Wyoming Arts Council

"A Tale that Goes from Bad to Verse"


The Cheyenne Old-Fashioned Melodrama presents “The Rhyming Rapscallion” or “A Tale that Goes from Bad to Verse” or “Dirk and Tallen Handsome” at the Historic Atlas Theatre. The play was written by Brooks Reeves and Rory Mack. Director is Rory Mack and assistant director is Brooks Reeves.

Shows are on July 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21-26, 27, August 1, 2. 7 p.m. all dates. There are additional performances at 2 p.m. on July 20 and July 27. There are also 9:15 p.m. performances July 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and at 9 p.m. on August 1.

Tickets are $10 for July 11, 12, 16, 17, August 1, August 2. They are $14 for adults and $10 for students July 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.

FMI: 307-638-6543 through June 25; 307-635-0199 after June 25.

Here’s a synopsis from the Cheyenne Little Theatre web site:

This year’s titillating tale begins in the Last Chance Calamity Mine, where the vicious villain, Dirk Degenerate, has tightly trapped our hapless heroine, the tantalizing Truly Sweetenuff. Degenerate, a dangerously debauched desperado, is threatening to blast our beauteous belle to bits when, suddenly, at the last possible moment, just when it seems there is no hope left, our hero, the pricelessly plucky Tallen Handsome, rescues the pulchritudinously passionate Truly and valiantly vanquishes Degenerate, who is inadvertently blown to bits himself…or is he? Our rousing recount resumes 20 years later when Tallen and Truly, contentedly co-joined in matrimony, commiserate over their son, Hardly Handsome. Hardly is a distinct disappointment to his forlorn folks, for he does not fancy himself in the family’s hero business. Instead, the lack-luster lad longs to be a…gasp…POET! The charmingly compelling cast also includes: Ol’ Homer DeRange, a guitar toting “cowboy narrator”; Charity Case, a rough and ready cowgirl; a marvelously mute villainess; and a mysteriously malevolent figure from the past plotting his revenge on the Handsomes. This delightful diversion is packed with a plentitude of laughs that will tickle the funny bone of the entire family.


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