‘Spaghetti Western’ this weekend

A spaghetti dinner, a scheming villain and a contest to save a beloved hotel are on the menu when Eureka Springs High School theater students present “Spaghetti Western” this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13 and 14.

The dinner theater event, sponsored by Equity Bank, will be held at the Eureka Springs High School Auditorium. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. each evening, followed by the play at 7 p.m.

The meal includes spaghetti, salad, bread, a drink and dessert. Dinner and play tickets are sold separately, with meal tickets priced at $5 each. Admission to the play is $10 for adults and $2 for students.

The fall production pairs dinner with a melodrama featuring pun-filled character names and audience participation. A master of ceremonies introduces the characters and teaches audience members how to boo the villain and cheer the hero.

The story centers on Grannie Smith and her charming but clumsy granddaughter, Petunia Pearl, who operate the Hoot ’n’ Holler Hotel. Behind on their mortgage, the two face the prospect of losing their hotel to Duke Dreadful, a villain determined to buy up the property.

Sheriff Kirk Ketchum and his self-appointed deputy, Hal Holdem, can’t seem to stop Duke’s plans. But a possible solution arrives with Bonnie Voyage, a world traveler returning from a trip to Italy.

Bonnie suggests a spaghetti sauce contest with enough prize money to cover the hotel’s mortgage. Grannie and Petunia enter, hoping their sauce will help save their business.

Duke, however, has plans of his own. His ambitions include both the hotel and Petunia’s hand in marriage, and he recruits accomplice Saucy Sally to help him cheat his way to victory.

That leaves Sheriff Ketchum with a challenge: save the Hoot ’n’ Holler and win the heart of his true love before Duke gets his way.

As the production’s synopsis puts it, let’s hope it’s not “Mission Im-Pasta-ble!” Tickets will be available at the door, but advance purchases are recommended. Advance tickets are available online at https://osp.osmsinc.com/p/PD802-331.