Commissioned by Trinity Theatre, the adaptation of Bret Harte’s short story “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” was first produced in The Carlson Theatre at The National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois.
Stu Feiler, the Entertainment Editor for The Pioneer Press wrote of the play:
“The Trinity Theatre’s . . . world premiere of “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” is a stirring adaptation of Bret Harte’s classic. It is the story of a group of frontier types who high-tail it out of town just ahead of a lynch mob.
The group consists of a black-clad gambler, a “dance hall girl,” the local madam, and the town drunk. Deciding to rest in a deserted cabin before pressing on with their journey to safety in a far away town, the group finds itself stranded in the midst of a savage early winter snow storm. Soon after they make camp, the band is joined by a wide-eyed youth and his very pregnant and extremely innocent fiancee, en-route to Poker Flat to “git hitched.”
The action really begins to boil when one of the original four steals the group’s horses and leaves the rest to fend for themselves against the elements. From the opening moments of “Outcasts,” it is clear that this is no run-of-the-mill western yarn. It is a physical and emotional battle between the characters, the frontier, and the forces within each person. As strange as it seems, this is a tale of growing up, of learning to be human. “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” is an intense drama with a lot to say.”
Commissioned by Trinity Theatre, the adaptation of Bret Harte’s short story “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” was first produced in The Carlson Theatreat The National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois.
Stu Feiler, the Entertainment Editor for THe Pioneer Press wrote of the play:
“The Trinity Theatre’s . . . world premiere of “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” is a stirring adaptation of Bret Harte’s cl;assic. It is the story of a group of frontier types who high-tail it out of town just ahead of a lynch mob.
The group consists of a black-clad gambler, a “dance hall girl,” the local madame, and the town drunk. Deciding to rest in a deserted cabin before pressing on with their journey to safety in a far away town, the groiup finds itself stranded in the midst of a savage early winter snow storm. Soon after they make camp, the band is joined by a wide-eyed youthy and his very pregnant and extremely innocent fianecee, enrooute toi Poker Flat to “git hitched.”
The action really begins to boil when one of the original four steals the group’s horses and leaves the rest to fend for themselves against the elements. From the opening moments of “Outcasts,” it is clear that this is no run-of-the-mill western yarn. It is a physical and emotional battle between the characters, the frontier, and trhe forces within each person. As strange as it seems, this is a taler of growing up, of learning to be human. “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” is an intense drama with a lot to say.”