They Grow Up So Fast

The Residents of Muskrat Creek

Esther Field (Lindsey Walker) - elderly schoolmarm/matriarch
Fester Field (Michael Watt) - her new born son.
Chester Field (Peter Brown) - her other son, misses the old Muskrat Creek
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
Justice Forrell (Randy Brososky) - Bounty Hunter
Calliope Jenkins (Kirsten Throndson) - nurse, Jill-of-all-trades
Dr Thiberius Buckley (Joel Taras) - The REAL Doctor
Vlad Impala (Breck Wiltshire) - Transylvanian immigrant with a sun allergy
Claude DeVille (Chris Bullough) - Half of the vaudeville team “Claude and Dill”
Dill Pickwell (Jason Hardwick) - Half of the vaudeville team “Claude and Dill”
Mr. Silver (Cody Porter) - A stranger in a cape

The Dead, Missing, or Disappeared Residents of Muskrat Creek.

Sylvester Field (Jason Hardwick) - The town undertaker
Cyrus Lane (Jesse Gervais) - broken hearted widower
Lester Field (Randy Brososky) - Proprietor of Fields, the general store
Cyrus Lane (Jesse Gervais) - Broken hearted widower
Holden Strong (Joel Taras) - Hard working miner
Major Goldie Bullion (Cody Porter) - The Baron, coal miner, owner of Crooked Fang Saloon
Rev. Jebediah (Chris Bullough) - A Reverend.
Annabelle (Kelly Turner) - runaway acolyte
Dr Thaddeus Buckley (Joel Taras) - A “Doctor"

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

Act I

Calliope wonders what she could have done differently to keep Honey Karat alive. She is visited by her old lover, Justice Forrell. Where have you been? He understands her anger. He tried to save Honey Karat as well. He did it all for you, Calliope. So whatever I did, it would still one the wrong thing? He has always been on her side. She gives him back his sheriff’s badge. But she’ll keep the brothel inspector one. Justice couldn’t deal with the pressures that come with the badge. Of course you couldn’t handle responsibility.

Myrtle, Esther, and Fester are on the run after he killed Tiberius. Esther wants to know who he loves more. He wonders what the right answer is. Chester is there to meet his baby brother. They need his help disposing of the doctor’s body. Fester lets it slip the he killed him. Chester is more than happy to help out his little brother.

The judge and Mr Silver talk about his big Baby Fester is. Mr Silver tries Fricassee’s homemade pablum. Maybe they can use it to lure Fester. Mr Silver thinks that Fester may be the prophesied one. They may have to use more sinister methods to capture Fester.

Claude can’t decide how to wear the mayor’s sash. It is weighing on him. Many who have worn it before wound up dead.Dill asks if he is having second thoughts. No take backsies. Claude wants to make a difference and be successful. And forget about Dill. Claude is happiest in front of a crowd. Maybe have a town hall meeting! The people don’t know anything about him. He needs to get out there and kiss some babies. It’ll be hard, but he needs Dill out of his life. He has to be out on his own. He strips down.

Thaddeus searches for his brother and finds Annie Gunn sitting with a bottle. He helped her once before in her quest for sobriety. He asks how her challenges have been going. Pretty good. Thaddeus is disappointed to see her drunk. Thaddeus says that she lied to him that she hadn’t had a drink before. He left her and that started Annie on her downward spiral. She wonders if he is trying to get back together with her. That may be a side quest. Maybe he’s there to help her stop drinking, too besides finding his brother.

Myrtle has never loved anyone as much as she loves Fester. He did not come from her loins, but she feels like his mother. She tells Fester that Esther is a bad woman. Yes, he knows. If she takes care of Esther like he did Tiberius, they can be together. Esther catches them together conspiring. She has a bedtime story for him, about how she birthed him from her womb, without any help. Myrtle thinks it can’t have been very hard with all the babies she has had before. Esther says that Fester will learn who loves him and who is using him. Myrtle tells Fester that she has never killed any of her children.

Claude holds a town hall. The whole town is there. He was naked yesterday to show how open and vulnerable he is. They have many things to deal with. He swears to wear the sash, even though he may be struck down at any moment. He will make sure that they have a festival! Claude asks everyone what they want from them. Myrtle wants Ladies Night starring the mayor. The judge wants clowns. Chester wants his mom back. Thaddeus wanted revenge. Esther wants a moderately bright future for her son. Sons. Annie wants to be a main quest. Dill wants honesty. He tells the town that Judge Fricassee Williams is in fact Barnaby Benson!

Act II

Back at the meeting, Barnaby says that sometimes you have other go in disguise to get to the route of corruption. But impersonating a judge is a criminal offence. As the sheriff, Justice arrests him, everyone chants LOCK HIM UP!

Chester looks for a place to hide Tiberius’s body. Thaddeus asks what he is doing? Chester panics, thinking that Tiberius is either alive or a ghost. Thaddeus wonders what he means. A minute ago, he was dead in this wheelbarrow. Thaddeus is sickened. So is Chester.

