Wednesday, April 15, 2009 9:20 PM CDT
MHS Drama Club presents 'Calamity Jane' musical
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — The HBO show “Deadwood” offered a grim look at the life of folks in the South Dakota frontier town of the same name, including Martha “Calamity” Jane Cannary-Burke — the one-time companion of “Wild Bill” Hickok (who, incidentally, was shot and killed in Deadwood).
While the Mattoon High School Drama Club production of “Calamity Jane” features the same boyish protagonist, it is a far cry from the gritty HBO drama.
“I like (the play) because it’s lighthearted and it’s fun,” said director Rebecca Nevius.
“Calamity Jane,” adapted by Charles K. Freeman, opens tonight and runs through Saturday at the MHS gymnasium. The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. for each show, and tickets cost $5 at the door.
Also set in Deadwood, the musical tells the story of Calamity Jane, who dressed, acted and rode horses like a man, but also was recognized for her skill with a gun and her notoriously tall tales.
In the play, Jane seeks to save the local hotel and theatre from local men after promising them the beautiful Adelaide Adams, a famous Chicago actress. But things rarely go smoothly for Calamity, and the feisty woman experiences shame, anger, jealousy and heartbreak.
But she also finds friendship and (spoiler alert) true love.
Prior to selecting a musical for this spring, Nevius said the school librarian gave her a copy of the “Calamity Jane” video.
“I really liked it, and we have the people to do it this year,” she said.
In addition to having the right number of male and female roles for this year’s crew of actors, “Calamity Jane” also seemed to be a good fit for a drama program that has presented a wide variety of musicals, from “The Wizard of Oz” to “High School Musical,” said Nevius.
Kathy Clausing, a senior who plays in the title role, said, “I love how many fun songs there are. And we’ve never had choreography this intense.”
Senior Emery Craw, who portrays another principal character, Katie Brown, said the musical “is really catchy. It moves along pretty quickly, and it’s really fun.”
Other cast members said they appreciated the camaraderie. “Once again we have the cast together,” said Samy Saunders, a junior who plays the role of Susan. “We like to hang out. It’s like one big party for us.”
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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