The Barton Community College Theatre Department will present “The Flowering of Chastity or Chaste across the Stage (An Old-Fashioned Melodrama)” by Dutton Foster in Great Bend, Larned and St. John on three consecutive nights this month. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. at the following locations:

• Tuesday, July 23 - in the band shell at the Barton County Courthouse Square in Great Bend

• Wednesday, July 24 - west of the Haas Building at Jordaan Park in Larned

• Thursday, July 25 - in the St John city square

The show is a satirical melodrama that follows the high jinks of the protagonist Chastity, the innocent young maiden, her oft-inebriated aunt Absinthe, Henry Homeward, a senile banker, and of course a gallant hero, Terence Truelung and an evil villain Desmond Darkacre. 

The production will be directed by Barton Theater Instructor Dr. Rick Abel. 

“We were really looking for a show that was lighthearted entertainment for the whole family,” he said. 

Abel said there will be a fun-filled, interactive experience for audience members. “The show will be produced as it would have been at the turn of the 20th century with audience sing-a-longs, jokes and short skits just prior to the play.” 

Admission is free. Donations will be gratefully accepted. 

This story was updated on July 9 to reflect the correct order of the programs.