The York Theatre Company: The People vs Mona, CD

The People vs. Mona is a love story, murder mystery, courtroom shenanigans, fate-of-a-small-town-hanging-on-the-verdict musical. For professional companies: seven actor/singers play all the roles in a multicultural cast, accompanied by three onstage musicians.

For high schools, colleges, and community theatre: the cast may be expanded by having one actor in each witness role, and a chorus of townspeople in the larger numbers. The music combines folk, blues, gospel, jazz, rock, musical comedy, school anthem, marching band and bossa nova with a theatrical sensibility. Mona Mae Katt, a third-generation Latina-American, owns the Frog Pad, the long-time musical heart of Tippo, GA, a town in need of a plan to revive itself.

She is accused of killing C.C. Katt, recording studio operator and her husband of ten hours, by hitting him over the head with her Stratocaster guitar. She is defended by Jim Summerford, a Southern gentleman whos never won a case against prosecutor and Mayoral candidate Mavis Frye” his fiance. As Jim tries to prove Monas innocence, he becomes attracted to her, and Mavis ups the stakes: she wants to convict Mona, marry Jim, take office, tear down the Frog Pad, and put up a Casino” bringing in bucks, but taking away Tippos artistic and social traditions in the process. And if Mona is found guilty, the odds are Mavis will get her way.

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