Chaos at the CanneryWritten and DIrected by Gary McCarver
It’s again time to "cheer" for Heros and "boo" the Villains while
hurling foam rocks in our annual family friendly old west Melodrama. The
most fun that you can have in a theatre!
Melodramas sound like fun ... what is this year's musical play all about?
Chaos at the Cannery is the story of a new sheriff, a loyal family and a rowdy town. We mixed in an ample amount of mayhem, murder and mystery with a dash of schemers, scalawags and scoundrels, one hero, two generations of heroines, a stolen badge and a whole slew of toe tapping authentic old time music. The Melodrama opens on a train heading to the small western town of San Juan Capistrano back before the turn of the century … no not this one … the last century. That’s right … the year was 1881 and California was still one of the last great frontiers. The the flag had only 38 stars on it and the one big employer in San Juan was the Belford and Company Cannery, purveyors of dried fruits, olives and of course their very popular fig marmalade all marketed under the label of “San Juan’s Best”.
Making Melodramas at the Camino Real
Playhouse
Some of the characteristics of authentic melodrama include: That villainy is always distinct from honesty; virtue always overcomes vice, and there is a happy ending. There is always a hero, always a villain and always a heroine. They are typically fast moving and emphasize the agony that the hero or heroine must go through before good over can triumph over evil. Other stereotypical characters include a sheriff, the ‘fallen’ woman, and comical friends who face almost insurmountable odds shared with the hero or the heroine. Melodramas are characterized by acting which incorporates large gestures and lavish facial expressions which denote specific characteristics and emotions. Sometimes almost slap-stick comedy in nature. In the Old West ... this acting style was necessary so that the people sitting way up the back of theatres could understand the action ... today we still keep acting that way just because it's more fun that way!
Plays chosen are re-set in our town of San Juan Capistrano in the late 1800s
and include improvisational pokes and jabs (all in jest) at our friends in the
local community. Whether you're the mayor or just a proprietor of our local
saloon ... don't be surprised if your name comes up mentioned as a "Shameless
Plug" in oone of our melodramas. And if you heckle the
actors ... be prepared for a
scathing rebuttal.
The
"melo" in our melo-dramas comes from the melody used to highlight and underscore
our productions. From "honky-tonk" or "rag time" pianos to authentic cowboy
guitar music, we bring live music of some sort right on stage and we stay true
to old western style melodrama with live sound effects provided for each
rip-roaring performance.
The
virtuous hero or vivacious heroine is hounded by a villain and then rescued from
a series of life threatening events over and over as our episodic story unfolds.
Plot devices like disguise, abduction, concealed identity and fortunate
coincidence are often used just to keep the audience guessing what will come
next. Characters such as friends of the hero or heroine provide comic relief
and, of course, help out with the singing and dancing.
Each scene typically ends with a climax and often the villain looks like he will
succeed in his nefarious plot. Look for plenty of fist fights and shoot 'em-ups
in our annual thrilling tales of passion and greed. Boo the villain and cheer
the hero. You are even encouraged to grab a foam "rock" or two that we have
scattered around the audience and hurl, toss or lob them at the villain as he
displays his larceny on stage. Please avoid lobbing the foam "rocks" at our
beautiful heroine or our stalwart hero and only throw the foam "rocks" we
provide ... real rocks tossed on stage tend to keep actors from
returning for their next performance.
For more information about Melodramas ... be sure to visit www.HeroAndVillain.com the new home for Great American Melodrama.
