiners) pre-rigged home.
Durring the fall of this shows second year the Dillards held a test show here each weekend for their Evening show in Echo Hollow the next season. That is the picture in the old brochure on this site.
Show IV :Timothy Turnbuckle came next with an inventer (Dan Embry again) from the 1880's who builds a time mashine, comes to the 1980's, brings back a tourist who falls in love with an 1880's ozark girl and is torn between staying or going.
This is the first more "Broadway" script for SDC.
From there The Howdown with Terry Sanders (a true comic genius, ask him about "the patty films" but don't ever let on how you heard. It'll drive him nuts.
)After that my memory gets fuzzy with a yearly change of musical shows.
An interesting note however; Every show in fine acting tradition signed the walls backstage. And in equily fine tradition M&C painted over all of it!!!!!
