It?s an encore 17 years in the making.
The Allen Summer Youth Theatre program, which has delighted local audiences for the past 20 years, reintroduces one of the series?s most beloved productions, ?Wildcat Katie Brown, or ? Oil?s Well That Ends Well.?
As its name suggests, ?Wildcat? is a melodrama, replete with colorful characters, fiendish villains and kind-hearted heroes. Last brought to the Allen stage in 2002, this year?s iteration once again shines a well-deserved spotlight on local theatrical talent.
River Hess, left, and Rachel Shaffer in another scene.
The Billy St. John-penned play tells the story of Katie Brown, daughter of the hard-luck loser Jeremiah ?Pa? Brown. Pa and Katie have been searching, fruitlessly, for oil they hope is bubbling just below their land?s surface.
Problem is, Pa?s bad luck extends beyond oil prospecting. He?s also not much good at playing poker.
That?s where the fiendish Thomas T. Tremaine comes in. As a local lawyer, Tremaine, too, has his sights set on the Brown land, and its still-undiscovered black gold.
And, as villains are wont to do, Tremaine will stop at nothing to get his hands on the Brown property.
Set in 1907 Gunslinger Gulch ? townsfolk are unaware the area soon will become part of the newest state in the Union, Oklahoma ? Tremaine knows just how much having that oil-rich property would mean.
Will Tremaine get away with it? Can Katie save the day?
Find out tonight at 7:30 at the Allen Community College Theatre. Admission is free of charge.
obby Lewis, from left, Isabella Duke and Kaitlyn Hanks rehearse a scene from ?Wildcat Katie Brown.?
AS THE eponymous Katie Brown, Marmaton Valley HIgh School product Rachel Shaffer is a delight. She?s quick with a quip and smart as a whip. But is she quick enough to save her father from Tremaine?s evil clenches?
Meanwhile, feel free to boo and hiss the evil Tremaine ? portrayed superbly by Maxwell Kays ? every step of the way, as he puts his diabolical schemes in motion.
The ensemble cast extends well beyond the villain and heroine.
Isabella Duke shines as Sookie Dark, a local prospector who frequently breaks the proverbial fourth wall to update the audience with her colorful narration.
