Centre Theatre Features D. W. Gregory, et al.

One of boxing's most infamous champions participated in one of Americas biggest sports disasters in the unlikely location of Shelby Montana. Heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey was the biggest draw in the world during the 1920s. His fights had million dollar gates and drew hundreds of thousands of people to his fights.

In 1923 tiny Shelby, Montana managed to finagle a fight between Jack Dempsey and Tommy Gibbons. Originally a publicity stunt, the town hoped the fight would make the little town with big dreams the "Tulsa of the West."

The whole event turned into a tragic-comic fiasco that ruined the town and had Dempsey fighting for his pride and title in front of an unruly crowd of cowboys, angry war veteran, famed writer Damon Runyon and Blackfeet Indians.

The whole story is told in two new works. With these strong sources, Iron Age Theatre continues its commitment to expand the theatrical experience from a simple performance event to include significant research support for the audience on line, in the program and through other media.

The comic drama "Molumby's Million" by playwright D. W. Gregory is having its world premier by Iron Age Theatre at the Centre Theater in Norristown. Gregory, a Pulitzer Prize nominated playwright, is originally from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area. She has written a funny, yet moving play about Dempsey, his manager, the reporters covering the story and the naïve Montana cowboys playing in a game over their heads On November 6 D.W. Gregory will be in Philadelphia to speak after the performance.

University of Nebraska Press has just released Chicago author Jason A. Kelly's book "Shelby's Folly" about the fight, the events leading up to, and consequences of it. The book details the machinations of the town fathers to even get Dempsey's camp to consider a fight there (most of which involved large sums of cash), and the disaster the unfolded as the fight went on. Funny, insightful and well constructed, the book captures the time period and the madness of the event. Dempsey retained his title and went on to even greater fame, but Shelby lost everything when only a handful of the unruly crowd actually paid to see the fight. "Jason Kelly's Shelby's Folly is a highly entertaining slice of American history using Jack Dempsey's July 4, 1922, heavyweight title fight versus Tommy Gibbons as a backdrop for brazen American optimism, small town politics, and snake oil salesmanship." stated Richard Arlin Stull,of ARETE Kelly will be in Norristown to speak about the fight and his book on November 20th

"We are excited to have two impressive speaker's night events for this production. The opportunity to talk with an expert in the content of the play and a nationally recognized playwright in Norristown is exciting." statEd Randall Wise co director of the play. Both of these talkback events are included in the ticket price of the performance and will be live streamed.

Jason A. Kelly joined the Chicago based Magazine in February 2009 after 14 years as a reporter, columnist, and editor at the South Bend (Indiana) Tribune. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1995. At the Magazine he edits the Chicago Journal and College Report sections, and he writes feature stories. "Shelby's Folly" is his first book.
D.W. Gregory is a critically acclaimed writer whose plays have been presented throughout the United States and abroad. She writes comedies and dramas that draw on her working-class roots. Often set in rural America, her plays explore the disconnect between the dream and reality of American blue-collar experience. She is originally from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area and currently lives outside of Washington D.C. The New York Times has called Ms. Gregory "a playwright with a talent to enlighten and provoke" for Radium Girls, a drama about watch dial painters poisoned on the job. The Good Daughter, about a farm family in World War I Missouri, earned her a Pulitzer Prize nomination when it premiered at New Jersey Repertory Co, where Ms. Gregory is a resident playwright.  She is a national core member of the Playwrights Center in Minneapolis and a member of Playground, a playwrights' development group at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Co., in Washington, D.C.

Damon Runyon covered the fight in 1923  and is a major character in the play.  He died of cancer in 1946. The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation was created to support the most promising early career scientists committed to discovering the causes and cures for all forms of cancer.  On November 14th, two dollars from every ticket sold will be donated by the Theatre to the Foundation.

 To accelerate breakthroughs, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation provides today's best young scientists with funding to pursue innovative cancer research.  Since its founding in 1946, the Foundation has invested over $220 million and funded more than 3,200 early career scientists.  Eleven scientists supported by the Foundation have received the Nobel Prize, and others are heads of cancer centers and leaders of renowned research programs.  The Foundation currently is funding more than 110 scientists at leading medical centers and research institutions. 100% of all direct donations are used to support scientific research.  The Foundation pays their low administrative and fundraising costs from their Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets service and endowment.

"This play is in the tradition of the screwball comedies of the 1930s, " said Director John Doyle. "But it is also a very poignant look at people trying to be true to their beliefs in a cutthroat world." The added themes of service to ones country, the culture of celebrity, and the omnipresent power of money to corrupt honest men adds depth to the story. "While you are laughing you can explore the themes of the play and still watch a wonderful story of love and redemption." stated Doyle.
Working together the Centre Theater and Iron Age Theatre have been one of the most critically acclaimed companies in the area for over fifteen years. The Philadelphia City Paper called the companies, The area's most under appreciated professional theater. Receiving Barrymore nominations for a number of their productions the companies have also premiered seven plays in the past two years including "Citizen Paine," "Waiting for the Ship from Delos," Philadelphia playwright Chris Braak's "The Life of John Henry," and Jeffrey Hatcher's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Coming soon will be the world premier of "Red Emma" about Emma Goldman.

"Molumby's Million" opens November 5 and runs through November at the Centre Theater, Norristown's professional theater at 208 DeKalb St. in downtown Norristown. Showtimes are 8 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are 22 and can be purchased online at www.ticketleap.com. Call 610-279-1013 for information or visit the web at www.ironagetheatre.org

 

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