Program
Sampler
Dorothy takes on the persona of each of her characters, dressed in costumes that
are accurate to the times. Some of the below stories can be combined depending
on the desired length of the performance. Many other stories are available.
For each of the programs, Dorothy gives a short sound
excerpt from the story. Just click on the title and follow the directions.
If you are unable to get any sound, please e-mail me at DDAStory@yahoo.com
and let me know what kind of computer you have and the
specifics of your power, program etc that you have. I'll then pass this info
onto my webmaster to see if we can accommodate your specific
requirements.
When the Lion Fell From the Sky
In 1927, Americans
were in love with three things: Charles Lindbergh, the concept
of flying, and silent motion pictures. Louis B. Mayer,
head of MGM, decided to promote his studio's new logo, a lion
named Leo, with a non-stop flight across the United
States. The publicity stunt backfired when the plane
crashed in a remote section of Arizona. This story chronicles the pilot's
bravery, the local ranchers derring-do and what happened to Leo.
© 2001
A Lamentable Occurrence
Before dams and
water projects, Arizonans had to rely on the vagaries of weather
for water. People killed each other over water
rights. In 1883 a feisty lady rancher, Mrs. Kelsey, took
on a vicious neighboring rancher named Patrick McAteer.
The court case in Prescott generated sufficient legal sparks to
cause a loss of life, limbs, and blood. How it happened is
the story. © 2000
On Trial for Her Life
A scholarly
Bostonian woman comes to Tucson for her health, becomes the
first woman professor at the University of Arizona, develops
into a prosperous business woman and marries a swashbuckling
miner. The successful life of Louise and Thomas Marshall
and the philanthropic foundation they started is shattered when
Louise is accused of killing her husband. Will she get the
death penalty or will a new untried legal defense set her free?
© 1998
The Baroness of Arizona
In 1887, on a train to Los Angeles, James Addison Reavis convinced a
lovely, fifteen-year-old orphan that she was the missing heiress
to a huge Spanish land grant fortune. A forger of consummate skill,
Reavis persuaded governmental officials, businessmen, as well as
Spanish and British royalty of the validity of the claim. This
story is the account of how this fantastic scam was conceived
and unmasked in Arizona. © 2001
Never Say No to Johnny
For years the United States Army
and the Bureau of Indian Affairs tried unsuccessfully to subjugate the war-like
Apaches. In 1874 a twenty-three year old man from New York, John
Clum, took on the job of agent at the Apache reservation. Within
three years this brilliant, young agent captured Geronimo and
had five thousand Apaches living peacefully on the reservation.
How he accomplished this is a tale of a man who did the right
thing. © 2002
The Saga of the Superstition Mountains
First they were the Thunder God's
Mountains, then they became a secret source of money for a
prominent Mexican family. An old Dutchman, Jacob Wattz, claimed
it as his source of gold. Even today many are convinced that
there is a hidden cache of gold formed by an ancient volcanic
plug. Listen to the stories and decide for yourself. ©
1991
Major Doran Did It All
He was a military man, a railroad
man, a sheriff, legislator, architect and an early pioneer. He
loved to tell stories about his adventures including how the
Silver King Mine was discovered, how he captured and lost a
conniving robber-rancher, and his survival from a daring
stagecoach robbery. He was Arizona's original Renaissance man.
© 1991
Our Heroine Was No Lady
In Missouri during the 1800's, Sarah Bowman stood out in a
crowd. Over six feet tall, she towered above the average
man. Sarah thirsted for more than a frontier life. How
she accomplished her journeys of adventure which led to unparalleled
heroism and becoming the first citizen of Yuma,
Arizona is a fun-filled, bawdy story of courage in the face of
daunting adversity. © 1991
No Tame House-Cat Woman
Sharlot Hall was born on an isolated Kansas homestead. With
less than a year's formal education, Sharlot traveled with her
family to an even more isolated area of Arizona. Plucky
with a wry sense of humor, Sharlot's story of overcoming
hardships to become a nationally known woman writer and poet,
creator of a museum, and the first woman to hold public office
in Arizona has delighted audiences for over a dozen years.
© 1991
The Lieutenant And His Lady
Martha Summerhayes from Nantucket, Massachusetts knew it was
her destiny to marry a military man and marry him she did.
Within weeks of her wedding she found herself accompanying
her Jack to Wyoming during the Indian Wars. Their
experiences brings to life the vivid times of a vanished era.
© 1998
The Millionaire and the Arboretum
What does a very rich man do with an enormous fortune?
William Boyce Thompson's twin ambitions as a boy in Southwest
Montana were to play games and make lots of money. He
combined those disparate goals by playing the greatest game of
all, the Wall Street Stock Market. The story of how Boyce
Thompson redirected his life and money to the study of plant
life and the creation of the Southwest Arboretum, a place where
the essence of desert plants from around the world could be
studied, explored and nurtured as well as the Boyce Thompson
Institute of Plant Research at Cornell University, one of the
largest laboratories for the study of plant life in the nation
is a fascinating one. © 1998
Other Stories for Younger Audiences:
Camels For Arizona
© 1991
Olive Oatman and a Massacre
© 1991
Yavapai Gold
© 1991
The Sheriff Meets the Woodson Brothers
© 1991
SHAKESPEARE FOR CHILDREN -
Dorothy has enlarged her repertoire to include two original stories from Shakespeare's most beloved plays.
A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT'S DREAM
takes place in a special forest. On one unusual night, the forest is overrun with two young couples in love, fairies, elves, goblins, actors rehearsing a play and a King and a Queen. People get lost and found and accidentally bump into each other Add magic to the mix and you get all sorts of mischief and fun.
THE TEMPEST One dark night Miranda, the young daughter of a Duke, is dragged by soldiers out of her bed and spirited away with her father who is a very skilled magician. They end up on an island that is under a spell of a wicked witch who traps innocent people. The Duke with the help of Ariel, a young sprite he has saved, must break the witch's spell and help a now grown up Miranda find true love.
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