Cappies Review: Madison's 'Deadwood Dick, or The Game of Gold'

By Julia Sapack of Colgan High School

There's a feeling of foreboding in the Deadwood Gulch. James Madison High School took on this western slapstick comedy with elements of drama, dancing, and singing. Based on the novels by Edward L. Wheeler, "Deadwood Dick, or The Game of Gold" was adapted for the stage by Tom Taggart. This tale follows a true villain, a damsel in distress, a love story, and a mother's search for her daughter. Since the story was written in the 19th century, there are many references and scenarios that are unlikely to occur today. However, James Madison High School did a fantastic job of taking the audience to the past and making the situations unbelievably camp and hilarious. Furthermore, the show encouraged audience interaction such as constant cheering, booing, and even throwing popcorn onto the stage. This kept the audience involved and the actors did an impressive job of not letting it distract them from their roles.

Erik Bilawski portrayed the main antagonist in the show, Black'n Red. While maintaining a comedic aspect to his evil character, Bilawski was able to exude a realistic unsafe energy about him, especially in his scenes with Lily Blossom (Kate Townsend). Erik Bilawski stood out from the top of the show, and playing the most disputed character must have been a challenge during audience interactions as they were heightened when he was on the stage. However, when it came to a character such as Lily Blossom, the audience felt warm and wanted to help her. Kate Townsend excelled at playing a young blind girl, especially by allowing herself to avoid focusing her eyes and instead, looked off into the distance. On top of this Towsend had a beautiful, soft singing voice that emphasized the way she stood out from the crowd she was surrounded by at Calamity Jane's Saloon.

Lori Collins, who played Molly Loveless, did a fabulous job of balancing comedy and inspiring a heartwarming feeling. Collins was not afraid to be silly on the stage which allowed numerous laughs from the audience. Similarly, a character that accounted for a highly amused reaction from the audience was Teetotal Tessie, portrayed by Fortune Picker. This featured character was beyond well played and similar to Black'n Red, she dealt with intense audience interactions. Even as popcorn was being thrown at her face, she did not break character and brought the energy needed for this ill-tempered role.

The tech crew behind this amazing piece was clearly impactful. Specifically, the makeup (Riya Gupta and Katie Johnson) and costume (Mikenna Corcoran and Emma Burke) teams, allowing for accurate depictions of each character's personality. For example, a character like La Paloma (Lexi Stattel) as a saloon dancer and adventuress was seen wearing a red dress with a slit and a lot of makeup. In contrast, the character Lily Blossom, who was young, and innocent was seen in a light blue modest gown and very light makeup.

The cast and crew of this production clearly put their hearts into their work. This was seen through the chemistry between characters, the beautifully designed set, the creative publicity, and more. This show gave its audience a night full of laughter and left them wanting to play the next episode of this unbelievable, engaging Western.