Mule Days Melodrama

Visit us on Facebook

2011-05-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

I've been working on transferring some photos and info to our Facebook page , so "like" us there if you like.

The show for 2011 is a murder mystery "Murder's in the Heir" by one of our favorite playwrights, Billy St. John. We felt it was time to do something a little different, but still keep it entertaining and fun for our audiences. Another change is adding a Sunday performance this year, since we're not competing with RHS graduation. So, you can attend one of our evening shows on June 2-3 (Thurs, Friday at 7pm) or attend a matinee on June 4-5 (Sat, Sun at 4pm). As always, our shows are held in Smith Gym at the corner of Spokane St and Aspen in Reardan.

It's a Wrap

2010-06-05T22:59:00.001-07:00

Great show, everyone! Thank you to our audiences, from the school kids to the local royalty to the regular attendees and all the new people who came to see the melodrama for the first time!

Speaking of the first time! This was our 10th Anniversary Show and wouldn't you know it? This morning I finally found the pictures from the very first show! We did two performances total. One for Mule Days on June 1, 2001 and one for the Lincoln County Fair on August 26, 2001. It's amazing how far we've come with the sets, but the Not-All-There Players performers have always be the best! Happy Anniversary to us!!

Theresa & Dave

Come and see the 2010 show, y'all!

2010-06-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

How the West Was Dun or...left high and dry in Low Humidity Chasm! Friday, June 4th at 7pm and Saturday, June 5th at 4pm. Smith Gym in Reardan. See you in Reardan

Hey! We're on Facebook, too. Search for Not-All-There Players! !

2008 Photos

2009-07-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Hey! Take a look at the 2008 slideshow on the left. I'll link to 2009 pretty soon. Hope y'all are having a good summer! -- TK

"Bulldog" a Big Hit!

2009-06-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Once again, the Not-All-Players have pulled off a successful and highly entertaining show! Congratulations everybody on being AMAZING! I saw so many great characters this year. Excellent job!

Theresa K. - Melodrama Mama

Final Rehearsals!!

2009-06-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Last night's rehearsal showed a really fun show is coming up this weekend! Thanks to all the Not-All-There Players': directors; organizers; carpenters (Gary!); artists (Lee!); actors; moms & dads; school people; Mule Days supporters; general factotums and...of course...the rubber chicken!

Show times are:
Thursday & Friday at 7pm in Smith Gym (corner of Spokane & Astor in Reardan, WA)
Saturday at 4pm

Bulldog Saves the Day or...I was the Teacher's Pitt.

2009-05-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

It's almost time for Mule Days. This year's production is coming along, although in true Not-All-There Players style. We hope to have a full cast rehearsal very soon. It's a funny show with additional between the scenes skits to add to the silliness.

Check out the pictures from last year's production of "Headed South from the Great White North or… Get Out of Toronto Pronto!"

Melodrama 2009 about to begin

2009-03-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Sadly, TWO of our favorite people are missing this year, not only did we lose Tracy, but Jack Nelson "Cue Card Guy" has also moved on to the heavenly stage (where there's plenty of electrical power and the backstage is pleasantly cool and the audience is full happy people who aren't suffering from bleacher butt!). You know, it feels like no time at all has passed since we lost Jim Graham and Mike Welch. We miss all of these guys somethin' fierce! On the other hand, we have some great saints on our side watching over us and cheering us on!

And with that in mind, four of us "oldies" met last night to read through this year's play selection. After wiping away our tears of laughter and calming down a bit, we started making plans. Get your silly on, folks, the fun is about to start! --- TK

We'll miss you Tracy!

2008-07-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

It's a sad time for the Not-All-There Players. We'll never really be "all there" again! Tracy was a natural comedian and kept us all in stitches. We will miss him. Tracy, sometime will have a great big group SWOON in your honor!

Reardan Mule Days 2008

2008-04-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Come see the show during Reardan Mule Days. Performances are June 6th at 7pm and June 7th at 4pm. There will be an additional performance on either Wednesday or Thursday, too!

