Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, November 26, 2015, Page 10

Want to be entertained and kick off your Christmas season with a laugh or two? Plan to attend "Wildcat Katie Brown" performed by the Diagonal "not so ready for prime time players." This dinner theater and matinee melodrama will tickle your funny bone and tantalize your taste buds! It all happens on December 5 with dinner at 6 p.m. and the play to follow on December 6 to 1 p.m. offering a matinee at 1 p.m. with a dessert bar. All proceeds will be put toward the United Church of Diagonal building fund. Be sure and wear layers for your comfort in the Diagonal Community School old gym.

Tickets are available through November 30. Sales are limited to 200 tickets each performance. So get your ticket today! Dinner theater performance tickets are $20 each. Matinee performance tickets are adults $15 each and high school or young $10 each. For ticket purchase contact Kathy or Jon Goodale [phone number] evenings, Ann Smith [phone number], Mark or Ruthie Schlapia [phone number], or J. P. Whittington [phone number] or Amy Whittington [phone number].

It seems sookie Dark (Heidi Humbard) will be spinning a tale of the wildcat oil riggers searching for oil in the Oklahoma territory about 1907. Thomas T. Tremaine (Bradley Bentley), assisted by his conniving friend, Sashay Del Rio (Nora (Giese), is buying up all the land around Gunslinger Gulch and is now trying to work a dastardly deal with Pa (Phil Mason) and Wildcat Katie Brown (Gina Gunsolley) to purchase their land. Scoop Sculley (Justin Kuonen) knows there is a story in the making as he and Major Dalripple (Jim Strange) keeps appraised of the situation. Luckily Big Bob Kelly (Jason Stamps) rides into town to save the day as he continues to ward off Tremaine and his henchmen (Rick Wiley, Andrew Wiley, Trent Johnston, and Eddie Allee). Sadie Polk and Prunella Perkins (Melinda England and Amy Novak) keep "the pot stirred" with their gift of gossip. Saloon girls (Bonnie Larson, Dee Johnson, Allison Hajek, and Pam Carson) and Bub (John Berger), the bartender, keep the drinks on the tables. The girls have kicks in their steps as Ms. Kitty (Cheryl Whittington), the piano player, continues to tickle the ivories.

It certainly takes many from our village to prepare for the performances. The cast members, with the ledership of John Berger, have prepared the set. Food for the events will be prepared by Pat and Larry Teply, Shelly and Alan Bentley, Darla Taylor Sobotka, Karen Berry, Karleen and John Stephens, and Darla and Doug Sobotka. Chuck Klejch will be running the spotlight. Eddie Allee, Ed Allee, and Terry Joe Young are in charge of sound. Jan Johnston and Barb Stephens are the co-directors and have worked with advertising. Terri Higgins aided in ticket and playbill design. Becky and Kylene Stamps are in charge of curtain and are our prompters. Shawna Fletcher will be handling sound effect. We appreciate the Diagonal Community School for allowing us to practice and perform at the school.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2015