The idea for outdoor summer theatre was inspired by our climate, tourism, and the stage Steve Paine had just built behind Cinnabar Sam’s. The two ideas were combined and the Summer Comedy Revue was born.

The first Summer Comedy Revue was a concoction of music, skits, and melodrama, including the likes of Mark Twain and Garrison Keillor. The second outdoor revue was totally homegrown with farce, music, and horseplay and directed by Rudi Galindo of Dell’Arte fame. The next review was called “The Lighter Side of Love,” a series of skits poking fun at the battle of the sexes. Brian Bottemiller carried on the tradition next with his production Big Lies at the Bigfoot Cafe, a timely play which took place in Willow Creek and is full of eccentric characters just like, well, Willow Creek. In the summer of 1998 the story of Black Bart was brought to life in The Poet Robber, followed by The Jewel of Stanistan and then The Elixir of Life, the story of a once loveless China Flat and the salesmen who rescued the town. The Sane Game was next, and then the wacky and wild Polyester Madness, both written by Brian Bottemiller

Many of the summer productions have been directed by Dell’Arte faculty, Rudi Galindo, Jaese Lecuyer, and Bruce Marrs. In recent years, The Summer Comedy Revue has turned out to be Redbud’s most well attended productions. Steve Paine’s backyard venue has never turned away a customer although some closing night’s have pushed the envelope a bit. Although the acoustics aren’t the best there is something special about watching friends and family do the wackiest things under the stars and the arms of the old oak trees.

Then there are the actors. A company of friends reuniting to spend their summer evenings polishing their scenes. Many of them audiences welcome back each summer. So many have devoted their time to bringing these plays to life, too many to mention them all, and to mention a few would be a disservice to them all.
A testimony to the popularity of these plays are the offers of help in making them possible. People have become so generous in devoting their time to paint or build or run the lights or the concessions. All the donated time and materials make the productions a true labor of love.

At the rate we’re going who knows what we’ll be doing in 2012.