Click Here for Fast Facts on the Melodrama!

San Luis Obispo County offers a fair amount of live theater -- some consistently good, some so-so, and some where you just don't know which of those you'll get. For a sure thing, head to Oceano for the Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville.

It takes more than a villain, a heroine and a train track for successful melodrama, something the folks in Oceano have been proving for 25 years.

The Great American Melodrama carries on a tradition that started with 18th century French melodrama and continued with popular melodrama in England in the 19th century. The form declined in the 20th century, though it seems the formula is often the backbone of current television programs.

Photo by Gary Adams, Great American Melodrama
All for One, One for All: The Three Musketeers at the Melodrama (l-r Bret Tuomi, Jim Shine, John King)

The Melodrama is in Oceano, a town that theater owners John and Lynne Schlenker describe as "Steinbeckian" (John Steinbeck, that is). Don't worry about getting lost on the way to the show. The theater is smack on Highway 1, three miles south of Pismo Beach. Anyone driving through Oceano will realize something special is going on as soon as the Melodrama pops into sight, usually with a line of people waiting out front to get in.

Saying No to Drugs, Yes to Drama

The Melodrama, a cheerful red building just across the street from the beach, used to be a Rexall drugstore before the Schlenker's arrived, looking for a way to stay in the theater business and stay on the Central Coast.

Owner John Schlenker went from ranch life as a boy to theater life in college. He came to the Central Coast originally by way of Santa Maria, to act at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts program at Allan Hancock College.

After his time at PCPA, "I just loved this area so much," he says. "I was only going to stay one year, of course. Then I started to wonder what kind of theater might work well."

He opted for melodrama, a traditional but light-hearted form of theater with flashy song and dance. Schlenker planned on ending his experiment after one summer. No such luck. "People just ate melodrama with a spoon," Schlenker recalls.

Now, 25 years later, instead of aspirin and a pharmacy counter inside the old Rexall where the Schlenker's started the Melodrama, you'll find a Victorian stage and cabaret tables.

You'll also find a crowd of all ages, booing, hissing, cheering, drinking and eating. Yes, that's right: booing and hissing. At the Melodrama, the crowd is part of the show - kind of like a football game. Booing, hissing, and cheering are expected. In fact, all are considered a proper response.

Photo by Gary Adams, Great American Melodrama
	Take That: Hero D'Artagnan and villain Rochefort tangle (Gary Minyard and John Clemo).

But first, for the ultimate Melodrama experience, before the booing starts you'll want to pick up a few munchies from the bar.

First-time visitors to the Melodrama will do a double take once the show starts. It usually goes something like this: "Hey, is that actress on stage the same woman who just sold us hot dogs?" Why, yes it is.

Pouring drinks and popping corn are part of a Melodrama job for the professional actors and actresses in the shows, who come from the Central Coast and beyond.

The Melodrama actors frequently go on to careers in New York City and Los Angeles. "Many think of the Melodrama as where they took their baby steps in theater," Schlenker says.

Year-Round Theater Fun

The Melodrama's season runs from January to December with seven productions per season; some productions overlap during the summer.

Photo by Gary Adams, Great American Melodrama
Three Against One: Rochefort meets his match in the Musketeers (l-r John Clemo, Jim shine, John King, and Bret Tuomi).

Each performance ends with a vaudeville revue, reinforcing the talent of the actors hired by the Melodrama, who can sing and dance as well as act up a storm.

The Melodrama also offers holiday fare, usually putting on a horror-themed show in October, plus its annual Christmas show every December.

The Christmas show has become a family tradition for many Central Coast residents and regular visitors alike. Think you'd get tired of "A Christmas Carol"? Not the Melodrama's production, which features warm acting, sharp sets and slick special effects. (Make plans now to go in 2001 Christmas Show and Vaudeville Review, if only for the "Reindeer Rap." It's worth it.)

Photo by Gary Adams, Great American Melodrama
	A close shave: D'Artagnan and Rochefort in more swordplay - the usual on-stage fun at the Melodrama.

In addition to the year-round performances, the Melodrama also holds a special summer theater camp for kids and teens. Kids and teens enrolled in the day camp learn about acting, stage production, and the history of the Melodrama over a several-week session. The camp culminates with a special Melodrama put on by the kids - which usually sells out.

Schlenker credits the 25-year success of the Great American Melodrama to quality entertainment and people's love for the comedies of the 1920s and '30s, such as "Harvey" and "Arsenic and Old Lace."

He and wife Lynn plan to continue to listen to their audience's letters and comments and tailor performances to people's tastes.

"I don't see a great deal of change," he says. The couple just want to keep the Melodrama booming, and "as fresh and alive as we possibly can."

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Melodramatic Facts

Where: The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville is located at 1863 Pacific Boulevard, Highway 1 in Oceano, three miles south of Pismo Beach.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays. There are no Wednesday performances in January and February.

Admission is $13 and $16 with discounts for children, seniors, students and active military. A $2 handling fee is charged on all telephone reservations.

Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Phone: Call (805) 489-2499 for more information.

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