Wild Dust
WILD DUST is available through Samuel French, Inc. It is published as a straight
play but has recently been turned into a musical, appropriately called WILD DUST
THE MUSICAL. It will be available through Samuel French later in 2008
You can do a web search do learn more about the various theatres across the
country that have mounted this show. It is part of our main stage program.
Story Synopsis
We’re WESTWARD BOUND In the West That Never Was, that magical cowboy
kingdom where Roy and Gene were kings, another fable’s about to unfold.
The worst dust storm in a decade was about to hit town. The men are gone, driving
the horses and cattle to safer shelter to ride out the storm. Which left the women of
town to fend for themselves in the only building strong enough to withstand the
pounding sand – the town saloon. So four “Ladies Of The Night” and three “Ladies
Of The – ah - Day” are thrown together for the next 72 hours.
Things go from bad to badder when our dashing hero, COOPER, stumbles in out of
the dust and runs smack dab into our saloon gals. MARION, SALLY & BELLE are
dead set on gettin’ rid of him, trying to force him back out into the storm.
Coop manages to stay, but only by waking MISSUS STYLES, the town matron, her
daughter GERT, who’s kept on a very tight leash, and HARD CORA, the local
blacksmith. And of course DENISE, the fallen angel with a dark past.
When the others want to know who he is, he answers “I’m NOBODY.” Just a
nameless cowboy of the old wild west.
The next morning we discover that the saloon gals have one very dead bartender on
their hands and one of them may have down him in. But don’t blame them too
much. After all, THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD in everybody. To make matters
worse, they discover that Cooper may or may not be a U.S. Marshal. The girls try
desperately to get the body outside into the storm, but each time they try to ditch the
evidence, the place turns into grand central.
The storm outside is nothing compared to the tempest that’s brewing inside. Cora
reveals that she left her husband, which floors Louise Styles. After all, a woman is
only as good as the MAN BY YOUR SIDE. Cora has her own funnier version of the
MAN BY HER SIDE, standing up to Louise and making her a hero in Gert’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Belle and Sally are bickering like an old married couple, and fighting
over Cooper, trying to convince him that they’re THE GIRL OF YOUR DREAMS.
Except Cooper is falling for Denise. These two share a love of literature and
feelings bloom in a STORYBOOK ROMANCE. There’s lot of slamming doors as
Louise loses Gert, who wants to be like Cora, who’s tryin’ to impress Louise. It’s a
madhouse, but not nearly as crazy as the storm growing outside.
The gale is a frightening cacophony, but Marion reassures everyone that they can be
louder than the storm. And when hell come’s a callin’ you just DANCE WITH THE
DEVIL. Feelings are calmed for a moment, but both the inner and outer storms
continue to rage until the time comes when they need a hero. Someone to go out
into the storm and chain down the roof to save them all.
Much to his shame, Cooper’s deadly secret is exposed. He has to admit he was A
MAN OF DESTINY, but now he’s just a lawman that lost his nerve. He’s a failure on
the run.
But through Denise he finds the courage to face the dust and his own demons.
When the storm passes the cast is left as barren as the town. Stripped clean. With
a chance few of us are rarely given. The opportunity to start fresh and become the
person we truly want to be.
Yee-haw!
