Pittsburg Community Theatre production opens tonight

“Love Rides the Rails or Will the Mail Train Run Tonight?” kills two birds with one stone.
The Pittsburg Community Theatre production, is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. today and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday in Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium.
Net proceeds from ticket sales for the two evening performances will raise funds for a scholarship in memory of the late Robert J. Tindel, local speech and English teacher who was also a gifted actor, director and PCT stalwart.
The Saturday matinee will be part of the Little Balkans Days celebration, with admission by an LBD button. Since it deals with railroads, it’s especially appropriate for the occasion.
As explained by Lori Pommier at the start of the show, this melodrama requires audience participation. People are expected to yell “Yah!” when hero Truman Pendennis, played by Josh Johnson, strides on stage. When sweet heroine Prudence, Gabrielle Murnan, say “Ohhhh.” Boos and hisses are in order when Mark Johnson, as dastardly Simon Darkway, shows up.
All names of railroads in the play have been changed to local ones, according to director Janette Mauk. “The setting of the play was changed from Cragsmoor to Carona, and the railroad line used throughout the play was changed from Walker Valley, Pine Bush & Pacific Railroad to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe,” she said.
Darkway wants to expand his own railroad, but can’t do that unless he puts the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe out of business. He first tries to buy up the railroad stock belonging to the Widow Hopewell, Prudence’s mother, but she refuses to sell. Darkway then decides to discredit poor Truman, the railroad manager, thus ruining the railroad and claiming Prudence for  his own.
The villain enlists the help of Carlotta Cortez, owner of the local salon, played by Lori Pommier, and henchman Dirk Sneath, played by Logan Johnson.
There’s a lot of dancing by saloon girls Chelsea Montgomery, Liza Erwin, Erin Simons, Megan Peters, Katie Phalen and Grace Spencer. Old favorite songs include “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Pommier sings “After the Ball.” Joella Reid accompanies everything on piano.
With Truman drunk and disgraced, and all the railroad workers out on strike, it looks like Darkway will succeed. But what melodrama ever has an unhappy ending? With this show there really is a “Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.”