THE MOST MELODRAMATIC THEATRES IN AMERICA

The HeroAndVillain Directory for Melodrama Enjoyment

Updated in 2023

ALASKA

Fur Rondy Melodrama - Alaska Sound Celebration
The beloved Fur Rondy Melodrama returns live on stage with a classic tale of good vs. evil
https://centertix.com/events/fur-rondy-melodrama
621 W 6th Ave - Anchorage, AK 99501
(907) 263-ARTS (2787)

CALIFORNIA

Gaslight Melodrama Theatre & Music Hall
Don't miss their Summer Melodrama Theatre Children's Workshops
12748 Jomani Dr - Bakersfield, CA 93312 (661) 587-3377
http://www.themelodrama.com 


Olde Coloma Theatre
Old Fashioned Melodrama in Coloma, California
380 Monument Road, Coloma, CA 95613
Home of the Coloma Crescent Players
https://oldecolomatheatre.com

Sutter Street Theatre
“Way Out West” is a Melodrama set in Gold Rush Folsom, featuring Gold Rush Sal.
“Boo” the villain and cheer the hero with plenty of cowboys, outlaws and dance hall girls.
The evening is capped off with a classic oleo (a variety show predecessor to vaudeville and burlesque).
710 Sutter St. - Folsom California (916) 353-1001
https://www.villagelife.com/entertainment/western-melodrama-comes-to-folsom/

The Triangle Club Melodramas
In the Julian Town Hall in Julian, CA
Sharing Melodramas for 50 years
https://www.sandiego.org/explore/events/arts/julian-melodrama.aspx

Golden Chain Theatre
A theater with real history and even a ghost of a villain that visits the productions.
P.O. Box 604 - Oakhurst, CA 93644
http://www.goldenchaintheatre.org

The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville
Cabaret tables with sawdust on the floor and honky-tonk piano music
1863 Pacific Blvd. Hwy 1 - Oceano, CA 93475
http://www.americanmelodrama.com

COLORADO

Butte Opera House
139 E. Bennett Ave - Cripple Creek, Colorado
https://buttetheater.com/about-the-theater/

Iron Springs Melodrama Theatre in Pikes Peak
Providing the Pikes Peak region with Melodramatic comedy.
444 Ruxton Avenue - Manitou Springs, CO 80829
(719) 685-5104 or (719) 685-5572
http://www.ironspringschateau.com  

Windsor Playhouse - Old Time Melodrama
The Treasure of Sarah’s Padre – A Melodrama
561 East Garden Drive, Windsor, CO 80550 (970) 674-1790
https://windsorplayhouse.org/show/old-time-melodrama/
info@windsorplayhouse.org

IDAHO

The Sixth Street Theater
212 Sixth Street - Wallace, ID 83873-1243
http://www.sixthstreetmelodrama.com 

KANSAS

The Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company
at the Englewood Arts Center
1901 E. Winner Rd - Independence, MO 64052 (913) 642-7576
https://www.facebook.com/MartinCityMelodrama/
martincitymelo@yahoo.com

Mosley Street Melodrama
234 N. Mosley in Old Town - Wichita, KS 67203
They also have Melodramas for Kids and Musical Comedy Reviews
http://www.mosleystreet.com 

MINNESOTA

Old Town Bar & Grill
100 E Main Ave - Clitherall, MN 56524 (218) 862-7304

Mantorville Theatre Company
More than 41 seasons of melodramatic madness in Frontier dating back to 1854.
5th Street West - Mantorville, Minnesota 55944 (507) 635-5420
http://www.mantorvillain.com   

Bemidji Community Theater - Musical Melodrama
at Lake Bemidji State Park
Really silly, audience-participation musical melodrama for families
316 Beltrami Ave. NW - Bemidji, MN 56601 (218) 333-8989
https://bemidjicommunitytheater.com/

MISSISSIPPI

Vicksburg Theatre Guild
P. O. Box 821472 - Vicksburg, MS 39182,
https://www.e-vtg.com/
https://twitter.com/vtheaterguild?lang=en

NEBRASKA

Popcorn Productions Melodramas
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in conjunction with Popcorn Productions will be serving it’s 26th year
of Family Friendly Melodrama at The Denman and Mary Mallory Kountze Memorial Theatre.
Patrons are encouraged to “boo” and throw popcorn at the Villain and “cheer” for the Hero.
28500 W. Park Hwy - Ashland, NE 68003 (402) 944-2523 ext. 7122
http://melodrama.net/

The Freemont Dinner Train Melodramas
Train Office: 650 N. "H" St. - Fremont, NE 68025 (800) 942-7245
http://www.melodrama.net/train.htm
http://www.dinnertrain.net

NEW MEXICO

The Engine House Theatre Melodrama
NM State Highway 14 on the Turquoise Trail - Madrid, NM 87010
http://www.turquoisetrail.org/enginehousetheatre 

Pinos Altos Melodrama Theatre
P.O. Box 53189 - Pinos Altos, NM 88053
Located just six miles north of Silver City on NM 15 at 7040 feet
http://pinosaltos.org/melodrama

