Vicksburg Theatre Guild "Gold In The Hills"

Produced by Mr. Michael Calnan & Dr. Walter Johnston
and with the following distinguished

CAST
for the Spring 2008 Run (in the order in which they appear)

Madame Pizzicato........................................................... Ruth Osburn, Julia D. Blake

Singing Waiters............................................................... Jack Burns, Steven Channell, Ian Derrick, Jeff Hensley, Stephen Hensley, Eric Hesselberg, Jason McKellar, Chance Ragsdale, Ryan Van Den Akker

Lizzie Jones, a housekeeper........................................... Beth Martin, Jennifer Stringer

Barbara Stanley, Nell's younger sister.......................... Cicily Chiarito, Jai Dobson, Jasmine Jackson

Hiram Stanley, an honest farmer................................... Sam Heltzel, Jeff Hensley, Colin McAneny

Nell Stanley, his daughter.............................................. Julia D. Blake, Ashleigh Ford

John Dalton, a son of the soil......................................... Zach Booth, Donald Duffie

Richard Murgatroyd, from the city................................ William Mathews, Richard Van Den Akker

Sam Slade, his shadow................................................... Akia Chabot, Jason Fairchild, Paul Worthington, Jr.

Jenkins, a constable....................................................... Roy Bailey, Cody McKeller

A Derelict........................................................................ Jack Burns, Will Halpin

Big Mike Slattery, a dancehall proprietor.................... Jack Burns, Walter Johnston, Mark Jourdan

Paper Boy........................................................................ Noah Van Den Akker, Tessa Scandizzo

Pete the Rat.................................................................... Steven Channell, Stephen Hensley, Jason Johnston, Jason McKellar, Chance Ragsdale

Old Kate.......................................................................... Cheri Williams

Slick Steve...................................................................... Steven Channell, Ian Derrick, Stephen Hensley, Jason McKellar, Chance Ragsdale, Ryan Van Den Akker

Little Tammy or Tommy................................................. Lindsey Bailey, Anna-Claire McKellar, Sara-Beth McKellar

Mamie, Queen of the Bowery........................................ Glenda Arredondo, Marie Cunningham, Andrea Fairchild

Chuck Connors, a Bowery guide.................................... Jack Burns, Ian Derrick, Cody McKeller, Jason McKellar, Marvin Meyer

Reginald Vanderlop, an uptown swell........................... John Hesselberg

Mrs. Vanderlop............................................................... Karen Calnan

Edith Vanderlop.............................................................. Jasmine Jackson, Allie Johnson, Julia Lee, Tessa Scandizzo

James H. Glue, a sightseer............................................. Roy Bailey, Cody McKeller

Rose Robinson, a favorite songstress............................ Amy Cunningham, Andrea Fairchild

Happy, the singing waiter.............................................. Paul Ballard, Eric Hesselberg

Can-Can Dancers........................................................... Cathy Blanche, Margie Blanche, Cicily Chiarito, Jai Dobson, Kristin Faubus, Natalie Henry, Allie Johnson, Jana McAlpin, Lauren Proctor, Tessa Scandizzo, Blair Webb

Olio Singer...................................................................... Glenda Arredondo, Paul Ballard, Andrea Fairchild, Eric Hesselberg

STAFF

Director........................................................................... Jason Fairchild

Assistant Directors......................................................... Terri Booth, Richard Van Den Akker

Casting Director.............................................................. Jodie Johnson

Music Director................................................................ Jason Fairchild

Dance Director................................................................ Cathy Blanche

Stage Managers............................................................. Amy Cunningham, Allie Johnson, Walter Johnston, Cody McKellar

Lights............................................................................... Mike Calnan, Jeff Hensley, Ashley Johnson

Tech................................................................................. Allie Johnson, Ashley Johnson, JJ McKellar

Box Office....................................................................... Jodie Johnson

PROGRAMME

PIANO OVERTURE...................................................... MADAME PIZZICATO

SING-ALONG................................................................ AUDIENCE AND SINGING WAITERS

A Prologue, in the Wycherley-Congreve style, written by the Play's Author, and spoken by:
Mr. Max Ford, MR. COLIN MCANENY, OR MR. JASON MCKELLAR

THE OLD HOMESTEAD; JUNE. The happy home. A murder. Nellie the farmer's daughter. John Dalton makes a sacrifice. Moonlight and a locket. The serpent comes into the Garden of Eden. "Beneath this flannel shirt there beats an honest heart." Sam Slade the shadow. "Gold in the Hills." "I fear neither man nor devil, save only one." The plot thickens. "Officer, do your duty!" A base deceiver. Nellie's temptation. "You are no longer daughter of mine!" A fate worse than death. John Dalton confronts Richard Murgatroyd. "She will be in my power!" A blow for defenseless womanhood.

