Ransom of Red Chief, The

Full-Lengths

By: R. Eugene Jackson
Cast: 5 M, 8 F, 2 flexible, opt. extras
Performance Time: Approximately 75 minutes, 67 pgs.

COMEDY/CLASSIC. Adapted from the 1910 short story by O. Henry. Two bumbling con artists, Samantha and Bill, stop off in Summit, Alabama, to scam $2,000 from unsuspecting townsfolk. But when they fail to swindle money from an elderly woman, Samantha and Bill decide to kidnap Jonni Dorset, the young daughter of a wealthy banker, and hold her for ransom. Bill and Samantha take the innocent-looking Jonni to their hideout in a nearby cave, but when Samantha leaves to deliver the ransom note, Bill is left alone to watch over Jonni, who has the time of her life riding Bill like a horse, feeding him sand, shooting him with toy arrows, and trying to scalp him with a tomahawk. By the time Samantha returns, Bill is reduced to a bruised, trembling, sobbing mess. Realizing no one in their right mind would pay $2,000 to get this red-headed monster back, Bill and Samantha keep reducing the ransom. However, Jonni’s parents have a big surprise for Samantha and Bill—these kidnappers will have to pay the parents to take this child back!

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During his career of teaching drama on the university level, R. Eugene Jackson has written more than 100 plays and musicals (books and lyrics), and has close to 80 publications. Jackson lives and writes in Mobile, AL, and spends part of his time in New Orleans.