BAD MEDICINE (Or Good to the Last Drop)
by Kris Gauger Thompson
In the sleepy little cattle town of Bagwell, Colorado, childhood sweethearts Sheriff Gene Ranger and Nurse Becky Trueheart are on the fast-track for marriage when evil darkens their doorstep. Beautiful con artist, Sally West, is found unconscious and feigns amnesia. Her secret ally, snake oil salesman and self-proclaimed healer, Bodkin Shamley, appears. He discredits the town doctor and surreptitiously takes over with the goal of wooing Becky for her inherited cattle land. The villainous pair secretly introduce a concoction of love potion, and all the wrong people start falling head-over-heals for each other. There is only one hope for Gene, Becky, and all of Bagwell…true love.
- Cast Size: 5M, 3W, 2 Any Gender
- Running Time: 90+ minutes
- Royalty Rate: $75 per performance
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About the Playwright
Kris Thompson joined the playwriting community in 2014 but admits to a life-long love affair with writing. Some of her produced plays include Bad Medicine, The Man in the Locket, Figment with a Capital F, Kitchen Conversations, Journey to the Center of The Psycho Sexual Beast, Birth of a Hero, You Can Dance if you Want to, The Magnificent Olympic Games, Trick or Treat…Seriously, After the Day I’ve Had, Death Would be a Blessing, Fucking Bruce Banner, Carl and the Big Bad P, The Morning After, Rocktavia, True Spit, The Lays of Our Lives, Two Men and a Hole, Karma’s a Bitch But So Are You, and The Grand Experiment. Kris has enjoyed full length, one act, radio drama, and monologue production by theatre groups across the country and occasionally beyond. Some of her awards include winner of the 2014 and 2017 Theatre Suburbia National Scriptwriting contests and winner of Cone Man Running Production’s Smattering XII’s Best Script. