SKITS celebrates 10th year with
Trouble in Tumbleweed production
November 21, 2023
Photos and Story by Adriana Keeton
SKITS (Shell Knob In The Spotlight) Community Theatre celebrated its 10th year of bringing local theatrical talent to Shell Knob this past weekend with its fall production of Trouble In Tumbleweed, directed by Sue Klassen.
The play, written by Tim Kelly, is a cockeyed farce based in the 1880s in Arizona Territory and tells the story of the corrupt mayor of Tumbleweed, Mayor Oats, played by Don Herbert, who secures money from Boston tycoon John Prescott to build a flourishing territorial capital but dwindles it away with the help of his kinfolk whom he employs in the dusty town.
After the mayor receives a letter stating that a Pinkerton detective will be coming from Boston to check on the development, panic sets in amongst the folk, and they scramble to cover their tracks as they find out the detective may already be among them incognito.
Medicine show traveling salesman Professor Tom Burns, played by long-time SKITS performer Anne Gables, and local gambler Lily de Lilac, portrayed by Renae Neill, aim to take advantage of the situation by creating a facade that Burns is the detective. The facade makes the pair quite a bit of money as townsfolk begin giving their life savings to the swindler in hopes of a good report back to Boston.
Little do they know that Luther, one of the town desert rats, played by Cade Keeton, is the grandson of John Prescott and has been watching the corruption for weeks and has fallen in love with the mayor’s daughter, Julie Oats, portrayed by Ellie Good, but denied approval from her overbearing concert singing mother Miranda Oats, played by JJ Hight, as she does not feel he is fit for her affections.
The comedic twists and turns from the twenty-large cast are a story of redemption and progress and a reminder that, in the end, true love always wins.
SKITS Community Theatre, established in 2013, performs two shows annually, one in the spring and one in the fall, and always looks for individuals who want to be in the spotlight. Anyone interested in participating should visit www.skitsmo.com.
The play, written by Tim Kelly, is a cockeyed farce based in the 1880s in Arizona Territory and tells the story of the corrupt mayor of Tumbleweed, Mayor Oats, played by Don Herbert, who secures money from Boston tycoon John Prescott to build a flourishing territorial capital but dwindles it away with the help of his kinfolk whom he employs in the dusty town.
After the mayor receives a letter stating that a Pinkerton detective will be coming from Boston to check on the development, panic sets in amongst the folk, and they scramble to cover their tracks as they find out the detective may already be among them incognito.
Medicine show traveling salesman Professor Tom Burns, played by long-time SKITS performer Anne Gables, and local gambler Lily de Lilac, portrayed by Renae Neill, aim to take advantage of the situation by creating a facade that Burns is the detective. The facade makes the pair quite a bit of money as townsfolk begin giving their life savings to the swindler in hopes of a good report back to Boston.
Little do they know that Luther, one of the town desert rats, played by Cade Keeton, is the grandson of John Prescott and has been watching the corruption for weeks and has fallen in love with the mayor’s daughter, Julie Oats, portrayed by Ellie Good, but denied approval from her overbearing concert singing mother Miranda Oats, played by JJ Hight, as she does not feel he is fit for her affections.
The comedic twists and turns from the twenty-large cast are a story of redemption and progress and a reminder that, in the end, true love always wins.
SKITS Community Theatre, established in 2013, performs two shows annually, one in the spring and one in the fall, and always looks for individuals who want to be in the spotlight. Anyone interested in participating should visit www.skitsmo.com.
