- Cast and crew of Seven Keys to Baldpate 1983
Driftwood Players
"Seven Keys to Baldpate" Sept. - Oct. 1983
By George M. Cohan, Directed by Gordon H. Miller
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Bob Ronald, John Erak, Bob Anderson |
David Schmit, Amy Warren, Sue Rahi |
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Sue Rahi, Amy Warren, Mike Dugan, David Schmitt |
Gordy Copeland, Richard Pickernell, Alan Richrod |
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Mike Mundy, Bob Anderson, Sally Anne Adams |
Scooter Scherieble, Bill Bilsland |
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From The Daily World, Friday, September 23, 1983
William Hallowell Magee is a very good-looking young man (he resembles Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter) who makes a very nice living by writing very melodramatic suspense novels. He is the hero of "Seven Keys to Baldpate", the melodramatic-farce which opened the Driftwood Player's theater season last Saturday.
Baldpate Inn is an old-timey summer resort (this all takes place in 1930), only it's now the dead of winter. And Magee, played with a nice dash of super-hero by David Schmit, has come to the deserted inn to win a bet with the inn's non-resident owner that he can write a complete novel in 24 hours.
He is greeted by the caretaker, Elijah Quimby, endowed with hilarious authenticity by Bill Bilsland, and his nervous wife, Scooter Scherieble. They are the most realistic people in the play, and there's a good reason for that. But we're not going to tell it.
Magee is in possession of what is supposed to be the one and only key to Baldpate Inn. But in rapid succession, the door of the Inn creaks open to admit a sinister gangster type played convincingly by Mike Mundy, a sweet but determined young newspaper reporter (Amy Warren) and her emotional widow friend, Sue Rahi; a wild-eyed and hostile hermit played by Mike Dugan; a slinky, sly and deceptive beauty (Sally Anne Adams) ; an excitable con-man played by John Erak; two graft-happy dishonest business men, portrayed by Bob Ronald and Bob Anderson; an opportunistic police chief (Richard Pickernell) ; the owner of Baldpate, Alan Richrod, and a police officer, Gordon Copeland.
Naturally, what you get when these characters start crossing and double-crossing each other is -- melodrama. Lots of it. Some of it is laid on too thick, until the ending reveals why. For all is not what it seems in this play, and the true state of affairs may not be obvious until after the final blackout.
All in all, it's good entertainment with a lot of laughs and good performances by the few veteran Driftwood actors and the several newcomers, directed with style by Gordon Miller. The set is sensationally latter-day gothic, designed and constructed by Doug Sipe, Bill Davis and crew; Jerry Keltner's lighting was most atmospheric, and the sound effective.
The play will show at 8:15 for the next four Friday and Saturday nights in the theater at Third and I Streets in Aberdeen; tickets are available at City Rexall Drug in Aberdeen, Harbor Rexall Drug in Hoquiam, and the Monte Drug in Montesano.
Home Driftwood Players Inc.
