WHAT EXACTLY IS THE "SUMMER MUMMERS"?

Turn-of-the-century melodrama, once so familiar to early American stages and films, still thrives in Midland's annual Summer Mummers. Celebrating it's 59th season this year, it is the longest-running summer theatre in Texas.

In 1949, some Midland Community Theatre supporters were puzzling how to enhance their makeshift theatre through additional funds. One remembered that melodramas were popular in California. "Mummers", the name for 1800's English street performers, popped out of someone's mouth, and "The Summer Mummers" was born. A different, original script by a local author is performed each year with occasional repetitions. Including the actors, almost 200 volunteers work on each season's production.

The Mummers' trademark is boisterous audience participation with ongoing cheers for the hero and his uprighteous comrades and boos and popcorn hurled at the villain. Popcorn sales last year totaled $50,000.00.

At several intervals during the performance, a movie screen drops down, advancing the melodrama plot along with an original filmed chase between the villain and the hero through Midland streets. A new "movieola" is shot each year.

The old Yucca Theatre, built in 1929 in downtown Midland, became the permanent home of the Mummers in 1981 when dozens of volunteers undertook the restoration of the movie/vaudeville house. Except for the addition by professionals of technical features and a tiered floor for cabaret seating, crews of volunteers polished the original, gilded Assyrian bulls, repainted the winged monsters on the walls, stenciled lotus flower lamps, and cleaned the faded lobby tiles.

The melodrama is followed by a colorful olio of dance numbers, a singalong, and various comedy routines, ending with the Mummers Band backing the can-can dancer's finale.

Friday night my sister and her fiance' and my friends, Kobi and Mike joined us for the showing of Summer Mummers! I hadn't been in 5 years so I knew it would be something fun I should do! The catch was, we made reservations late the night of the show, SO we had to get seats in the balcony- which means YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO THROW POPCORN!! (that is sort of the catch for getting the cheaper seats) But, when we sat down, the row of people behind us had AT LEAST 7 bags of popcorn and they started tossing some down on us- I told them if they wanted to throw popcorn at us, they had to give us a bag too- SO, they gave us two and we had a little bit too much fun with the two bags- as you see below, the rule of "no throwing popcorn in the balcony" did NOT stand with us! OOPS! :) ...........