By Andrew Pulau Evans aka the Pickleball Librarian
The Drunkard? Yeah, it’s a little dated. Making fun of folks with alcohol dependency issues is wrong! So please, keep in mind this was written during a different time period. The good news is I’m giving you permission to boo loudly when a sexist joke is made!
You are getting a little taste of history and other libations. The Phillip Ballard VFW Post #1640 where shows are held have drinks for sale!
The Drunkard is the longest-running play in Topeka Theatre History. Dale Easton took two serious 19th Century plays about the dangers of alcohols and created a play that makes fun of the 19th Century Temperance Movement. He premiered the play in 1960.
In my opinion, two of the best actors in Topeka’s theatre history are Dané Shobe and Phil Grecian. They are Topeka treasures! Both have a long history with this play. Phil is back and funnier than hell as the Drunkard! Dané isn’t reprising his role as the villain, but John Hanna
Let me share more about what a melodrama is. It’s a fun interactive play! Audience participation is a necessity. You get to boo, hiss, and cheer! It harkens back to the days of vaudeville. This goes beyond Tom Selleck breaking the fourth wall on the television because occasionally the actors will respond to the audience’s heckling and help.
My family used to attend the melodrama in Cripple Creek, Colorado, where legendary ragtime piano player directed the music for the melodrama at the Imperial Hotel. This was before legalized gambling revitalized the economy of Colorado’s historic mountain mining town while at the same time forgetting some of their cultural and historical significance.
Obviously I have childhood memories of attending the Cripple Creek melodrama. You will have happy memories of attending Topeka’s special melodrama. After all these years, I still remember the piano player.
Speaking of piano players, they are the musical directors of the melodrama. They have to carefully watch and listen to the actors, as they incorporate the music in live time! Soon to be Washburn University music senior Weslie Evans, who has been playing piano since the young age of six, did an excellent job! Small confession, we’re related. Proud dad!
If you never experienced this piece of Topeka history, check it out! You will laugh so much that it feels like you fell off a bench. The lines will crack you up. The physical comedy is fun. Despite being first presented back in 1960, some updates were made. Pro tip: Viagra wasn’t around then. See if you can pick out others. Also as a bonus, a handful of funny skits follow the play. Is that a banana or are you happy to see me?
Showtimes are Friday and Saturday nights on June 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28 at 7pm. An option for a Mexican buffet dinner starts at 5:30pm. Save me a chicken taco!
