July 3, 2019
Story and photos by Joe Vinduska
The Barton Community College Theatre Department will present “The Flowering of Chastity or Chaste across the Stage (An Old-Fashioned Melodrama)” by Dutton Foster in Great Bend, Larned and St. John at 7:30 p.m. on July 23, 24 and 25 respectively. The Larned performance will be west of the Haas Building at Jordan Park, the St. John performance will be in the city square, and the Great Bend performance will be in the band shell.
The show is a satirical melodrama that follows the hijinks of the protagonist Chastity, the innocent young maiden, her oft-inebriated aunt Absinthe, Henry Homeward, a senile banker, and of course a gallant hero, Terence Truelung and an evil villain Desmond Darkacre.
The production will be directed by Barton Theater Instructor Dr. Rick Abel.
“We were really looking for a show that was lighthearted entertainment for the whole family,” he said.
Abel said there will be a fun-filled, interactive experience for audience members.
“The show will be produced as it would have been at the turn of the 20th century with audience sing-a-longs, jokes and short skits just prior to the play,” he said.
Admission is free. Donations will be gratefully accepted. For more information, contact Dr. Rick Abel (620) 792-9333 or abelr@bartonccc.edu.