2014 represented a huge milestone in the writing life of me. The first play I had written in the 21st century called THE PERILS OF FRANCOIS (now titled DEAD TUESDAY) was produced in Nashville, USA (see previous blog post
A DECADE OF FRANCOIS) But what got the ball rolling occurred several months earlier when I was contacted by the best melodrama theater on the West Coast inquiring about the posiible production of one of my scripts that was found online.
That summer on June 19, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville in Oceano, CA presented as their summer attraction SONG OF THE CANYON KID or POEM ON THE RANGE. This wass the first production of this western comedy melodrama since its 1987 world premiere at the legendary Pollardville Palace Showboat Theater in Stockton, which I also directed.
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| GAM cast of SOTCK and moi |
Thirty years later, I was given one of the best gifts of all time by my best friend, Ed Thorpe, who more than generously flew me down for the sole purpose of seeing my creation on the Great American stage and I could not have been more delighted. Their adaptation was wonderful, doing justice to the material and giving life to a show that not seen the light of day in this century. Quite frankly, Lee Anne Mathews' direction ran circles around mine. Her staging of certain scenes, particularly the attempted hypnosis of The Canyon Kid by Nastassia Kinky (Emily Smith) became a delirious, brilliantly staged tango in her hands. Some of the changes that I allowed improved the show, while others did not. (My fight scene kicked major ass. Nyah!) But the cast was top notch all the way. Andy Pollock and Christine Arnold totally embodied The Canyon Kid and Darla Darling. There is an extension to their first scene together that was not in the original 1987 script. I added it later when I published it and has never been performed. I had to wipe a tear from my eye because in their hands, it was pretty damn touching if I do say so myself. But I have to say that the show was sent into the stratosphere by Katie Beck in the role of Charlene Atlas. She totally transformed this character, hysterically stealing each scene to the point that I couldn't wait for her next entrance to see what she do next. I would have to say Katie gave the best interpretation of anything I've ever written and one of the finest comic performance I've ever seen on any stage. Amazing. When the curtain fell on SONG OF THE CANYON KID, I leapt to my feet and gave this fine cast a triumphant standing ovation I believed they deserved. I was probably clapping for myself as well, a true victory lap.
But that wasn't all in the summer of '14. On August 29, the Footlight Theatre Company staged its own version of the same play under its original title (SONG OF THE LONE PRAIRIE) in conjunction with the Hurst Ranch in Jamestown, CA, not far from where it first originated at Pollardville . Bookended productions for that summer season.
From there, The Kid and his horse Thunder have ridden across the country on stages in Texas, Wyoming and Minnesota. It's high time for him to ride again.
But until then, happy anniversary, pard.
Performance rights for SONG OF THE CANYON KID are available for both professional and amateur theater productions including community groups, dinner shows, fundraising events, high school and college drama departments.
Royalties are $40 per performance. Script fees are completely waived so theater groups may copy as many as they require from a PDF after a signed contract.
For more info and to receive a FREE perusal script, contact me at: writtenbysc@gmail.com
