Solid Gold

Episode 1.
October 21, 2024

The Residents of Muskrat Creek

Esther Field (Lindsey Walker) - elderly schoolmarm, who has taken a vow of silence
Lester Field (Randy Brososky) - her son, proprietor of Fields, the general store
Sylvester Field (Jason Hardwick) - her other son, town undertaker
Cyrus Lane (Jesse Gervais) - broken hearted widower
Holden Strong (Joel Taras) - hard working miner
Major Julien Bullion (Cody Porter) - The Baron, coal miner, owner of Crooked Fang Saloon
Billy Minor (Ellie Heath) - his bartender with a heart of gold
Old Man Muskrat (Vince Forcier) - town eccentric
Alma Grass (Caley Suliak) - Abandoned maid, cleans the whole town
Calliope Jenkins (Kirsten Throndson) - nurse, Jill-of-all-trades
Lady Lou Quigley (Stephanie Wolfe)- Owner of Lady Lou’s Saloon
Constable Burbaby Benson (Tom Edwards) - Local NWMP officer

With Special Guests…

Father Handy (Ron Pederson) - spiritual leader of Muskrat Creek
Prime Minister of Canada (Janis Irwin) - the Prime Minister of Canada

Director: Jake Tkaczyk
Music: Paul Morgan-Donald
Producer: Nicole Thibault
Synopsis: Jim Cej
Technical Magic: Olivia Bogaard

Act I

At the Crooked Fang, Lady Lou and Alma scope out the competition. Lady Lou orders a Moscow Mule to check out how good the bartender is. She knows how to make many kinds of sours. Billy can tell that Lady Lou’s not from around here. She says that she’s from Russia. Major Bullion spots Constable Benson and wonder who let the law in. He makes it his business to know what’s going around town. He’s off duty, but he can be on duty again right away. Julien Bullion promises that there will be some entertainment later.

Cyrus Lane undergoes grief counselling with Father Handy. He tells the Father that a lot of people come up here underprepared and die in the first winter. His wife Joanne and his many, many children passed away a few weeks ago from a mysterious illness. The Lord thinks that Cyrus should get over it. But there’s reason they’re gone and he tried to strike it rich in Muskrat Creek. Cyrus could do something good with his proceeds. Father Handy could use a few bucks. Cyrus confesses that in fact he has a lot of gold and he wants to get rid of it. Father Handy tries to grab it away from him.

Sylvester prepares a body for burial while his mother watches. Lester Field enters and asks if Sylvester remembers him. He remembers when Lester walked out on us. Don’t you remember when Esther sent him away? He has some issues that he brought back with him. He is taken down by Esther’s stare. He was wrong to go away and he was wrong to come back.

Constable Benson, Old Man Muskrat, and Billy Miner trek through the wild. Occasional horses cross their path. Billy thinks that they’re an omen.

Holden and Calliope wander arm in arm. They are engaged to be married. There’s something she needs to tell him. It’s going to be hard for him to hear. Holden can hear pretty well. When Calliope came up north and they met… They are interrupted my Alma as she cleans the room. Calliope tells Alma that she is trying to have a private conversation. It’s okay, I can keep a secret. Calliope tells Holden that she can’t be engaged to Holden anymore. She gives him back his ring.

Lady Lou serves the Prime Minister of Canada something to drink. She’d like something straight. Lady Lou has some grog that she got from The Crooked Fang. She’s there to find a wife. Lady Lou may or may not be married. She tells the Prime Minister that it’s sad to be up her all alone. The Prime Minister is here for her, and for all of Canada. Their tender moment is interrupted by Julien Bullion. He says that there was a mysterious stranger in his saloon earlier, and now there’s 2 cups of grog missing. He tells the Price Minister of Canada that Lady Lou is not to be trusted. She slaps his face and he tells the Price Minister of Canada that she has witnessed an unprovoked assault.

Back at The Crooked Fang, we see the promised entertainment. Everyone has a dance solo.

Cyrus and Father Handy are snapping over the gold. There’s more than enough to go around. He can share it with everyone. NO! But that’s not very Christian. Are you questioning my faith? Because Father Handy has been questioning himself for 13 years. Technically, the gold belongs to Diane. There is no law in Muskrat Creek except for Father Handy’s law. Old Man Muskrat has been watching. He makes a noise and runs off. They follow.

Esther, Lester, and Sylvester have a stare off.

