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HiStOrY In ThE
ReMaKiNg
ASOC’s ‘The Real Lewis and
Clark Story’ a newer, better
version of the expedition
Colin Murphey
Performers during a dress rehearsal of ‘The Real Lewis and Clark Story’ at the Astor Street Opry Company Playhouse.
By NICOLE BALES
FOR COAST WEEKEND
IF YOU GO
A
The Real Lewis and Clark Story
(or How Finns Discovered Astoria)
fter a one-year hiatus, “The Real
Lewis and Clark Story (or How Finns
Discovered Astoria)” is back for its
ninth show at Astor Street Opry Com-
pany. The play will run Friday, March 29,
through Saturday, April 20.
“The Real Lewis and Clark Story” is
one of three melodramas the Astor Street
Opry Company stages regularly. The show
pulls characters from the company’s other
melodramas like Krooke, Sneake, Mama
and the sturdy sisters.
“It’s a semi-historical viewpoint of
the expedition,” said the show’s director,
Jayne Osborn.
The first two acts follow Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark in St. Charles,
Mo., as they get ready to head west.
The third act leaps 18 months into the
journey. Krooke is still the bad guy, and,
for generational accuracy, it is Krooke’s
great-great-grandfather who leads Lewis
and Clark on the Corps of Discovery in
hopes that he will get rich.
“When he finally figures out that all he
is getting are maps and journals he loses
his mind,” Jayne said. “It’s hysterical!”
An ASOC production wouldn’t be the
same without Mama trying to marry off
When: 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays begin-
ning Friday, March 29 with 2 p.m. Sunday,
April 7 and 14
Where: Astor Street Opry Company Play-
house, 129 W. Bond St.
Tickets: asocplay.com and ASOC Play-
house box office.
Colin Murphey
The cast of ‘The Real Lewis and Clark Story’ gathered before a dress rehearsal.
her daughters. The “sturdy women” are
pushing 40 and follow the Corps of Dis-
covery to find husbands.
“There’s a lot of women’s power in
this show, too,” Osborn said. “Miss Jaynie
Barnes is the pub owner in Act Two. She is
a very capable woman with her own busi-
ness and doesn’t put up with crap.”
The show takes another leap when they
finally make it to the coast. Meanwhile,
the Park Ranger, played by Patricia Von
Vintage, communicates with the audience
to keep the story as historically accurate as
possible.
The show strays from a strict historical
retelling to stay loyal to Astoria’s Scandi-
navian heritage. “All the characters are all
Finnish, Norwegian or Scandinavian,” said
Stephanie Osborn, the director’s assistant.
“I think it’s one of the silliest ones
I’ve seen of the three melodramas we
do,” Jayne said. “It makes me laugh the
hardest.”
Challenges
As opening night approaches, ASOC
has had to meet several challenges.
“It’s been hard to have a full cast,”
Jayne said. “It’s also really hard to find
musicians — they’re just expensive.”
“We’re a community theater ...,” she
See History, Page 13