A scene from The Spotlight Theatre's long-running production of "The Drunkard."
Ken Burns' latest documentary, "Prohibition," includes such things as the origins of such colorful words as "bootlegger" and "teetotal" (as in "not just abstinence from alcohol, but capital T total abstinence") in the midst of showing how America was as much a cocktail shaker as melting pot.
But it also included a few clips of a silent film adaptation of "Ten Nights in a Barroom," which is the basis of Tulsa's long-running "The Drunkard," which has been performed every Saturday night since Nov. 7, 1953, at the Spotlight Theatre on Riverside Drive.
"Ten Nights in a Barroom" goes back to 1854, when Timothy Shay Arthur published a novel by that name. The story -- about a man who gives up a job to open a saloon, and how this decision ends up destroying the man's life, family and community -- can be found courtesy of Project Gutenberg
here.
While the novel apparently had some success, it wasn't until it was adapted into a play that "Ten Nights in a Barroom" became widely known. According to some sources, it was regularly staged until well into the 20th century, and there were at least two silent film versions made of the cautionary tale, as well as a 1931 sound version.
The Spotlight Theatre's production, however, has no moral or political agenda -- its version of this story is designed simply to make audiences laugh. In fact, if one wishes, "The Drunkard" can be enjoyed while quaffing a beer.
For information about the Spotlight Theatre and "The Drunkard," go to
tulsaworld.com/spotlight.
"Prohibition" concludes Oct. 4, but OETA will rebroadcast the first episode, "A Nation of Drunkards," at 2 a.m. Oct. 6.
