Melcena Burns Denny plays

This small group consists mainly of materials dealing with the production of two plays by Melcena Burns Denny (1876–1974). There are multiple copies of each of these plays, but each has slight variations. "Black Bart, The Lone Robber of Calaveras," was performed at California's First Theatre by the Troupers of the Gold Coast in 1946 and 1952, then at the Balboa Park Puppet Theatre in San Diego by the Junior Theatre Summer Work Shop in 1950, and finally in 1961 by the Triangle Club at the three-day Apple Festival in Julian, California. Included are scripts of her play and an essay written by Denny about Black Bart (born 1829). Her other play, "Lola Montez, The Spider Dancer," was performed at California's First Theatre in 1948 and 1949 by the Troupers of the Gold Coast; and included are scripts of the play, an incomplete short story about Lola Montez (1818-1861), song lyrics, and the music written by Edward C. Hopkins.