Mule Days Melodrama 2008

2008-02-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

HOWDY! The plans for this year's melodrama are underway. Look here for more info in the upcoming weeks. --Theresa

Cast Party

2007-08-12T12:28:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone. I know most of you won't be reading this, but I wanted to post anyway. Dave and I just returned from our cruise to Alaska and had a lot of fun. I will bring a DVD of Melodrama pictures to the park along with our portable DVD player so y'all can have a look. See you tonight!

Mule Days is Upon Us!

2007-06-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well....the reports from opening night were true! You are wonderful, hilarious, awesome and every other word of praise I heard last night and from the night before. And now that's it's getting more and more fun for the performers, there's only one more performance left. Ain't that the way it goes?
I'm so proud and happy for you! I remember when our "core" group met back in...was it March? We looked at a couple of play options and many of you said "let's do the long one!". I was happy about that choice because the show is a good one, but I was also thinking to myself "There's a HUGE cast, can we get that many people!" and "It's a lot longer than anything we've ever done, can we really do this?" Ha-ha! Not only did you handle the longer play, but we've added so many wonderful new people to our company of actors and performers. That will mean a very bright future for the "Not All There Players"! More shows? Different kinds of shows? Who knows? (OK, Shakespeare or Sondheim might never be an option, but that's OK.)
Enjoy the parade and other Mule Days festivities today, but please use sunscreen so we won't have a bunch of lobsters onstage this afternoon, ok? See you later!

I heard it was great!

2007-06-01T13:43:00.001-07:00

I'm back from Seattle and a truly awesome performance of West Side Story at the 5th Avenue Theater. Yes, our son Jason was amazing (in the role of Big Deal), but the whole show was top quality, well-deserving of the standing ovation it received.
Now, I want to know how opening night in Reardan went. I heard you had a large audience and that the show was "outstanding". I also heard that it was very warm in the gym - but we expected that, didn't we? Please post some comments if you get a chance. I'll be there tonight! See you then. -- TK

Opening Night!

2007-05-31T06:11:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are. Opening night! Cathy, Susan, Tracy, Zach and I worked on a few set details last night while the rest of you were taking a well-deserved break (I hope!). My job as your director is done. Now it's your show! Make the most of the three performances - tell the story, keep your volume (and energy) levels high, focus, keep breathing and most of all have fun! You guys are great! Now go out there and get some applause!

Come See Us!

2007-05-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

"Taming the Wild, Wild West in a Dress
...or...Let's Give the Villain the Slip"
by Billy St. John

May 31 - 7:00 pm
June 1 - 7:00 pm
June 2 - Mule Day! - 4:00 pm

WHERE: Smith Gym - Reardan Elementary School, Reardan WA

TICKETS: At the door - $5 (adults), $3 (under 12 )- $12 (Household max)
Doors open 30 minutes before curtain time.

(produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Englewood, CO)

Final Dress Rehearsal

2007-05-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! You folks were amazing last night! This show is really ready for an audience. (Now...if we can just get that shotgun.....)
I e-mailed a link to the photos from last night to everyone, but I know not everybody has e-mail access (Roger & Russell, for example), so feel free to share somehow. Susan M. has been taking photos all along and I will be adding some of those too. Stacie's mom has an awesome camera, so I'm sure hers are better. Can we have too many?? I think not.
Director's notes for today: REST, REST, REST!

New Photos Added

2007-05-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hi "kids"! I know everyone is pretty tired by this point, but you really do have a show! That's theater talk for "It's going to be OK, really it is!" Tonight's dress rehearsal will be fun and we'll run straight through and I'll keep my mouth shut until the end, when I will be cheering my head off!
I posted new pictures from last night's rehearsal. Click on the link to the left to see them.

Three rehearsals left!

