Curses, foiled again!
This is no melodrama!
Genre: Musical/Comedy
Cast: 10-12 Actors
4 Female
5 Male
2 Either
Set: The stage of the Curses, Foiled Again
Theater
Approximate Running Time: 110 Minutes
Publisher: Not yet published
Music by Derek Myler. This play had a
reading in NYC at The Drama Book Shop in
June 2011.
This is NOT a melodrama!
Synopsis: It’s 1905, the turn of the century and the country is booming with new inventions: The horseless carriage, flight, Coca-Cola, and of course, the moving pictures. In Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, The Curses Foiled Again Theater has been a thriving business for over 40 years, performing melodrama plays to enthused audiences every night. Then, as fate would have it, the moving pictures come to town, right next door, in the form of The Lightning Bug Nickelodeon and steal the theater’s audience. Anna, the owner of the theater can’t believe she is being put out of business by a “colorless illusion,” so she decides to win her patrons back by becoming more like the “movies.” They perform their play in black & white, and mouth the words while flashing subtitle cards. But this only drives the audience further away. Meanwhile, the owner of the nickelodeon, Nick Lightning, who has always wanted to be a stage-actor, has fallen in love with Anna. But because his business is destroying hers, he has become Anna’s number one enemy. So he disguises himself as the world famous foreign actor, Frank Frodenhiemer, and joins the melodrama troupe. As Anna’s hate for Nick grows she falls in love with Frank, not knowing they are one and the same. Things get really complicated as Nick must wear two different costumes during their revised melodrama on top of his Frank disguise. When the all the costume changes go awry, Nick is finally exposed, and so is the real reason for the demise of melodrama.
Cast: 10-12 Actors
4 Female
5 Male
2 Either
Set: The stage of the Curses, Foiled Again
Theater
Approximate Running Time: 110 Minutes
Publisher: Not yet published
Music by Derek Myler. This play had a
reading in NYC at The Drama Book Shop in
June 2011.
This is NOT a melodrama!
Synopsis: It’s 1905, the turn of the century and the country is booming with new inventions: The horseless carriage, flight, Coca-Cola, and of course, the moving pictures. In Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, The Curses Foiled Again Theater has been a thriving business for over 40 years, performing melodrama plays to enthused audiences every night. Then, as fate would have it, the moving pictures come to town, right next door, in the form of The Lightning Bug Nickelodeon and steal the theater’s audience. Anna, the owner of the theater can’t believe she is being put out of business by a “colorless illusion,” so she decides to win her patrons back by becoming more like the “movies.” They perform their play in black & white, and mouth the words while flashing subtitle cards. But this only drives the audience further away. Meanwhile, the owner of the nickelodeon, Nick Lightning, who has always wanted to be a stage-actor, has fallen in love with Anna. But because his business is destroying hers, he has become Anna’s number one enemy. So he disguises himself as the world famous foreign actor, Frank Frodenhiemer, and joins the melodrama troupe. As Anna’s hate for Nick grows she falls in love with Frank, not knowing they are one and the same. Things get really complicated as Nick must wear two different costumes during their revised melodrama on top of his Frank disguise. When the all the costume changes go awry, Nick is finally exposed, and so is the real reason for the demise of melodrama.
Original Cast
ANNA HALE (F) - Dawn Allen
Owner of The Curses, Foiled Again Theater. Plays a cactus in the melodrama.
NICK LIGHTNING (M) - Trenton Fordham
Owner of the Nickelodeon. Later disguises himself as world famous stage actor, Frawnk Frodenheimer.
EDWARD (M) - Allen Smith
Not so smart. Also plays Dastardly Dan, the villian.
ETHEL (F) - Candy Wilder Thedell
Sarcastic. Also plays Sweet Suzanna, the damsel in distress.
FLORENCE (F) - Kati Klitgaard
Has a posture problem and a raspy, unattractive voice except when she plays Luscious
Lucinda, the sexy saloon girl.
HARRY (M) - Alex Thedell
Timid, nerdy, and clumsy. Also plays Dudley Do-Gooder, the hero.
JAMES (M) - Blake Bolton
Proper English gentleman. Also plays Eugene the Engineer.
NELLIE (F) - Jamila Holt
The stage manager. Has a stuttering problem and can only communicate through song.
PIANO PLAYER (M/F) Derek Myler
A real pianist and a member of the troupe. Name is CHARLES or IDA.
JOHN HALE (M) - Ammon Stevenson
LANDLORD (M/F)
AUDIENCE MEMBER (M/F)
These parts could be played by one, two or three actors.
ANNA HALE (F) - Dawn Allen
Owner of The Curses, Foiled Again Theater. Plays a cactus in the melodrama.
NICK LIGHTNING (M) - Trenton Fordham
Owner of the Nickelodeon. Later disguises himself as world famous stage actor, Frawnk Frodenheimer.
EDWARD (M) - Allen Smith
Not so smart. Also plays Dastardly Dan, the villian.
ETHEL (F) - Candy Wilder Thedell
Sarcastic. Also plays Sweet Suzanna, the damsel in distress.
FLORENCE (F) - Kati Klitgaard
Has a posture problem and a raspy, unattractive voice except when she plays Luscious
Lucinda, the sexy saloon girl.
HARRY (M) - Alex Thedell
Timid, nerdy, and clumsy. Also plays Dudley Do-Gooder, the hero.
JAMES (M) - Blake Bolton
Proper English gentleman. Also plays Eugene the Engineer.
NELLIE (F) - Jamila Holt
The stage manager. Has a stuttering problem and can only communicate through song.
PIANO PLAYER (M/F) Derek Myler
A real pianist and a member of the troupe. Name is CHARLES or IDA.
JOHN HALE (M) - Ammon Stevenson
LANDLORD (M/F)
AUDIENCE MEMBER (M/F)
These parts could be played by one, two or three actors.
