The

Evans & Sontag

Project

Tulare County Historical Society                                                                                  Tulare County Museum

P.O. Box 295, Visalia, CA  93279                                                                              27000 Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA  93279

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             CONTACT: JAY O’CONNELL  (818) 774-9701

    UP-DATED 07/05/02                                                                                  E-MAIL: JAYOC2@AOL.COM

 

EVANS & SONTAG PROJECT ANNOUNCES DATES

 Melodrama Production and Museum Exhibit to Open Fall of 2002

 

THE EVANS & SONTAG PROJECT, sponsored by the Tulare County Historical Society, announce the dates for their co-production, with the College of the Sequoia, of a long-lost historical melodrama, “Evans & Sontag: The Visalia Bandits.” The play, which over 100 years ago purported to tell the “true story” of Visalia outlaws Chris Evans and John Sontag, will be performed in November 2002, at Visalia’s historic Fox Theatre.

 

Additionally, the consortium of historians, authors, scholars has set October 2002, for the opening of a permanent museum exhibition entitled “From Headlines to Footlights: The Sensational Saga of Evans and Sontag.” The exhibit is made possible in part by a grant from the CALIFORNIA COUNCIL FOR THE HUMANITIES, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Evans and Sontag were two of California’s most infamous outlaws, bringing a deluge of media attention to Visalia in the 1890s. Their saga is an important aspect of local and California history. Both the museum exhibition and melodrama are scheduled to coincide with Visalia’s upcoming Sesquicentennial Celebration. More specific calendar information for both the play and the museum exhibit is set forth below.  Artwork and illustrations are available via e-mail by request.  

 

“From Headlines to Footlights: The Sensational Saga of Evans and Sontag”

An exhibition about two of California’s most notorious outlaws and the media deluge they inspired.

 

WHERE:         Tulare County Museum, Mooney Grove Park,

27000 Mooney Blvd., Visalia,  CA 93279     

 

WHEN:           Opens OCTOBER 18, 2002    -           On-going

 

INFO:              For further information, call the Tulare County Museum -      (559) 733-6616

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“Evans & Sontag: The Visalia Bandits”

A long-lost historical melodrama, produced in conjunction with the College of the Sequoias

 

WHERE:         Fox Theatre – 308 W. Main St., Visalia,  CA  93291

 

WHEN:           Thursday, November 7 thru Saturday, Nov. 9, 2002 at 7:30 p.m; Sunday,

                        November 10 at 2:00 p.m.

 

TICKETS:       $10.00 & $12.50 (plus $2.00 restoration fee).

 

INFO:              For further information, call the Fox Box Office at (559) 625-1369.

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ABOUT THE PLAY

Described as a “blood and thunder” melodrama, Evans and Sontag: The Visalia Bandits opened in San Francisco in 1893. The production, which toured the state while Chris Evans was in jail awaiting trial, starred the infamous outlaw’s wife, Molly, and teenage daughter, Eva Evans. Historians have always been aware of this play, and were fascinated with the contemporary newspaper reviews and descriptions of the unique production that survived. The actual text of the play, however, was lost and scholars and western enthusiasts could only imagine what the complete melodrama must have been like…until NOW! Recently, the complete original script (along with the original musical score) was brought to the attention of local historians. The great-great grandson of the play’s author and original producer located it in a trunk of family theatrical memorabilia, and knew it would be of great interest here in Tulare County. The EVANS & SONTAG PROJECT now plans to produce this historic melodrama in conjunction with the College of the Sequoias. In an evening that will be a complete “living history” experience, the beautifully-restored Fox Theater in downtown Visalia will be transformed to the 19th-century. The opening of the play, in November 2002, will coincide with Visalia’s sesquicentennial celebration and will be, ironically, the first time it has ever been performed in the city where it is set.  It was banned here during its original 1890’s tour for its controversial content.  

 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM EXHIBITION

Made possible in part by funding from the California Council for the Humanities, “From Headlines to Footlights: The Sensational Saga of Evans & Sontag” will examine the various forms of media attention Visalia’s most infamous outlaws garnered. In what promises to be a spectacular permanent addition to the Tulare County Museum in Visalia’s Mooney Grove Park, the exhibition will utilize historic photos and newspapers, theatrical memorabilia including posters and flyers, books, broadsides, and numerous other artifacts and ephemera of the colorful saga. The exhibition will provide a visual presentation of the media sensation Evans and Sontag caused, and show how it contributed to the myth surrounding these historical figures. Furthermore, the exhibit will explore how this all compares to the media saturation of sensational stories today. Additionally, a traveling version of this exhibit will be made available for display in libraries and museums throughout the greater Central Valley and state of California, as well as in the lobby of the Fox Theatre during production of the Evans & Sontag melodrama.

 

ABOUT THE EVANS & SONTAG PROJECT

The organizers of the Evans & Sontag Project are no strangers to local history and view this as an opportunity to provide the community with a cultural and historical gift that is as entertaining as it is educational. Project Director Jay O’Connell, an experienced theater and television producer, is also the author of Co-Operative Dreams: A History of the Kaweah Colony.  His combined experience and interest in local history and the entertainment industry make him uniquely qualified to guide this project to fruition. Associate Director Terry Ommen is well-known locally for his work on a number of civic and community projects with historic focus. He is the author of numerous magazine articles and a regular columnist for the Visalia Times-Delta. College of Sequoias faculty members Steve LaMar and Paul R. Jones will serve as Production Manager and Artistic Director for the production of the play. Steve, technical director for the COS Theater, has extensive theater experience both professionally and in academic and community productions. Paul has been a drama teacher and director of various productions at COS for more than 20 years. Kathy McGowan, the museum director of the Tulare County Museum will serve as curator of the museum exhibit. The Evans & Sontag Project has also recruited a number of authors and historians to serve as consultants and scholarly advisors, including William Secrest, John Boessenecker, and William Deverell..

 

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THE EVANS & SONTAG PROJECT

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  CONTACT JAY O’CONNELL  -   (818) 774-9701

Fax (818) 343-0676 – E-mail: JayOC2@aol.com