The Ballad Of Soapy Smith
by Michael Weller
Highlights
Synopsis
Col. Jefferson Randolph Smith, known as "Soapy" to friends and foes, is a notorious con man whose reputation has, alas, preceded him to the Alaska Gold Rush town of Skagway in 1897.
Still, this charming gentleman starts a protection racket that brings law and order, a church, and an infirmary to the town.
Soapy, the criminal, becomes a force for moral good until the town's hypocrisy and vicious self-interest bring him down.
He falls, a victim of the cardinal sin of believing in his own con.
Press Reviews
"A rousing epic."
— The Associated Press
"Michael Weller deserves praise for a historical play with contemporary relevance, daring to accost a large canvas. The protagonist is a complex and absorbing creation. I left the theatre, for once, thinking rather than trying to forget."
— New York Magazine
Characters
| Character |
|---|
PAUL ANTHONY McALEER |
TRIPOD SCHULTZ |
JEFFERSON RANDOLPH (SOAPY) SMITH |
GEORGE WILDER |
FRENCHIE VILLIERS |
MAJOR JAMES STRONG |
FRANK REID |
MICHAEL C. SHERPY |
WILLIAM WHITMORE |
CALVIN BARKDULL |
KITTY CHASE |
MATTIE SILKS |
BURKE GALLAGHER |
CHARLIE (THE REVEREND) BOWERS |
WILLIAM H. (DOC) JACKSON |
SYD DIXON |
RED GIBBS |
REVEREND DICKEY |
FRITZ |
TAGISH SAM |
JENSEN |
MOLLIE FEWCLOTHES |
CORPORAL EGAN |
COMMISSIONER CHARLES A. SEHLBREDE |
GOVERNOR BRADY OF ALASKATOWNSPEAOPLE, PROSTITUTES, DANCE HALL GIRLS, MILITIAMEN, OTHER VIGILANTES, MRS. DICKEY, MRS. WHITMORE, MRS. BARKDULL, FRANK CLANCY, OTHERS. |
Publication
The Ballad Of Soapy Smith is a American comedy play written by Michael Weller and published by Samuel French in New York (1985).
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