2007-05-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hey kids! Act One was superb last night! The backgrounds in the saloon and salon are really great! You all have developed the talent of looking busy, having conversations, etc. without attracting undue attention away from the dialogue. It adds so much to the show!
Tonight we will go over scene changes in Act 1 and polish Act 2. You will be soooo ready for opening night on Thursday!

FUNNY STUFF. After hearing "Lady Luck Saloon" a couple of times from a few different people. I figure it's time to include my list of word bloopers.

'Saloon' instead of 'Salon'
'Salon' instead of 'Saloon'
'Lady Luck' instead of 'Lucky Lady'
Great Aunt Aunt Iva
Shattle and Rake
Midnummer Sight's Dream

PS - I added a link to some of our rehearsal photos. Enjoy!

In the Gym

2007-05-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Dave and I just returned from Reardan. We spent several hours there today along with Lee (Colt Revolver), attempting to raise the walls. Many are up, but we need more braces to secure the saloon walls, so those remain unfinished. The lights are hung, but not aimed.

Still to do:

Put the backing on the lattice-work panels
Cable-tie the lattice panels together
Finish the saloon doors
Paint the new table (thanks for the table Harper family!)
Hang the "stage" curtain
Find and hang something for the backdrop behind the salon window
Hang the workroom curtain
Practice being even louder in the new space

You will notice immediately how much bigger the stage is AND how much farther from the audience it is. Please "project" your voice from here on out! See you tomorrow evening at rehearsal! --- Your Director

So...how did the move to the Gym Go?

2007-05-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I got back from a successful trip to Canada last night. All four classes went well and the drive was outstandingly beautiful! My colleague almost didn't get back in the country, though. I think she'll be getting a passport now. I'm tired from driving and teaching, but ready to get OUR show on the road!
Dave and I will be out at the gym today to help with set up. Hope to see many of you there. YIKES! I just looked at the new schedule and I see setup is at 10:00 and here it is 9:30 already. AND....Kim just dropped the key off at my house! Yep, I asked him to, not realizing that he was going to cut the lawn at the church in Reardan and that I could have let him hang onto it.

OK, Madam Director....git yer shoes on and high-tail it to Reardan!

May 23

2007-05-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

Sooo...how did the line-through go last night at The Rock? I hope everybody found it helpful, yes?
I'd love to get some reports or thoughts from some of you in the cast about last night, so please comment.

I'm waking up in Kelowna BC this morning. I took a wrong turn in Colville and ended up going across the border at Northport which added an hour or so to the trip. We pulled up at the school just in time for class! Whew! We're headed for Prince George today with class there at 5:30pm. It's already a much longer drive, so no "detours" allowed. We'll be tres fatigue!

10 days until showtime!

2007-05-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

WOW! WHAT A STORM!! Thunder, lightening, hail and lots of rain! But those of us who have been involved in MDM for years know a storm like this during a grange rehearsal is practically a tradition!
Didn't quite get through the whole show tonight, but it's looking great and the set is really coming together. There are lots of great funny moments in this show -- it's going to be a hit! People are going to love "the ladies" and "The Rob Banks Gang" and the quirky saloon staff and all the other oddball characters in this show.
We're working harder and longer this week and next but I hope everybody is finding some time to sleep and/or rest. I'll be in Canada the rest of the week, so I hope some of the rest of you cast members will post to this blog, OK? -- Your Director

Final Two Weeks!!

2007-05-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

So...now we're into our final two weeks of rehearsals for the 2007 Mule Days Melodrama. Things are coming into place and we really have a great show for this year. It's by Billy St. John (Yes Again! We love doing his shows!) and it's called Taming the Wild, Wild West in a Dress...or...Give the Villain the Slip!" Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service.

Last night the cast got through the entire show for the first time! According to a reliable source, it went pretty well. We'll be doing it again this evening. Naturally, we'll be missing a few cast members. That's why we've decided to call our troupe "The Not-All-There Players".

I'll try to keep updating this blog as we progress through the final performance on 'Mule Day' itself. June 2, 2007.

For more information on Mule Days, go here: http://www.reardanmuledays.com/