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The Shadow Mountain Community Players will present the melodrama "Headed South from the Great White North or...Get out of Toronto Pronto" by Pat Cook, as part of the Wild West Extravaganza. The play goes on stage at Saddle West Hotel and Casino at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29, and noon on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Originally, melodrama was a term for musical theatre. But somewhere in the nineteenth century the genre became the designation of a simple plot where good versus evil and the story was based on a moral dilemma. Characters are either heroes or villains, and the resolution rewards the good and punishes the wicked. The spectacle and over acting is important and ads humor to the story line.

The hijinx and hilarity will take place in the casino showroom where cheers for the handsome hero and boos for the villains are welcome. In "Headed South..." the character's names are indicative of the role. For instance, "Barbara DeVille", the heroine, becomes distraught over the villain trying to foreclose on the run down family inn. Carlton McCaslin, the producer, said, "Her basic function is to look pretty." He went on to describe "Asa Hearts" as "the kind but confused hero who set off to join the Rough Riders in Cuba, only to discover upon arrival in Toronto, he had the map upside down." Villains are aptly named Cy Clops, Lynden Renege and Mack DeNife. The audience is encouraged to "throw popcorn at the players" during the performance and warnings have been rumored about the ladies of the Quilting Bee...it's understood they're "lonely".

The play is also a family oriented dinner theater performance. Saddle West is in charge of the western type barbecue buffet with chicken, baked beans, corn, potato salad and a roll on the menu and pie for dessert. The cost of the show and dinner is $20 per person on Friday and Saturday. The Sunday matinee is $5 and doesn't come with a meal. McCaslin said, "We're hoping for a good turnout for the shows. This is one of the only things (entertainment) in the Wild West Extravaganza that benefits the Chamber of Commerce. The other one is the Pony Express."

The Shadow Mountain Community Players have been together for three years and formed the group specifically to perform melodrama. McCaslin describes the members as "renegades from the Pahrump Arts Council." He said, "PAC does a lot of musicals and most parts are for women and although I've been on stage in "drag", I don't sing."

The backbone of the troupe is a family affair with Gayle McCaslin, Carlton's wife, acting as director and Laurie McCaslin, his daughter, in charge of props and costumes. McCaslin says the group purchases the plays from a drama service in Colorado and then holds auditions. The rehearsals go on twice a week for four months before opening night. They have plans to present a Christmas show and a musical in the spring but no dates are available at this time.

Advance tickets for the performance are on sale now at Secret Sisters Boutique, 1161 S. Loop Rd., the Pahrump Public Library and the Chamber of Commerce office.

For more information on the Shadow Mountain Community Players call 727-6145.