I Know “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”

Everyone has stories about the Old West. Some deal with a masked man on a white horse with his Native American companion by his side saving the west, and others tell stories of a man with no name having a Mexican standoff. However, the Hub City Theater Company decided to tell a different story. They told the story of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, presented at the Carnegie Museum Basement. The show debuted on May 23rd and is directed by David Burke, an Advising Member of the Hub City Theater Company board. Final performances include May 31st at 7:30 p.m. and June 1st at 3:00 p.m.

The story follows a young scholar from New York City, Ransom Foster, as he travels west to start a new life for himself. He arrives at the small town of Twotrees, beaten and half-dead, and starts to find a home there, along with a new love. However, this new life causes disruptions in the way the west is run, and he has to come toe-to-toe with the infamous outlaw Liberty Valance.

To be upfront, I have not been a fan of Westerns. For me, I have always been someone who has found them to be slow. Even when my grandfather was around, who loved Westerns, I always found it hard to connect with those stories. However, this show made it easy for me to connect with the story.

This production had me engaged with every element of the story. The show splits itself into two acts. The first act of the show has its serious moments, but for the large majority of it, it has light moments that help soothe you into the show and the performances. It helps you introduce you to the characters and helps you understand who these people are. I found myself cackling multiple times during the first act of the show. However, the show drops to end the light-heartedness. The first act ends with the introduction of Liberty Valance. During that scene, intensity enters the room. A sense of foreboding takes control of the play. Any hint of joy escapes. The second act has moments of light-heatedness, but that intensity never fully leaves.

John Mark Maust

The direction of those acts was tremendous. Burke did an amazing job making sure that the direction of the action never contradicted the scenes. The way he allowed the actors to deliver some of the dialogue, to the staging, and to letting moments breathe was excellent. He knew the importance of these moments and allowed them to play out realistically. The cast was also amazing as well. In fact, this is probably one of the strongest casts I have ever seen in a play. 

John Mark Maust

Jake Beals plays our lead protagonist, Ransom Foster, and he delivers an amazing performance. A majority of his first act performance is comedic beats, and he does an amazing job not making those beats feel over-the-top. He makes those moments feel real, but his performance adds an arrogance to it that fits the character. However, once the second act comes around, the comedy fades away. The weight of certain moments in the play take over his performance. You feel the pain in his words, hope being lost. Beals did an amazing job with balancing those opposing emotions.

John Mark Maust

Sarah Hand plays, what many would call, the love interest to Ransom, Hallie Jackson. I hesitate to call Hand’s character a love interest character because her character has a lot of agency for her own. She does not just wait around for Ransom to fall in love with her. She is a proactive character that can take care of herself, and Hand did an amazing job making sure people understood that. The entire time I believed Hand would get into a fight with one of her co-stars and win the fight. Her range, as well, shined in this show, with her moments of comedy and drama. Hand did a marvelous job playing a character I wanted to see win a fight with people that crossed her.

John Mark Maust

John Klonowski plays the part of Bert Berricune, who sort of serves as the wise character of the show. There are moments when Bert is just a regular, ole cowboy, but when he has words of wisdom, those are strong words to live by. Klonowski did a terrific job in this performance, and I believed that he had gone through all of his trials and tribulations. Bert is a smart guy that does not seem smart, and Klonowski does a great job making you believe that. Every time he spoke, I would expect something amusing, but something profound would escape his mouth. Klonowski was truly a highlight in this show.

John Mark Maust

Speaking of highlights, Steve Williams plays the character of Jim Mosten, and he surprised me in this show. Every time he was in a scene, I felt myself smiling because of his character’s innocence. He plays the heart of the show, and Williams does an amazing job making everyone feel grounded. His character helps people feel the importance of their decisions and makes sure they know the good in what they are doing. Williams was truly a highlight in the show, and he showcased his acting ability.

John Mark Maust

Now, I had to save Liberty Valance for last. The character of Liberty Valance was played by Blake Staples, and he took all of the light-heartedness out of the show. Once he steps on stage, the seriousness takes hold. Staples did a tremendous job in the show. The moment he started talking, I felt myself lean forward in my chair because I was enthralled by what he might do. There were moments in Staples’s performance where I noticed hints of the DC Comics character The Joker. Moments where Staples would have a serious moment, but quickly release the tension with a smile and laughter. There were moments where Staples would even have the audience laugh at some of his comments. Staples truly did a fantastic job, and someone I would say had the performance of the night.

Overall, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” is another terrific show done by the Hub City Theater Company. A show about a man trying to do good in the world only to be brought down by hate and anger. I can’t recommend this show enough. If you can, you must watch this show. Also, the show is called “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” for a reason, be prepared for blanks to go off. I give this show a 4 and a half out of 5 stars, a 9 out of 10.