Production Notes
The Second Shepherd's Christmas
Characters
(7 females/5 males)
COLE
GIBSON NATALIE DAWSON MACK GILLIAN FRANKIE MYRTLE GOLDA WOMAN JOSEBA MIREN |
A brash young cowboy and the reluctant guardian of a lamb
A cantankerous old cowboy with failing eyesight The boss’s daughter, filling in for her brother “over there” A bull-headed cowboy with a sharp disdain for sheep A well-liked and well-known crook His wife Their oldest daughter and the object of Cole’s admiration Their middle daughter Their youngest daughter A mysterious visitor A Basque shepherd His wife |
SettingCattle Country on a Late December
Evening during the Late 1910’s |
Scenes Scene 1—The Bunkhouse, Kezar Ranch
Scene 2—Mack and Gillian’s Shack Scene 3—A Snow-Covered Hilltop Scene 4—Old Corral, Stuben Homestead |
MusicCañon City's Sage Hens (Elaine Schuhrke & Kate Colby) provided incidental music before and after each scene at the reading hosted by the Annex Events Center. Their blend of seasonal, spiritual, and secular tunes not only turned an extended one-act into a full-lenghth production, their cleverly restyled lyrics commented upon the action of the play.
StagingMedieval theatrical productions relied on modest set pieces and elaborate audience imagination. So can it be with this production. Each of the three interiors can be represented with one unit set. Props and furniture can be changed to indicate each new locale: pin-ups for the Kezar bunkhouse, pots and pans for Mack and Gillian’s shack, and hand tools for the Stuben corral. The rustic walls should include a window and at least one doorway. The third scene can be played in front of a curtain or in the dark. Projections may be used to suggest the herd of elk.
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