Solid Gold Cadillac (2011)

Performances

February 25-27, March 3-6, 10-12, 2011

Venue

Community Players Theatre

Synopsis

In the early 1950’s, a little old lady, Mrs. Partridge, with only 10 shares of stock from the corporate giant, General Products, asks a question at the stock holders meeting. She wants to know how many hours does the chairman of the board work to earn his $170,000.00 yearly salary? Unable to quickly explain or answer her question properly, the board members offer Mrs. Partridge a job as liason to minority stockholders. She accepts and creates wonderful relationships with all of the minority stock holders. She also discovers something amiss and goes to the former company president, Edward L. McKeever, now working for the Federal government. When he learns of the mess made by the current board of directors (Blessington, Metcalf, Gillie, and Snell), McKeever quits his governemnt job and returns with Mrs. Partridge to fight to regain control of his old company. Things look dark, however. Mrs. Partridge is fired, and the wicked directors are about to triumph, when suddenly proxies of all of the minority stockholders start to pour in, and thanks to them, Mrs. Partridge and Mr. McKeever foil the wicked Board of Directors.

Authors: Howard Teichmann & George S. Kaufman

 

Historian’s Corner

Solid Gold Cadillac Preview (Curtain Calls 6.6, March 2011)

“Solid Gold Cadillac,” a revival first performed at Players in 1956, tells of corporate greed as a little old lady with ten shares of stock (aided by the former CEO) attempt to clean up corruption at a large corporation. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown, the show proved to be as relevant now as it was in the 50s. During one of the anti-government rants of the former CEO, audience members began to call up to the stage for the actor to tell it like it is, to quote Harry Truman, “Give Em Hell!”