June 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 1968
In this reprise of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (first done in 1951), the Players again presented the adventures of Hank Bennett, a turn-of-the-century blacksmith, who was hit on the head and wakes up to find himself in Camelot.
The Players often use pyrotechnic effects, called poofers. These flash powder explosions are used in various ways. In an outdoor theater, where everything takes place in plain sight, they help distract the audience or hide on-stage activities. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court had many magical effects. Merlin (Ray Puddicombe) climbed a tower to call on "powers" to get rid of the Yankee. As Ray remembers it, he had about five seconds to get down the ladder before the poofer went off. He still recalls the scrapes and bruises he collected on his way down.
Merlin is portrayed as something of a buffoon in Connecticut Yankee, but events in this production made him look even more foolish. Merlin had live pigeons up his sleeves, to be released as a magical effect. Ray put them in upside down, to keep them calm. At the proper moment he would reach in, grab the pigeons and cast them from his sleeves. Half the time, from being upside down, the birds fell stunned to the ground and needed several minutes to recover.
Slide Show 1968 A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
