Local politicians star in upcoming 'Curse'

"The Curse Of The Hanging Tree" will return to Genoa on July 14 at 6:30 and 7:15 p.m. and July 15 at 6, 6:30 and 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person and are on sale at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center at 1477 Highway 395 in Gardnerville. Advanced tickets are highly recommended as seating is limited. For information call 782-2893 or 782-2555.

"The Curse of the Hanging Tree" is a moving, living history spoof based on one of the most infamous lynchings in Nevada history. The play moves from location to location in the historic town of Genoa. Ticket holders will visit some of the actual sites where the historic event took place in 1897.

No two performances are the same, as each is improvised.

We have no rehearsals. Every performance is different, the actors are often more surprised than the audience at the turn of events during the play. Hilarity and fun are the order of each performance.

n Ticket holders should go to the Genoa Town Hall for Act I (The Bar and Shooting Scene), where bartender Anderson (Dr. Michael Fischer) will be serving drinks to the audience and the actors in the first scene. Hans Anderson the victim (John Smith) author of "Whistle Stop" the play, will die twice on Friday and three times on Saturday. Adam Uber is played by Richard and Greg Kudrna. They get to be tried and hanged each evening and one of them twice on Saturday. Other actors are Denise Walsh Beronio and Jenny Fulstone Hemsath as Flossie the Floozy, Richard Smith as Snowshoe Thompson, Stephanie Fulstone as Yeta the bar maid and Janet Fischer, Donnis Thran and Laurie Hickey as the Temperance Ladies.

n Act II (The Church) Mike Mahoney as the preacher and Keith Ford as the heckler, Tonja Dressler, Pat Maebe, Laura Etherly and Shannon Hickey as mourners and the Floozy.

n Act III (The Courtroom) Douglas County Deputy District Attorney Mark Jackson and Douglas County district attorney-elect will portray District Attorney Nagel. Local criminal defense attorney Nathan Tod Young will portray defense attorney Alfred Chartz. Jackson and Young are often adversaries in the real courtroom. (I wonder if they might get even with each other for past cases.) Kelly Chase, a local attorney and candidate for justice court judge (and possibly Judge Norm Robison) will be Judge Mack. Gary Weidner will play the bumbling Sheriff Brockliss and Douglas County Commissioner Kelly Kite as the incompetent Constable Gray. Sue Smith, one of the cast of the Carson Valley Community Theatre's "Odd Couple" and the director of "Whistle Stop" will become the locally well-known Dr. Eliza Cook.

n Act IV (The Hanging) The cast is a group of local ruffians in disguise.

"The Curse of the Hanging Tree" is a major fundraiser that supports both Douglas County museums - the Genoa Court House Museum and Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center. The Douglas County Historical Society very much appreciates all the volunteers that have agreed to participate, without their help this event would not be possible.