Based on tales from the Old West written by Bret Harte and O. Henry, they are brought beautifully to life in storytelling fashion by ELTC’s artistic director, Gayle Stahlhuth. As in her other holiday shows, including "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," she portrays thirty-plus characters, quickly moving from one to another. This unique holiday treat has become a holiday tradition for many Cape May visitors and tourists.
“Stahlhuth mesmerizes audiences as she moves seamlessly from character to character.” - Catherine Dugan, “Exit Zero”
Francis Bret Harte (1839-1902) moved from Brooklyn to California, and in 1868, became editor of “The Overland Monthly,” where his stories "The Luck of Roaring Camp" and “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” were first published. In 1871, he signed a contract with “The Atlantic Monthly” to write twelve stories in one year for $10,000, the most that had ever been offered an American writer up to that time.
O. Henry (William Sydney Porter, 1862-1910) was charged with embezzling while working at a bank in Texas. In prison, he adopted his pseudonym and wrote “A Retrieved Reformation” which was an immediate success. He was released in 1901 after having served only three years of his prison term, and moved to Manhattan where most of his stories are set. When he died at age 47, he had 23 cents in his pocket. To this day, he is honored by having the most renowned annual collection of American short stories named after him.
