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Ensemble Stage Presents Opal’s Million Dollar Duck from July 26 to August 3

By Gianna Holiday

Banner Elk’s Ensemble Stage will be showing their newest production from July 26 to Aug. 3, entitled Opal’s Million Dollar Duck by John Patrick.

The play follows a pair of customers who drop by Opal’s Antique Junque Shop when the pair spot a still life of a dead mallard duck and an apple. Thinking it might be a priceless canvas missing from the local art museum, they offer Opal a seemingly reasonable price for it.

However, she plans to give it to a friend and refuses to sell it. A series of wild antics and schemes then follow as the customers try to abscond with the painting and collect the reward for the painting.

The production is part of Ensemble Stage’s 2019 Summer Professional Mainstage Season.

“We always try to pick a fun, silly farce to have as a show during the season. It was a lot of fun and audiences tend to enjoy it,” said artistic director of Ensemble Stage, Gary Smith. “It tends to be like an extended version of a Carol Burnett sketch. “It’s a lot of fun silliness with a good storyline behind it. There’s no message it. It’s just strictly to make you laugh.”

Backed a “Three’s Company”-style genre, the play is complete with slapstick comedy, misunderstandings, doors slamming, and wacky antics.

“The biggest thing with this play is that it is set in an antique and junk shop, so the stage and the set dressing is crammed with stuff to make it look like an antique shop,” said Smith. “So that presented challenges just moving and walking around on stage.”

Ensemble Stage has actually used a large number of these props in prior shows, having emptied their storage areas in order to pack the set and make it appear authentic.

“This show is a nice little fun thing between our last show, which was a murder mystery paired with a lot of special effects, and our next production which will be a pretty heavy suspense-drama,” said Smith.

To purchase tickets, Ensemble Stage accepts MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Discover for advanced sales online or by phone call. Tickets purchased by phone or online will be held at Will Call for pick up the day of the show. Sales tax and processing fees will be added to all credit card purchases.

The Box Office will be open at the event location one hour prior to performances for Will Call and Walk-Up Sales with payment of cash or check only.

Seating ranges in price from $22 to $24 and performances will take place in Hahn Auditorium at 185 Azalea Circle SE in Banner Elk.

The show repeats every day until Saturday, Aug. 3 except for Monday, July. 29 and Thursday, Aug. 1. It will have showings at 7:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sundays as well as Tuesday, Aug. 30; it will additionally show at 2 p.m. on July 28 and 31.

For more information, e-mail info@ensemblestage.com or call 828-414-1844