It’s Deja Vu All Over Again for the Second Time

The Residents of Muskrat Creek

Esther Field (Lindsey Walker) - elderly schoolmarm, who has taken a vow of silence
Sylvester Field (Jason Hardwick) - her son, town undertaker
Chester Field (Peter Brown) - her other son, misses the old Muskrat Creek
Cyrus Lane (Jesse Gervais) - broken hearted widower
Major Goldie Bullion (Cody Porter) - The Baron, coal miner, owner of Crooked Fang Saloon
Billy Minor (Ellie Heath) - his bartender with a heart of gold
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
Dr Thaddeus Buckley (Joel Taras) - A Doctor with a shady past
Annabelle (Kelly Turner) - runaway acolyte

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

Act I

Myrtle in the Field’s home after shooting Jebediah. She’s happy, But Esther isn’t. Jeb may be a con artist, but he did save Myrtle. Did Jesus tell you to pull the trigger and murder people? We’ll see who Jebediah wants after he wakes from his coma. They make a bet. Her fortune for Esther’s soul.

Justice goes to see The Major. He needs to clear up a few things about the person that he’s looking for. Every town has a man like The Major. He’s dealt with his kind before. The Major asks if there is something that he can help him with so that he doesn’t darken his door again?

Dr Buckley looks after Billy Miner and Jebediah. Their humours are out of balance. He knows that they’ve been shot, but he needs to make sure that it’s not contagious. Inside a set of boxes like a nesting doll, he pulls put a vial of heroine. Dr Buckley is called out of the room and Billy pokes Jebediah. Shh! I’m in a coma. He gets out of bed to use the bedpan, but he can’t go with someone in the same room. Dr Buckley re-enters, and Jebediah collapses on the floor. He thought this might happen.

Calliope is in bed sleeping, when Sylvester kneels at their bedside, and says his bedtime prayers. He hasn’t been very honest with her about himself and his family. He’s not the only one that hasn’t been truly faithful. His wife is running around behind his back with someone from his past and he knows that He will strike down a bitch like her.

Myrtle is at the Crooked Fang to ask The Major to kill Esther. Again. She needs it done, but he needs to know how much she’s willing to pay. Billy says that cuddling is the future, but animals tearing each other apart is where his heart is.

Dr Buckley tells Billy that he has only been grazed, and Jebediah only seems to be in a coma when he looks at him. The best thing that he can do is get good at turning around really quickly. It works! Jeb says that it’s really important that people think that he’s in a coma. For a small amount of gold, Dr Buckley’s willing to do just about anything. Billy offers the tapestry that he had wrapped around himself to Jeb to disguise himself. Apparently it’s bulletproof too.

Calliope slaps Sylvester’s face. She has waited all this time for him. She’s been spending all her time with his sister wife and gave all the cursed gold to his mother? But we’re poor! She put up with Annabelle because she wanted him back. Where were you? In your shed. For 2 weeks? Why? He wanted to keep an eye on her. It was like the first time he was married, she ran around with someone else. Calliope only put up with her the get rid of her. Are you telling me I’m not allowed to have any friends? Well, not with her or anyone else that he doesn’t approve of. She doesn’t think that she know Sylvester anymore. He has to let her life her own life. It’s big of me, but I’ll let you be your own person.

Everyone goes to visit Jeb and witness his diagnosis. Dr Buckley tells them that he has what is called into extreme comatitis. He is quite almost dead. If anyone has anything to say to get anything off their chest, now would be a good time. Myrtle apologies for shooting him for deceiving her. He said that he was a man of the Lord, but she came to believe that He is inside her. She has plenty of money to support his acting career. Esther has no apologies because she has done nothing wrong ever. She regrets that they will never get to do all the things on their bucket list. She will still love him. It falls upon Dr Buckley to decide who should win.

Jeb is own bed checking over his notes. Something doesn’t seem quite right. Justice sneaks up on him. He has to use his nose to figure out who his bounty is. He has 3 simple questions for him. What is 17 divided by 4? 3.5. Dr Buckley says it is 4.25, and he pulls a gun on Justice. It is after visiting hours. Justice continues with his questioning. What is your favourite colour? He should be very clear with his answers. The bounty is to be brought in dead. Jeb has seen his type before. What is your favourite colour? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ?!? Dr Buckley says that he should go back to bed. Justice says that Jeb isn’t smart enough to be the person he is looking for.

Sylvester and Calliope lie in bed. So, you’re happy now, right? She asks him if he thinks that getting married on a whim was too fast? She got to do hold his clammy hands and he shot Holden Strong, and you have doubts about their marriage? All she ever wanted was to date. They never ever went out on for their picnic. He proposes that they have a pretend picnic right now. He’s a catch and all she wants to do is go out on picnics and run around with friends. I don’t think you deserve me, and I don’t love you. Calliope knows too much about him and his family. This is going to hurt. Sylvester wraps his hand around Calliope’s throat.

