Deer Park Home Link brought some modern Western chaos and comedy to the stage! A cast of 25 young actors took us to Cactus Pass for a family feud, star-crossed lovers, and some wily bank robbers.
The large ensemble cast, directed by Home Link’s brave new drama teacher, Mrs. Emmans, brought giggles and cheers to audiences on January 12th and 13th with the quirky story of Cactus Pass. The story takes place sometime in the 1990s in a one-horse town stuck in the 1800s. Haunted by an 80-year feud over the lost winnings from the hog-calling contest, the Ludlow and Putnam families have the town of Cactus Pass literally divided. The rich and spoiled Barrington family becomes stranded in the small community and finds themselves in the middle of a strange situation.
In the meantime, young Cassie Putnam and Luke Ludlow try to date in secret while wishing the silly feud would come to an end, and the sneaky Scroggs brothers are looking for an opportunity to pilfer from the local bank. The chaotic comedy takes the audience through multiple layers of character high jinks and mishaps.
The ages of this incredible cast ranged from 10 years old to high school seniors. The youngest performers more than kept stride with their elders and were a great addition to the production.
As usual, every single actor shone in their roles, and it was clear that they all worked hard to bring their respective characters to life. Stand-out performances were numerous, but special shoutouts go to Cadence Emmans, Sophia Emmans, Sara Haynes, Elsa Lennartz, and Josiah Knox for their strong characters and delivery. A resounding “Bravo” goes out to the entire cast and crew.
The seniors who participated in Cactus Pass, Sara Haynes, Josiah Knox, and Alyson Vander Mey, were honored at the end of the final show. We certainly wish “happy trails to you until we meet again.”
If you missed seeing Cactus Pass or just want a copy of your very own. You can buy a DVD or digital copy on a thumb drive from KDK Productions DPGazette.com/cactuspass.
The Home Link team is already working on their next production, which is scheduled to come to the stage in May. We look forward to seeing what Mrs. Emmans and the cast and crew bring us in the spring.
The entire cast of Cactus Pass are as follows: Gage Thomas, Cadence Emmans, Martin Schut, Alyson Vander Mey, Renee Quinn, Gerrit Chambers, Josiah Knox, Ayden Vander Mey, Aubrey Longly, Sara Haynes, Sophia Hunsaker, Stefani Liddell, Sophia Emmans, Joeli Thomas, Amalia Emmans, Connor Hynek, Samuel Chambers, Elsa Lennartz, Easton Brittain, Gabriella Wood, Ketura Knox, Kaden Vogel, Samuel Emmans, Timothy Hanley, and Josephina Longly.
Crystelle Knox Home Link Set Design class team members are as follows: Micaiah Knox, Samuel Chambers, and Cadence Emmans.
Sources:
- Program for Cactus Pass at the Kenneth M. Fisher Performing Arts Center, Deer Park, WA. 2024.
