Musical comedy tells tale of 'The Ransom of Red Chief'

"A musical comedy called The Ransom of Red Chief, directed by Martha Murphy, is this spring's stage offering from Whidbey Children's Theater. The two-act play runs about 90 minutes at the Clyde Theatre on May 13-14 and 20-21. Performances are at 2:30, with one morning show on May 13 at 11 a.m. All seats are $4, with tickets available at the door. The Ransom of Red Chief is based upon a short story by O'Henry, set in Alabama, about two con men (Ryan Karamanyan and Gregory Colfer) who decide to kidnap young Johnny Dorset (Amy Potter) in order to extort a large sum of money from his mother, played by Jennifer O'Connor. Little do the con men realize that the town is overjoyed to be rid of Red Chief. Meanwhile, young Johnny Dorset proves to be quite a handful for the two kidnappers. After the boy's mother refuses to pay the ransom, the kidnappers try to send him home, but he doesn't want to leave. The Widow Dorset finally agrees to take her son back. . . for a small fee.Other leads are played by Sean Karamanyan as the sheriff and Kate Hodges as the storekeeper; cast members also include Laura Hilton, Erin Hilton, Barnabi Merritt, Devin Connor, Marie Vanderbilt, Bridget Scott, Josh Parker and Eliza Brereton. Playing other children in the town are Lucy Kaul Anderson, Nikki Nelson, Michael Scullin, Michelle Young, Hunter Schneider, Evan Elwell and David Woodbury. Also included in the cast is the very talented dog, Girlfriend. For more information, contact Murphy at 221 7880."

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