Beware the Ides of January
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
Chester Field (Peter Brown) - her third son, misses the old Muskrat Creek
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
Lady Lou Quigley (Stephanie Wolfe)- Owner of Lady Lou’s Saloon
Myrtle Wordle (Kristi Hanson) - Wealthy Entrepreneur
Rev. Jebediah (Chris Bullough) - A Reverend.
Justice Forrell (Randy Brososky) - Bounty Hunter
Annabelle (Kelly Turner) - runaway acolyte
Director: Jake Tkaczyk
Music: Paul Morgan-Donald
Producer: Nicole Thibault
Synopsis: Jim Cej
Technical Magic: Olivia Bogaard
Act I
Major Bullion reads a goodbye note from Lady Lou. He’s been trying to change! He brings in new animals every week to fight each other. Billy says that we need to give people the people of Muskrat Creek a reason to care. Holden says that people are coming to see the fights. He’ll say whatever The Major wants to hear. The Major knows that Holden is a piece of shit. Holden may not have as much reverence for him as Billy does, but he knows where all the skeletons are buried.
Since they share the same husband, Annabelle wonders how open Calliope is. She needs some girl friends. Calliope has to be completely honest with Annabelle. She hates her. That’s alright. Hate makes good bedfellows. Where are you living? Nowhere in particular. Well, I have a shed… Yeah, I know. It’s full of weapons. Let’s start a rumour about me that Annabelle is a witch. Cooperate, or Annabelle will tell people that Calliope is a witch. I bet she’ll float.
Honey Karat, Myrtle, and Alma talk about their situation. Honey Karat had no qualms about shooting Lester. No one is going to miss one man. Myrtle says that she loved him. Honey asks if she remembers that they’re all in this together. Honey is the one that killed her husband. She can go to the NWMP. Alma is torn who she should side with.
Chester confronts his mother. He has a letter from Lester. It’s in many small pieces. He extrapolates a lot from the word ‘hooped’. Esther tells her son that no one cares about her and her needs. She threatens to hurt Chester’s feelings more than they’ve ever been hurt before. Calliope enters. Chester asks if she’s felt the curse of the gold yet. Calliope asks where her husband Sylvester is. He has a secret wife, and she’s here. It’s Annabelle.
Rev Jebediah visits Burnaby Benson. He wants to thank the Reverend for helping him find himself. He asks Burnaby to kneel and close his eyes. He can remember something like this from when he was an altar boy.
Four hours later, Jebediah has summoned an evil spirit. It influences both Jebediah and Burnaby. Myrtle visits, and Burnaby calls her a jezebel. She is not without sin. The Reverend asks her to kneel as well.
The Major and Billy talk about what to do about Holden. Billy wonders if her fake father has grown a conscience. The only way to make Muskrat Creek better is to get rid of Holden. I’ll bet that Holden is responsible for her fake mother Lady Lou leaving town. They should squeeze the life out of Holden. They ask the cursed gold what they should do.
Honey Karat tells Alma that she was supposed to siphon all the money out of Myrtle. Annabelle comes in for a drink. Honey Karat tells Alma that Annabelle used to be her sister wife. There are only 2 things that Honey Karat likes to have in her hand. A knife to carve a nice long hard piece of wood, and a gun. Alma can get one of each for her. Honey Karat just needs some wood.
The Reverend finishes exorcising Burnaby and Myrtle. Myrtle feels like she is changing. Praise the Lord! The Reverend is seeing number sand dollars signs. $45. Will you help me if I give you $45? Holden barges in, looking for some guidance. Seeing what’s going on, he says that he’s not much of a church going man. Is this what typically happens? The Reverend asks Myrtle what she sees when she looks at Holden. A man full of regret, with love in his heart. He is ready to fall. If you fall, the Lord will catch you.
Calliope counts her cursed gold. She feels that she can see the future. Chester asks if she sees a nice mother. She sees Rain Man. She sees Sylvester, cold and alone, crying and running back and forth. Chester says that all the Field men have darkness in him. She should run away. Like Running Man? Esther calls her son a turd. He runs out of the room and tells Calliope that the gold carries a lot of metaphorical weight. She should give it to her. Calliope does. In exchange for taking her gold, Calliope needs to do something for Esther. Make Annabelle leave town. Dead or alive.
Act II
Holden meets Chester in the street. Chester says that all the Field men are terrible. Holden says that he is a new man since he’s found the Lord. Chester is not a turd in the eyes of the Lord. He’s not a turd man. Holden scats.
Esther asks Jebediah about his day. It was a good day. I made $45 dollars! He says he got it from Esther. She’s Esther. Who did you get it from? Things are working out for him. He’s raving! He confesses that he’s not a priest. He’s JJ. So, you can tell people that you’re a priest and they’ll give you money to bring to me? I’m an actor, baby.
Calliope goes to Honey Karat and Alma. She needs to get Annabelle out of town.
Burnaby and Myrtle are still on their knees after their religious experience. They felt bewitched. Annabelle enters, and Myrtle says that she cannot associate with witches anymore. Burnaby and Myrtle start speaking in tongues.
The Major and Billy come in on Calliope telling Honey Karat and Alma that Annabelle is a witch as they rub up against her. Billy thinks that they need to bring that kind of thing into the Crooked Fang. Maybe the gold was wrong. Maybe we shouldn’t go after Holden, but make a whole bunch of cash out of ladies cuddling. Why not do both?
Holden and Chester finish the last note of their song four hours later. Chester felt like he belonged and has to say thank you. It was really meaningful for him. The Major and Billy run in and throw a carpet over Chester by mistake. Shots ring out, and they are both shot.
JJ tells Esther all about his scam. They could open a theatre and he could be a REAL actor. Esther tells him that Myrtle has all of her son’s money. He needs to get the rest of its from her. Myrtle, Burnaby, and Annabelle rush in. Myrtle has turned over a new leaf. Annabelle grabs JJ’s bible. It’s a zombie book! Well, Jesus did come back from the dead… Burnaby asks if JJ is a fraud. Well, at least he’s not a witch!
Photos by Janna Hove