BIG MIKE'S BEER GARDEN AND DANCE HALL ON THE BOWERY; OCTOBER. The fugitive finds honest employment. A pistol concealed. Word comes of the sleuth. "There's dirty work afoot!" An innocent child in the toils. "Who is it he reminds me of?" Nellie seeks news. A ruse to avoid recognition. "Once that poor outcast had a home." A familiar voice. In the villain's clutches.' "Will no one save me?" John Dalton to the rescue. "Stand back! I am a desperate man!" The escape.

AN OLIO between acts II & III will introduce "Ol� Man River" or "Can�t Help Lovin� Dat Man," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and "Dixie's Land."

THE OLD HOMESTEAD AGAIN; THE FOLLOWING CHRISTMAS EVE. The vacant chair. A face at the window. "I cannot sing the old songs." A lamp to light the wanderer home. "I have the papers!" Out into the bitter storm. A hunted man. "And I am powerless to aid them." The erring girl's return. The villain still pursues her. A stratagem with Slade. John Dalton's arrival. "Tell me, or I will strangle it out of you!" The loss discovered. Charge and counter-charge. The Dead Sister's Secret. "Curses on you all!" Denouement.

GOLD IN THE HILLS
Produced by Special Arrangement with BAKER�S PLAYS of Boston, Mass.

OL' MAN RIVER and CAN�T HELP LOVIN� DAT MAN
Words and Music by JEROME KERN, OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
All rights owned or administered by ASCAP

The Dragons of Spring, presented as part of Fairy Tale Theatre 2007, was written by Vicksburg resident and Gold in the Hills actor Richard Van Den Akker. Marie Cunningham was the Director.
	Snew White was presented as part of Fairy Tale Theatre 2006 with permission of Pioneer Drama Service. Emily Jackson was the Student Director.
Aladdin and The Wonderful Lamp was presented for Fairytale 2005 via special arrangement with Baker's Plays. Emilee Booth directed the performance.
	Stone Soup was presented for Fairytale 2004 via special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service. Jo Beth Britt directed the performance.
The Wizard of Oz in the Wild West was presented for Fairytale 2003 via special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service. Jo Beth Britt directed the performance.
	The Frog Princess was presented for Fairytale 2002 via special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service. Beth Martin directed the performance.
**Jungle Book was presented for Fairytale 2001 via special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service. Meggie Welch directed the performance.**
	Special Thanks to Harold Ober Associates for letting us adapt and perform Letitia Rabbits String Song by Russell Hoban, dramatized by Julia Dionne for Fairytale 00 with original music by Julia Dionne.
*Special Thanks to Dramatic Publishing of Woodstock, Illinois for letting us perform Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* based on the book by Roald Dahl, dramatized by Richard George for Fairytale 99.**
	A note from Barry: Fairytale 98 was the fulfillment of a long-time wish of Earlene's and mine as we obtained permission of Jill Murphy [A.P. Watt, London--thanks Ali] to adapt and perform Jill's book The Worst Witch. The children also did a production number (choreographed by Earlene) to Charles Strouse's "Growing Up Isn't Easy", used by special permission of Charles Strouse (the world's most talented composer) [Helene Blue, NY--thanks Bert]. Thanks again for the permissions; we and the children thoroughly enjoyed bringing our adoption of the drama and Mike and Clarissa Davis' 7 voice arrangement of Charles Strouse and Don Black's music to the amateur stage and total delight of the audience. Thanks to the cast and techies that worked so hard making the play real. I love you all, thanks for making a dream a reality, may God bless you, Barry.

Cheer the Hero and Heroine. Boo the Villain. Sing the Old Songs.

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GOLD IN THE HILLS
or, THE DEAD SISTER'S SECRET,
Melodrama
By J. Frank Davis 1870-1942 (written 1930)

Vicksburg Theatre Guild of Vicksburg, MS

We are 73 years old. On March 28, 1936,
Gold in the Hills opened on an Army Corps of Engineers
barge converted to look like a riverboat. Come see
what has kept audiences entertained all these years.

Poster for 2008 (65 kb Adobe Reader file)