5 minutes later, Chester tells Thaddeus what happened. There was a dead man that looked like him that was dead. When they go to look at the wheelbarrow, Tiberius has disappeared.

Barnaby never thought that he’d end up in jail, hated by everyone. Mr Silver bursts in. If there’s one thing that he can’t abide, it’s incompetence. He leaves Burnaby to his fate.

Esther sits with Fester, sharing a drink and enjoying a chat. She is happy to get him away from Myrtle for a hot second. She would do anything for Fester. Would he do anything for her? It would depends on the circumstances.

What would you do to get rid of your brother? Murder? Yes, murder. Myrtle has been watching and reveals herself. Esther insists that Fester is not Myrtle’s son. How could you? You have had so many children! Esther tells Fester to stop listening. Maybe some of Myrtle’s life choices are why she has no children of her own. Fester asks what they have been talking about. Fester’s future.

Justice and Dill enjoy the beautiful fay together in the park. Justice is happy that they can be together and pretend everything is okay. Dill thought that everything WAS okay. If he gave everything up, Justice would be hollow. Would you still love me? Spend all your time with me? Justice would like nothing more than go off with Dill and see the world. Justice has been given a second chance. He can only do that if he wears the mantle of sheriff fully. He can’t ask Dill to wait for him. He has to follow through on Barnaby’s arrest. Justice came to town to make a difference. He made a difference with Dill. He will wait. They kiss.

Claude and Calliope talk about a new step for the town and the festival. Calliope would never hurt anyone. They can turn over a new leaf. Calliope is only half sheriff now, but he has some concerns. Every time the town gathers together, they turn into a mob and someone ends up either dead for arrested. Calliope suggests that when everyone steps into town, they are granted full immunity. We see everyone at the festival, acting appropriately. Calliope always said that when everyone is left to their own devices, that always make the right choice. It all worked because of Claude. But something doesn’t feel quite right about it. He wanted Dill there by his side. He has completed his life’s journey, and he should have been there. Calliope thinks that maybe if Claude waits long enough, someone will settle for him. Dill asks how the job is going. Well, they had a successful festival. You did it! Dill always believed in Claude. Dill was there, alone. Dill tells Claude that he and Justice are on a… hiatus. Calliope tells Claude to trust himself and take Dill’s lead, but he can’t offer himself to Dill. He won’t be Dill’s second choice. Dill only told him about their break as his friend. He will never be with Claude.

Dr Thaddeus has given Annie a full “examination”. She’ll do whatever he wants. He needs her to find out who murdered his brother.

Esther is visited by Mr Silver. He has been supplying sons to Silvers for years. They are surprised to be joined by Fester. He may be spending a lot of time with Uncle Silver. He says that they have to get rid of Myrtle. Fester and Esther will find a way to take care of her. Mr Silver leaves. Esther tells Fester that Myrtle only wants him to feel like he is better than everyone. But she loves him how he is. It is time to do the thing that you do so well. Chester has been listening. Fester is learning about nuance, and he’s not sure he could do it. Chester says that if Fester won’t do it. Chester will. Fester now says that he will do it, too. Esther says that whoever takes care of Myrtle wins the prize.

Claude has called in Justice to his office. He needs him to enforce things around here for him. Like the law? The law is changing. It is whatever Claude says it is. There’s too much love in this town. Justice thought that’s what the festival was all about. Some things that happened at the festival that he never wants to happen again. He outlaws any expression of love that isn’t between a male and female. Justice says that he can’t help Claude hate himself. He will enforce the law until Claude steps over the line. Claude tells Justice to stay away from Dill.

Fester has to tell Myrtle something that may scare her. He tells her that Chester wants to kill her, but she can always trust Fester. The points and asks if that is Chester. Myrtle looks, and Fester strangles her.

Annie visits Burnaby in his jail cell. She is shocked when he takes off his disguise. She may be able to help him out. Who killed the other doctor, Tiberius? She’ll share some of her bottle if he tells her. He tells her that they found tiny handprints and tiny feet. There’s only one person she knows with tiny hands and feet. Calliope!

Fester stands over Myrtle’s boy. He has come into his power. He has become who his mama wants him to be. His REAL mama.

Justice and Dill run into each other in the park. Things are moving forward one step at a time for both of them. Justice tells Dill that Claude has made things worse. Dill has been waiting for Claude to make things better. He’s going to be waiting a long time. Justice tells Dill that Claude has signed an executive order to stop them from being together. Calliope overhears. Justice is just trying to find a way through. Calliope is mad that he’s talking about her AGAIN. She asks about the executive order. Dill asks how Calliope how she became half sheriff. How do you think?.

Chester finds Myrtle dead on the floor. He thinks that she is sleeping. If she doesn’t wake up, he’ll know that he should kill her. Claude shoots her. She stares at him with dead eyes.

Fester tells Esther how he killed Myrtle. Claude enters and gives her the pistol that he used to kill Myrtle. Something is dead inside of Chester now. He’s the son that she always wanted. Esther wonders whodunnit. Myrtle drags herself in. She says that both of them killed her, and she dies.

All Photos by Janna Hove