Untitled Calamity Jane Play

by Kati Frazier

A rough and tumble cowgirl, a prostitute with a heart of gold, a generous motherly woman of the west, a hardened criminal who cared for no one. Calamity Jane is all of these things and none of them in this non-linear exploration of the contradictory stories of the life of Calamity Jane. When the truth of a woman is unknowable, does the difference between reality and what we want her to be really matter?

The...

A rough and tumble cowgirl, a prostitute with a heart of gold, a generous motherly woman of the west, a hardened criminal who cared for no one. Calamity Jane is all of these things and none of them in this non-linear exploration of the contradictory stories of the life of Calamity Jane. When the truth of a woman is unknowable, does the difference between reality and what we want her to be really matter?

The script lends itself to color conscious casting, a fast and loose interpretation of gender, and lots of double-casting, hence the very ambiguous info in the character listing. Double-casting info provided is a suggestion.

"Its treatment of the subject matter is clever, thoughtful, and raucously entertaining. The humor is smart and sassy, poking fun at history itself as it finds a million holes, inaccuracies, and problems in the record of Calamity Jane’s life." --StageBuddy, Erin Kahn

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Untitled Calamity Jane Play

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: Untitled Calamity Jane Play by Kati Frazier
    “

    An excellent, meta-theatrical look at the life of one of the most famous individuals of the Wild West. A play that looks at how legacies are passed down. Calamity Jane was a larger-than-life figure and I don't think we'll ever know the real truth about her. This is an ensemble piece that would be a blast to produce.

    An excellent, meta-theatrical look at the life of one of the most famous individuals of the Wild West. A play that looks at how legacies are passed down. Calamity Jane was a larger-than-life figure and I don't think we'll ever know the real truth about her. This is an ensemble piece that would be a blast to produce.

    ”
  • Unicorn Theatre: Untitled Calamity Jane Play by Kati Frazier
    “

    This play was a SEMIFINALIST for the 2017-2018 In-Progress New Play Reading Series at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. It is our pleasure to support UNTITLED CALAMITY JANE PLAY.

    This play was a SEMIFINALIST for the 2017-2018 In-Progress New Play Reading Series at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. It is our pleasure to support UNTITLED CALAMITY JANE PLAY.

    ”

Character Information

Example double-casting for a cast of 9

Calamity
Jane
Madame Moustache
Wild Bill / Pioneer 5
Charles
Steers / Society Lady 1 / Pioneer 4/ Other Jane 3
Roberta / Saloon Girl 1 / Society Lady 2 / Pioneer 3 / Other Jane 1
Burke / Other Jane 2 / Pioneer 1
Jack McCall / Dime Museum Guy / Saloon Girl 2 / Pioneer 2
  • Calamity
    The rough and tumble larger than life masculine gruff version of Calamity Jane. Tall, broad shouldered, sauntering, drunken, dark and emotional.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Little Jane
    The tiny, spry, caricature, disney version of Jane. Something out of musical theatre
    20s
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Wild Bill
    Bill Hickok, gentleman cowboy, legend of the west, known for his mustache, his love affairs, and being a dignified cowboy and lawman
  • Madame Mustache
    real person, legend of the west, known as a madam, a bar owner, and a notorious gambler. She’s french, and she has a mustache. An exaggerated french accent with midwestern cowboy notes would be fun
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Jack McCall
    The man who murdered Wild Bill
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Roberta Beed Sollid
    She wrote a pretty killer, weirdly judgemental, and important book of historical criticism on Calamity Jane. If you only read one piece of nonfiction about Jane, I recommend her book.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Charles
    a real guy. he grew up in Deadwood, where he had a relationship with Calamity from his childhood.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • Burke
    This guy, oh this guy, Probably one of the better men Calamity was ever romantically entangled with, he also eventually left her. The timeline of their marriage and their supposed child simply doesn’t add up.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
  • William Steers
    one of Calamity’s husbands. She brought him to court for beating her, but then got back together with him. The end of their relationship is in a gap in historical record. We don’t know how they split.
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+

Development History

Production History