The Goehner Centennial Players are back for more, preparing for this year’s production of “Egad, the Woman in White.”
“It has the hero, the heroine, the villain—there’s so much that happens,” Director Patrick Runyan said. “It has one of the best fight scenes in all of melodrama.”
According to www.samuelfrench.com, the company that published the melodrama, “It features a disreputable (and hilarious) villain who dispatches his adversaries with nefarious ease and even seals his wife in a madhouse to steal her vast fortune! He battles a wicked countess in one of the most uproarious fight scenes ever staged! When all else fails, he engineers mock funerals. But he’s scared of the mysterious “woman in white” who’s escaped from the asylum to seek him out.”
The cast includes 10 actors and is a good mix of new and familiar faces, Runyan said. Pam and Cal Williams of Goehner are designing the sets again this year.
“This is a good, funny show,” he said.
As the director, Runyan is responsible for casting the play. He said he can hear the parts in his head and knows what he’s looking for.
The villain, Sir Percival Clyde, is one of the funnier villains in melodrama, Runyan said. While Ralph Nielsen originated the role on the Goehner stage, Justin Baldinger brings a new feel to the role.
Cindy Mavis is the accompanist this year, and Sue Imig will serve as hostess.
Runyan chose “Egad, the Woman in White” because he loved the writing. The play is based on a story by Wilkie Collins and written by Tim Kelly.
The Centennial Players revived the annual melodrama last year after an eight-year hiatus, and Runyan helped brink it back to the stage.
“Nostalgia got ahold of me,” Runyan said, adding that it was a chance to pay tribute to the original cast members who first brought the melodrama to Goehner.
In addition, the production is good for Seward County, he said. This year, six or seven tour groups are already booked to come to Seward’s Olde Glory Theatre for performances.
The majority of the money raised through the melodrama goes to a scholarship fund. One or two shows are designated as benefits for specific people.
This year, the players are giving 14 performances beginning May 28. The theatre seats about 120 people, Runyan said. Tickets are available by calling Lloyd Schulz at (402) 523-5025.
In addition to dinner theaters on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Wednesdays and the opening Thursday will have popcorn available.
Eventually, Runyan would like to see a year-round community theater with shows throughout the year.
