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Saturday Night at Old Smokey

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  5w, 1m

"Plenty of wit and warmth in a simple story of family and tradition. And to sweeten the pot, some pretty darned good music. If you're in the mood for a good story well told, Saturday Night at Old Smokey won't disappoint." - Bristol Heral…

Saturday Night at Old Smokey

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 1m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for all audiences

Details

Summary
In its heyday, "Old Smokey" was more than a mountain-top country store...its porch was the scene of Saturday night musical jamborees that rivaled the Grand Ole Opry. As Emma prepares to reopen Old Smokey for her son Teddy – injured in Afghanistan and almost home – the store has fallen into disrepair. There to help are Jinks, a playful friend and a Yankee wannabe; Olive, a sassy defender of all things Southern, who – with Jinks – was a member of the "Mountain Mamas," a singing duet once destined for fame; and Cordelia, Olive's daughter and Teddy's fiancée, who's more talented than even she realizes. When the county threatens foreclosure, the women plan a fundraising musical jamboree reminiscent of the good old days. That is, until a storm closes the road, stranding them and wrecking their plans. The arrival of strangers – mysterious Howard and his ditzy "wife" Tammy – adds to the challenges. Who is Howard and why is he so interested in Old Smokey? More important, how do Emma and her friends preserve the values that built this homey little store at the top of the mountain? Challenges mount as secrets are revealed, laughs are shared, and songs are sung in a live on-the-air musical tribute to tradition, friendship and family.
History
SATURDAY NIGHT AT OLD SMOKEY (under the title SAVING OLD SMOKEY) premiered at Barter Theatre, the LORT-member State Theatre of Virginia, on June 9, 2011. It ran for 40-plus peformances on the theatre's 505-seat main stage.
EMMA - A caring mother on a mission to preserve a treasure, 50.

JINKS - Emma's creative friend who's at war with everything Southern, 50 or so.

OLIVE - Another friend whose love for the South conflicts with JINKS, also 50 or so.

CORDELIA - An ambitious, talented, take-charge young lady engaged to EMMA'S son, 20ish.

TAMMY - Howard's attactive zestful companion with a dream, 20 - 30.

HOWARD - A pompous strange with multiple secrets, 40 to 60.

The actors portraying EMMA, CORDELIA, JINKS and OLIVE should have reasonably good singing voices.

A CORDELIA with guitar-playing skills would be a plus, although a tambourine or other hand-held percussion instrument could subsitute for the guitar.

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes, Fantasy Costumes
  • Additional Features Physical Comedy, Play w/ Music
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

"Plenty of wit and warmth in a simple story of family and tradition. And to sweeten the pot, some pretty darned good music. If you're in the mood for a good story well told, Saturday Night at Old Smokey won't disappoint." - Bristol Herald-Courier

"A delight...offering lots of laughs and songs while exploring serious issues like war and media hypocrites...a hit with the audience and destined to be another Ron Osborne southern classic" - Washington County News

Music

  • Musical Style Country/Western, Folk
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Chorus Size Small

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Add-Ons

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Authors

Ron Osborne

Ron Osborne's plays - including the six full-length plays published by Samuel French - have been produced by hundreds of theatres throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as recognized in more than 90 national playwriting competitions. A number of monoloques from his plays appe ...
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