OAKHURST – The Golden Chain Theater (GCT) will present “An Evening of Melodrama,” with two plays in one show each night beginning Aug. 10 and running through Sept. 22. They’ll present “The Shagwood Secret,” along with “Run To The Roundhouse Nellie!”
The theater group will also present a special performance of “The Shagwood Secret” at the Sugar Pine Railroad on Aug. 11, with dinner, music, a train ride and a show.
On Sunday, Aug. 11, visitors to the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp are in for a real treat as GTC presents “The Shagwood Secret, Or, Double Deal At The Dirty Dog Saloon” by Teddy Keller.
The action-packed evening includes a barbeque New York steak or chicken dinner, followed by a train ride through the woods behind an old steam locomotive to the forest amphitheater. There, stars of the GTC will delight the audience with a tale of Snake Diamond and his greedy cohort, Delores Divine as they set a trap for Ethelburt Shagwood who owns a mountain of gold. The production is performed in a rustic, open-air setting.
Ethelburt Shagwood may own a mountain of gold, but Snake Diamond and Delores Divine know Shagwood’s only interests are his horse and his ranch – until Doris lavishes her attention upon him.
Meanwhile, Chloe Clod, who slaves away at Snake’s saloon for a lowly meal and bed in the barn, attempts to warn Shagwood of the danger. Little does Chloe realize that she is an heiress in her own right!
Dinner at the Railroad starts at 6 p.m., and organizers recommend guests arrive early, around 5 p.m., to account for any traffic issues and to enjoy the other amenities at the Railroad and relax a bit before dinner in this beautiful setting.
The gift shop, museum and gold panning will be open, and Sugar Pine will provide the musical entertainment before and during dinner.
The cost for the three-hour evening full of old-fashioned fun is $49 for adults and $24.50 for kids, and includes dinner, train ride and the show. After the show, enjoy the ride back to the station under the stars, and hear that lonesome whistle echo across the canyon.The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad is located at 56001 Hwy 41 in Fish Camp.
For more information and to make a reservation for “The Shagwood Secret,” phone the railroad at (559) 683-7273 or go online to www.yosemitesteamtrains.com and you can reserve your spot there.
Meanwhile, back at the GCT, beginning Friday Aug, 10, lovers of traditional boo/hiss performances are invited to “An Evening of Melodrama” which will include “The Shagwood Secret” along with “Run to the Roundhouse, Nellie, He Can’t Corner You There!” by Shubert Fendrich.
In “Run to the Roundhouse, Nellie,” the title character is a good hand with a locomotive, but not much at catching the eye of her true love, rancher Sterling Worth. Sterling is having his own problems as villainous Hugo Swindle has discovered oil on Sterling’s ranch and attempts to take over the property.
Nellie learns the truth, but Hugo will stop at nothing to achieve his evil goal, pursuing Nellie as she tries to escape. Hugo captures Nellie and ties her to the railroad tracks. Just as a train comes thundering down on helpless Nell, Sterling appears and… well, you’ll just have to see what happens next.
The shows will run on Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sept. 22. The cost for adults is $12; seniors $10; students $8 and children $6.
For more information on “An Evening of Melodrama,” phone (559) 683-7112 go to www.goldenchaintheater.com
this sounds great. I am for sure going. It is great that they are doing more things in the community.