OREGON

Sawdust Theatre
An all-consuming fire on July 19, 1994 destroyed the 28-year home of the Sawdust Theatre.
Through find-raisers and donations - volunteers rebuilt a beautiful new Sawdust Theatre, opened in the 2000 season.
The troupe is now called: HOMETOWN MELODRAMA THEATRE with the performers refer to as "Sawdusters".
120 N Adams St. - Coquille, OR 97423 (1st and Adams)
http://www.sawdusttheatre.com 

Astor Street Opry Company
P.O. Box 743 - 279 W. Marine Drive - Astoria, Oregon 97103
An all-year-round theater company for 21 seasons of melodrama
http://www.shanghaiedinastoria.com 

Oakland Community Theater
Only Melodrama Theater in Douglas County
PO Box 312 - Oakland, OR 97462
https://oaklandmelodrama.org/
https://www.facebook.com/OCT2001/

PENNSYLVANIA

Theatre Philadelphia
1315 Walnut Street, Suite 732
Philadelphia, PA 19107 (267) 761-9950
info@theatrephiladelphia.org
https://theatrephiladelphia.org/theatre-news/maria-marten-melodrama-makes-a-comeback  

TEXAS

Be Theatre - Melodrama
Audience participation and all the adult fun you can handle.
82 Gillis St, San Angelo, Texas 76903 (325) 716-4125
https://www.betheatre.com/melodrama

Circle Arts Theater Annual Melodrama
124 Elizabeth Street
New Braunfels, TX (830) 837-6172
http://www.circleartstheatre.org/wordpress/

UTAH

Cottonwood Theatre Melodrama
The Melodrama - “You Can’t Stamp Out Love” begins the season.
5715 S. 1300 East - Salt Lake City, UT 84121-1099
http://cwoodtheatre.com

WYOMING

Cheyenne Little Theatre
211 W. Lincolnway
Cheyenne, WY 82001 (307) 638-6543
cltpinfo@cheyennelittletheatre.org
https://www.cheyenne.org/listing/old-fashioned-melodrama/1511/

REST IN PEACE MELODRAMA THEATRES

It is sad to have to annouce that some Melodrama theatres have perished in flames and others met a quiet financial demise during the recent pandemic. A few theatres have decided to go a different route and stop performing Melodramas ("say it isn't so"). May the theatres and troupes that faded away be restored like the mythological phoenix bird and rise again from ashes. Especially the Sawdust Theatre in Oregon and the Melodramas that came from Paradise California that devistated that town in the 2018 Camp fire. Some Like the All-American Melodrama Theater in Long Beach California or the Durango Melodrama at the Henry Strater Theatre in Colorado wilol be sorely missed. As for those playhouses and theatres that decided to stop sharing Melodramatic frivolity with their patrons ... it is my sincere hope that they see the grevious error of their ways and bring back that truly American art form of Melodrama to their seasons. The Camino Real Playhouse and Cripple Creeks Players are not gone (yet) but appear in this RIP category because of the old west custom of marking "dry wells" on a map so that no one wastes their time going out of their way to visit "an empty hole in the ground".



RIP The Camino Real Playhouse
The Original Home of Professor Mack is scheduled for demolition in June of 2024
Still performing till the doors close, but sadly no longer performing Melodrama.
31776 El Camino Real - San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
"Melodramas will live on when the Swallows return to Capistrano
... Just not at the Camino Real Playhouse it seems." - Professor Mack

RIP The All-American Melodrama Theater and Music Hall
Foremerly in the Long Beach Shoreline Village in California.

RIP San Gabriel Valley Repertory Theatre
They were keeping the art of melodrama deliciously alive
in Glendora California until the pandemic took them down.

RIP Durango Melodrama & Vaudeville
At the Historic Strater Hotel - 699 Main Ave - Durango, Colorado 81301
The Henry Strater Theatre closed in 2020 due to the pandemic and rising costs to rent the building.
The Theatre was the pride of Durango - offering more than 50 years of Melodramas.

RIP Fergus Falls Funtastics Theatre Troupe
Formerly at Elmer's Authentic Texas Barbeque
Battle Lake, MN 56515 - but it burned down.
Hopefully Melodrama will rise from the ashes to reopen in Clitherall.
CLICK HERE FOR A HOPEFUL ARTICLE

RIP Cripple Creek Players in the Butte Opera House
Still performing in Cripple Creek Colorado, but sadly no longer performing Melodrama.

RIP The Engine House Theatre Melodrama
NM State Highway 14 on the Turquoise Trail - Madrid, NM 87010
A lot of fun will be had no more. This Theatre will be missed.

RIP The Golden Garter - A Magical Melodrama Theatre
The former home of "Forget 'yer Troubles ... C'mon get happy" in Washington.
The Golden Garter became TUTS and after 11 seasons of bringing Melodrama to the Pacific Northwest.
has ceased operations. A very sad setback. Hopefully a reboot can occur sometime in the future.

What a great directory ... How do I get my Theatre or Playhouse added?

As you can see ... there is plenty of space for your melodramatic organization, theatre, troupe, or playhouse. You should be rewarded for keeping the fine art of Melodrama alive and well. Send us your theatre information and we will be glad to include you in our directory.

What if a link is 'dead as a doornail' or they don't answer their phone?

Melodramas are happening all over, but the internet is today's version of the wild west and websites come and go like the train. So ... if you happen to find a link on our directory that has turned into a ghost town ... please let us know so we can put a "boot hill" marker on it or send it packing. And thanks for being a hero.