Act II

Myrtle and The Major talk about his pay. She has a suitcase full of Benjamin Franklins? Sir John A MacDonalds?

He asks how he supposed to take her out. Esther’s more vicious than a badger inside a wolverine. You’ll have to take her by suprise. Esther knocks at his door. She is surprised to find Myrtle already there. Maybe they won’t have to worry about coming up with a plan. They have a problem only she can solves. Funny, she has a problem that only can take care of. He tells her that he’s itching to put a bullet in her. She suggests that they make a date for midnight in the town square.

Sylvester chokes the life out of his wife. When he realizes what he has down, he runs away.

Jeb reads the bible in bed while Dr Buckley paces the room. He’d like to play this guy! If it was religious community theatre, they’d all be suffering. Dr Buckley has been working on a new type of remedy for Jeb, called hypnosis. Watch the medallion as it swings back and forth. Billy asks what he is doing. The same thing that I did to treat you.

He needs to treat him to get paid. I mean what’s coming to him. I mean… Shit. Billy wants his hat back. They were switched while they were in the hospital bed. Jeb had a revelation. He became the scumbag that he was portraying. He’s been a bad man. But he has two women after him? Dr Buckley asks how that makes him feel.

The fleeing Sylvester runs into Myrtle. He asks why she is running away. She asks why he is running away. She’s running to someone. She has seen a new light and is filled with the Lord. And you’re running away from your sweetheart. She’s taken ill and was having trouble breathing. You’ve strangled her? You’ll need to help get rid of a body. She can help.

Justice sees Calliope on the floor. It’s an odd place to take a nap. He realises she is dead. Oh hell. She’s cold, just like justice. Maybe he was sent here for another reason. Calliope starts to cough. Quiet, I’m talking. Holy shit. She was roused by his touching monologue. Who attacked you? You know who did this. This is the deepest of betrayals. She thought that Sylvester loved her. Justice knows. He thought someone loved him before once. Did they strangle you too?

Jeb lies on his hospital bed. Esther stands over him and asks how he is. She never really saw someone who looked dead that wasn’t dead. She doesn’t know how to act. It’s me, Esther. Your love. She may die tonight. She agreed to be in three way shootout. For the first time in her young life, she’s scared. I wish that if you were still awake, you’d be there instead of me. That would be selfless of him. She would tell him where all the gold is buried. But instead, she won’t say goodbye. Smell you later, instead. Maybe one day we’ll see each other inside the pearly gatesand ravage each other and Jesus Christ himself will say, “Get a room!” She looks at Jeb. He moved! Is this part of your coma? A strange voice says Jeb is not here right now.

Billy has some questions for The Major. You used my body as a human shield! You’re such a drama queen. First of all, I want to know if you love me. You said that you were my fake daddy. He’s more than his boss, he’s his big pappy. You have to get tough as nails so you can take care of everything after me. He gives her some gold. You need to hold this for me and be tough for me.

Myrtle and Sylvester arrive to take care of Calliope’s body. I left her right here! I don’t know what to tell you. Myrtle has been in his boots before. You didn’t finish the job. Your cold clammy hands that know death could not get the job done.

Justice and Calliope have questions for the new doctor. Let’s see what you know about the human body. This young woman was choked and now she is having trouble breathing. After listening to her breathe, he says that she’s fucked up. Calliope passes out, but wakes up coughing. He suggests that she try a new type of treatment. Bed rest. They tie her to a bed and make sure that she rest. She lies in the bed. If she stops breathing, so will Dr Buckley.

Esther asks Jeb what his name is. Paul, the most evil of names. He is one fucked up demon. He comes with a message from his daddy, the big red guy. He wants her dead. Paul sees a long road before him, one that we all walk down. Do you see a town square? Yes! There’s a part of her that thinks he’s still Jeb. Paul says that he was never an actor. He was a stagehand! She wants to make a deal with Paul. Sure, he loves making deals. He’s to help her get off this road that she’s on. They’re in a stagecoach on the road. Is it before or after midnight. It’s very important. He sees a man in a top hat with a gun with a bullet with her name on it. She needs to give him the wettest willie ever.

Myrtle, The Major, Esther, Sylvester, and Billy Miner are in the town square at midnight. 2 against one isn’t fair, so Myrtle stops back and The Major can do it. Instead of taking paces, she wants them to walk to each other and then turn shoot. They pace towards each other. Esther gives The Major a wet willie. He falls to his knees and a shot rings out. He says that Esther’s family will pay for this for generations to come.

Esther describes what happened to Paul. Jeb says that there was no Paul. The Major used to bully him as a child and torment him wet willies. Billy gives Jeb his hat back. Watch out, you’re going to get a wet Billy.

Photos by Janna Hove