Sycamore High School to perform “Alias Smedley Pewtree or ... the Villain of Glitter Gulch”

SYCAMORE – The Old West is coming to Sycamore High School with three upcoming performances of the melodrama “Alias Smedley Pewtree or … The Villain of Glitter Gulch.”

Performances will be held in the Sycamore High School auditorium at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets cost $7 each and can be purchased at the door or online at sycamoretickets.org.

Director Sue Johnson described the play as a melodrama with a Western theme – and a surprise ending. Glitter Gulch, once a roaring gold mining center, has fallen on hard times. The townspeople of Glitter Gulch use an abandoned casino as refuge from a winter snowstorm.

“It’s a typical melodrama: you’ll cheer for the hero, sigh with the heroine and boo and hiss at the villain,” Johnson said. “We also involve as much audience participation as possible. Normally you’d throw popcorn at the villain, but you’ll be able to throw circus peanuts.”

She said the show is a welcomed arrival after a virtual show in 2020.

“Two years ago, we had to have a Zoom show,” Johnson said. “It’s nice to be able to be on stage and have as much normalcy as possible.”

Sophomore Lilly Grace Faulhaber, who portrays the melodrama’s heroine, Goldie, said she is looking forward to performing on stage in front of an audience.

“You can connect more to the audience when they’re in front of you in-person instead of on a screen,” she said. “This show is also very interactive. It’s very much crowd-involved.”

The story’s titular character is villainous banker Smedley Pewtree, portrayed by sophomore Elijah Herra.

Herra said what he enjoys most about the melodrama is being able to portray the villain.

“There’s a lot of over-the-top yelling and reactions, and as the villain, I react the opposite of everyone else: when they’re happy, I’m sad; when they’re sad, I’m happy,” Herra said. “There’s a lot of overacting and over-reacting throughout the show. Be prepared for a lot of movement and a lot of fun.”

Herra said he didn’t model his character portrayal after any one villain.

“I just watched ‘The Magnificent Seven’ and other Western movies for inspiration,” he said. “I tried to make the character my own.”

Senior Garrett Harms, who portrays the character Obnoxious Little Irving, said he is excited for the crowd’s reaction to the show.

“It’s a really fun show, and the characters are really different,” Harms said. “I think everyone will be entertained, laugh a little and enjoy our performance.”