Back to History Page Back to Main Page     Mahoney State Park 1996

May 23, 1996, was the starting date for the fourth Mahoney State Park melodrama season. Additionally, after discussion with manager Bruce Eveland, the second Fremont Dinner Train melodrama season was also introduced. There was one significant schedule change for the summer season. One of the two Sunday matinee performances was dropped, as past attendance had not been sufficient to warrant both. A time of 3:00 was set to give patrons ample time to take advantage of the dinner/show combination offered during the fall season. The train show season was extended to ten performances during the summer. Our casting of three male and three female actors at the park was continued and three female and two male actors were cast for the train show, as it appeared that five actors would make a nice show without making it too crowded for the compact environment of a railroad dining car. Some personnel changes were made to both the cast and staff. As in past seasons, some of the cast graduated and moved out of the area. The plays selected for production at Mahoney were "Rustlers of Red Rock" by D. Chapelle, "The Fat's in the Fire" by local writer Peg Sheldrick and "The Villain's Secret" by Producer John Burkhart. The play chosen for the dinner train was the popular "Goodbody's Gold" by D. Chapelle, who agreed to re-write the play for five actors instead of the original seven. Shannon Marple-Hespe agreed to accept the position of director for the train show. There was also a short fall season planned, but instead of running the train show, it was decided to go with a fifth play "The Phantom of Darkgrove" written and directed by Mr. Chapelle. A local theatre group had contracted with Nebraska Game & Parks to run a play for four weeks after the fall melodrama season was over, but had to cancel due to inability to cast the play. As a result, the fall melodrama ran a total of nine weeks. Cast member Greg Tellason had to leave for one weekend to attend his brother's wedding during the summer season so Steve Nolan and D. Chapelle stood in for him. Both did an excellent job.

  The Production Staff for the 1996 season Producer/Director ......John Burkhart
Music Director ..........Linda Laessle
Costumes .........Donna Himmelberger
Set Design ............. Kevin Colbert
Makeup Design ... ....William M. Cover II
Technical Director.........Tom Curtright
Set Construction ..Mark Matulka, Nick Robinson, Bill Kiesling

 

The Cast of "Rustlers of Red Rock" Quiet Harry...................Brad Boesen
Lily White....................Laura Holman
Shame Bushwacker.......William M. Cover II
Blossom White.................Sara Bucy
Steve Dashing...........Gregory Tellason
Scarlett Vixen...............Lisa Mercer

 

The cast of "The Fat's in the Fire" Frida Cutlett............Lisa Mercer
Chops Porknoy......Gregory Tellason
Agatha Crispie...............Sara Bucy
Pinkney Suede..............Brad Boesen
Lord Lovell "Lovie" Bacon...William M. Cover II
Hope Chicago..............Laura Holman

 

The cast of "The Villain's Secret" Loretta Lovestruck......Laura Holman
Laura Lovestruck...........Lisa Mercer
Sylvester Stoneheart....Brad Boesen
Vanya Vandalgrabber.......Sara Bucy
Rex Robust.........William M. Cover II
Percy Pencilpoint...Gregory Tellason

 

The Fall Melodrama "The Phantom of Darkgrove" Cast Tillie Webshuttle,Ernestine,May....Holly Vierk
The Phantom,Dexter Darkgrove..,,,Toby Crawford
Dottie Darkgrove..................Heidi Nolan
Aykroyd Darkgrove,Evil Genius....D. Chapelle

Staff Producer ...................John Burkhart
Director......................D. Chapelle
Costume Design.........Donna Himmelberger
Music Director..............Linda Laessle
Lighting Design .............Tom Curtright
Set Design....................Kevin Colbert
Set Construction..Mark Matulka, Steve Coffey, Bill Kiesling

The cast of "Rustlers of Red Rock" Left to right: Quiet Harry (Brad Boesen),
Lily White (Laura Holman), Scarlett Vixen (Lisa Mercer), Steve Dashing (Gregory Tellason),
Shame Bushwacker (William M. Cover II), and Blossom White (Sara Bucy).   In "The Fats in the Fire" Lord Lovell Bacon (William M. Cover II)
reacts to a potion served to him by lovely vamp Hope Chicago
(Laura Holman) while closely observed by cleverly disguised detective
Agatha Crispie (Sara Bucy).   Accountant Percy Pencilpoint (Gregory Tellason) and hero Rex Robust
(William M. Cover II), are as shocked as heroines Laura and Loretta Lovestruck
(Lisa Mercer and Laura Holman) as mysterious stranger Vanya Vandalgrabber
(Sara Bucy) is molested by villain Sylvester Stoneheart (Brad Boesen)   The Fall Melodrama " The Phantom of Darkgrove" Heroine Tillie Webshuttle (Holly Vierk) gives thought to an age-old question.
Is the masked person next to her (Phantom Toby Crawford) good or evil?