Holden wonders why Calliope is breaking their engagement. Alma tells her to look at her. She’s not worth it. Man up! She’s just a waif. He thought that she’d be his waif after they were married. Nothing has changed about how Holden feels about Calliope. He is going to work to prove his love. He may not be for her now, but in the future…

Act II

Back at the staring contest, everyone is pointing fingers.

Back at Lady Lou’s, Billy Miner is looking for a second job. He is interviewed by the Prime Minister of Canada. Have you ever stolen anything? My mom’s good looks and my daddy’s sense of humour. Lady Lou asks who he would vote for, Lady Lou, or the Prime Minister of Canada. Billy says that if she doesn’t vote for Lady Lou, he won’t get a job, but if she doesn’t vote for the Prime Minister of Canada, he won’t get any job.

Holden rests after a long day in the mine and says that he’s tired. Burnaby asks who he is talking to. Why is he so sad? Calliope called off their engagement. That makes you feel inside that you’re not worth anything. Burnaby has been alone for long time. You get some strange things going on in your head. He should get some courage in his heart and connect with Calliope. When he was young, Burnaby hung with the wrong crowd and he lost a good friend.

Father Handy and Cyrus follow Old Man Muskrat into the coal mine. He can’t let everyone know about Joanne’s gold. Father Handy falls in a chasm. YOUR GOD CAN’T SAVE YOU NOW.

Calliope interrupts the stare off. she has something to tell Sylvester. She pulls him aside and has something to tell her. You can tell me anything. I know, that’s why I love you. Well, that was unexpected. But you are betrothed and engaged. Not anymore. I told Holden that they couldn’t be together anymore because my heart belongs to someone else. Who? Oh yeah, I remember. But we’ll have to get your mother’s approval. She’s busy with my brother that's returned. A dejected Lester leaves.

Billy tells Julien Bullion that he’s found some gold! Julien wants Billy to spy on Lady Lou. He’s thinking about bringing in hard core gambling and the world’s oldest profession. You mean that there will be naked people here? God willing…

Father Handy is trapped in thee chasm in the mine and Cyrus tries to get to him to rescue him. He can’t be here next week, so he thinks that he’s a goner. Remember me, the first priest that came to town. He couldn’t read or go to the seminary, but he had faith. Cyrus says that he can take his gold. That’s stupid. He can buy a tucker to a broadway show. That’s what he thins heaven is like. You know…he dies.

Esther remembers when Lester went away. She cocks a rifle.

The Prime Minister of Canada has been called away. There were a few more things she’s likey to accomplish. There are so many things that they could have taxed. Gold. Liquor. Carbon. Why must you leave so quickly. My work here is done. For now. Sylvester will miss her. She’s been an incredible influence. Tell Lady Lou that I love her.

Burnaby has been singing to Holden for 6 hours, and he has fallen asleep. When he awakes, Burnaby tells him that he needs to sleep with his eyes open. He has an apnea problem. He can’t even sleep with his throat open. Holden has been busting his butt trying to earn a living for Calliope. Maybe she’s the problem. Maybe she’s not dependable. You have to be a team player and give what you get. You have to sing to her. I don;\’t want her bleed from her brain. Well, maybe just talk to her. Holden wants to be right by him and by his heart. He sill sit her down and tell her how he fells.

Old Man Muskrat runs into Alma Grass. She has had a hell of a day. He tells her that he say something in the mines. Most foul, foul deeds in the mine. Alma pairs him a drink. You tell Alma all your secrets. There was a man all in black except for a little white bit at his throat. He wanted a bag of gold, and he was pushed! There was another one there. Thise sad, steeped in death, he was. He’s lost so much, but he was willing to lose more. Alma says that it’s hid mission to bring this person to justice. They need to work together to find out who killed our beloved illiterate Reverend. He was only here for a short while, he he was in the bottom of our hearts. And now he's at the bottom of a mine.

Lady Lou cleans up at the end of the night. Cyrus comes in for a drink. He has a broken ankle, but he’s trying to walk it off. He talks about his wife, Joanne. She has two names. He tells her that he’s never had a drink before. She think s that he needs some time alone. But he says that it’s been some time since he spent some time with a beautiful woman. Have you ever watched a man die. No, but I’ve imagined it. He asks if she knows Father Handy. Yes. Shoot! He fell down a gold mine. They were fighting over this. He pulls out a bag of gold. He gave it to him before he died, but he pulled it out of his hands. He needs her to keep it a secret. Old Man Musket rushes in. I SAW YOU!

Photos by Janna Hove