Col. Jefferson Randolph Smith, known as "Soapy" to friends and foes, is a notorious con man whose reputation has, alas, preceded him to the Alaska Gold Rush town of Skagway in 1897. Still, this charming gentleman starts a protection racket that brings law and order, a church, and an infirmary to the town. Soapy, the criminal, becomes a force for moral good until the town's hypocrisy and vicious self-interest bring him down. He falls, a victim of the cardinal sin of believing in his own con.
The Ballad of Soapy Smith was first presented at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, in Seattle, Washington, in 1983. The production was directed by Robert Egan.