The Eldorado Success newspaper

“Ruthie’s Cafe,” the musical play now in rehearsal at the Tom Ratliff Civic Theater, began its life in 2009 as a collaborative effort between the late Jo Ann Sproul, the original founder of the Way Off-Broadway Players, and Terry Weaver.

Terry had written several original songs by then, partly as therapy for dealing with life’s challenges’ while celebrating its humor and joys as well.

Meanwhile, Jo Ann had written a short play as well as rewritten numerous scenes for other plays performed by the WOBP.

Jo Ann had the idea of writing about a small town diner where townspeople would congregate and share life’s experiences.

By this time, Jo Ann’s health had suffered so the writing and collaborating was done mostly over the phone. Characters were conceived and introduced, but no real plot, or problem and solution decided upon.

This past December, Terry decided it was now or never and finished writing the comedy along with writing some new songs to fit the characters and situations.

Jon Cartwright and Burrel Rutherford also contributed a song each. It is hoped that each audience member will see themselves and friends and neighbors in one of these characters and laugh along with us as we poke fun at ourselves, as well as celebrate life in a small town!

The first performance will be February 24 at 7:00 p.m. and Dinner Theater Show will be February 25 at  7:15 p.m. See ad on page 7 for more information.

The cast of Ruthie’s Cafe are:  
Ruthie—(Terry Weaver) owner of Ruthie’s Café who is recently divorced and decides to enter the dating scene while struggling to make ends meet.
Tammy Jo—(Tammy Doan) a pretty but dumb blonde waitress who mixes her metaphors and takes everything very literally.
Vida Blanche—(Janet Pullen) Older and wiser waitress, mother of teenagers with an out of work husband. A bit on the trashy side.
Dr. Rodney Littlestone—(Mike Pridemore) new single Doctor in town who just graduated from med school and is a bit conceited.
Reverend Brown—(Darrel Brawley) kind, consoling preacher, becomes love interest of Velma Lou.
Moss McGee—(Charlie Bradley) delivery man—acts like a big trucker—first date Ruthie has in years.
Sissy--(Jan Barton) sickly, hypochondriac, older lady who is a blabber-mouth about all of her ailments.
Velma Lou—(Joy Galbreath) widow lady, friends with Sissy.  Has lots of grandchildren whom she constantly brags about. Becomes the love interest of Reverend Brown.
Mrs. Van Cleve—(Sherry Belk) rich, society snob who has been widowed and is taking over husband’s business.
Polly Van Cleve—(Lisa O’Harrow) adult daughter, nicer and more understanding than her mother.
Digger—(Burrel Rutherford) Head plumber who is trying to fix Velma Lou’s sewer problems, falls in love.

Former FLDS spokesman Willie Jessop filed a $100 million lawsuit last week against FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs, his brother Lyle Jeffs, Newera Manufacturing, John Wayman, and 25 unidentified members of Jeffs’ FLDS church.

The lawsuit, filed February 26, 2012 in the Utah Fifth District Court, alleges that Jeffs directed Jessop to falsify church records and ordered the burglary of his business when he refused.

The 18-page lawsuit claims that church leaders threatened to accuse Jessop of adultery.

In turn, Jessop accused Lyle Jeffs and others in the church hierarchy of fathering children with married women who had been reassigned to them by Warren Jeffs, even after they had been ordered to go back to their husbands.

Jessop was the public face of the FLDS church following the 2008 raid at the YFZ Ranch. At that time he was critical of actions taken by Texas law enforcement and child welfare authorities.

Now, Jessop says he has become aware of misdeeds by Warren Jeffs, including some that have not been made public.

Warren Jeffs is currently serving life plus 20 years in the Texas prison system on two convictions of sexually assaulting young girls, one of them as young as 12, that he took as polygamous wives.

Two legislators, one in Arizona and another in Utah have proposed bills that would effectively disband the municipal police organizations in Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah, collectively known as Short Creek.

The city marshal force comprised of FLDS members known to be loyal to the church’s imprisoned prophet, Warren Jeffs, are accused of not following court orders or fairly enforcing laws if those actions would violate the will of church leaders.