Two Heads Are Better Than One

5m, 4w, 1+ either
1m 45-65, 2m 30-45, 2m 20-30; 1w 45-60, 1w 30-45, 2w 20-25; others any age

The melodrama Two Heads Are Better Than One concerns a villainous circus ringmaster who covets a set of conjoined female twins for his side show.  The twins happen to come to his circus one day, and he convinces their impoverished father that their joining his side show would be a wise financial move.  He takes the twins, but the father soon realizes that he has been duped, and descends into bankruptcy and drink.  Meanwhile, his daughters are plunged into an environment with sympathetic characters - a two-headed boy, a bearded lady, and a popcorn vendor - and with the evil ringmaster and his burly foreman.  The action all comes to a head in an abandoned sawmill with a working saw.

Two Heads Are Better Than One embraces the conventions of melodrama, with asides, perils, and threats.  The overall tone is comic, though, and a happy ending is ensured for all but the villain.

Along with the principal characters, which also include a soft-hearted town spinster, there can be any number of townspeople, who appear in the first act and can also double as circus performers at the end of the second act.

The first act has few scenic needs, with lighting able to distinguish individual scenes, and with minimal props required.  In the second act, a rotating saw and a movable log carriage are called for, but no particular realism is called for in their construction.

Costuming can make the show truly sparkle.  Circus outfits are needed, with special requirements being our primary hero's second head, double costumes for the conjoined twins, and a beard for the bearded lady.  Two Heads Are Better Than One can make for a delightful evening of entertainment when a comic melodrama is needed, with a little music and dance thrown in for good measure.