Historical spirits to visit Fallon Theatre

The Fallon Theatre will host on Oct. 12  the second annual Chautauqua Theatre beginning at 3 p.m. as performers will use costumes and dramatic monologues to bring “Nevada’s Pioneering Spirits” to life on stage.

General admission is $20 and seniors, military and children under 12 years old are $15. Churchill County Museum Association members receive a 50 percent discount. All tickets will be $25 at the door.

The program features Pam Duarte as Alice Ramsey, Jennie Mader as Mary Daisy Allen, Jessica Rowe as Ada Keddie, Deb Stewart as Dr. Virginia Smith, Mel Glover as Willie Capucci, Tom Jones as Ira H. Kent and Glen Perazzo as Sam Short.

Participants of the museum’s Chautauqua program spent several months researching their presentations using items such as newspapers, old documents and conversations with family and friends of their chosen persona.

Jones said he has visited with members of the Kent family to learn about Ira Heber Kent, a man he calls a “fundamental pioneer” for Fallon.

            Chautauqua performer Tom Jones portrays Fallon pioneer Ira Heber Kent during rehearsal on stage at the Fallon Theatre.

Sara Dowling/LVN

 

“He’s the visionary that these locales needed a hundred-and-some-odd years ago and a pillar of the community,” Jones said. “Knowing that the Kent legacy and family still goes on here really kind of excited me.”

As a nurse herself, Stewart felt drawn to study Smith, the first female doctor in Fallon at a time when it was not generally accepted that women should be allowed to become doctors.

“I was blown away by how little was known about medicine all the way up until 1930,” Stewart said. “We had no penicillin or anything to treat infections and that’s why (Smith) was so crazy about keeping everything clean.”  

For information and to purchase tickets call 775-423-3677 or visit the museum at 1050 S. Maine St.