Terror on the Open Plain

5m, 4w
2m 45-65, 3m 25-45; 2w 45-65, 2w 20-30

The comic melodrama Terror on the Open Plain takes place as the cowhands on a cattle drive encounter survivors of a brutal attack on a wagon train.  But was the attack by Comanches or by werewolves?  And what secrets are associated with the Transylvanian survivors who hide themselves from the daylight?  More complications arise from the fact that one of the cowhands is secretly a werewolf and another is secretly a vampire.  Add in a sweet young woman with romantic notions of vampires, a cargo of roasted garlic, and confusion about the homonyms "stake" and "steak" and the troubles come to a head.

Terror on the Open Plain embraces the conventions of melodrama, with asides, perils, dashed plans, and popcorn thrown by the audience.  The overall tone is comic, and a happy ending is ensured for all but the villain.  A twist is that the heroically handsome young man is actually the villain and the strange nocturnal Transylvanian becomes the hero.

The cast consists of three groups of people: the three cowhands; the sweet young woman and her parents; and the Transylvanian trio of a master and his two servants.  All the roles provide juicy acting challenges.

Scenic and costuming needs are simple.  All the action takes place on the open plain, with just a couple of campfires used to set the scene.  The only costuming change need be for the sweet but feisty young woman, whose modest pioneer dress is swapped for a cowhand's outfit for part of act two.  (She has, after all, volunteered to help fill in herding cattle.)  Lighting effects can help establish atmosphere for the three night scenes.

Consider Terror on the Open Plain when a melodrama is needed with equal parts comedy and spookiness.  Who doesn't love cowboys, vampires, and werewolves?  Acting challenges abound, but scenic and prop demands are small.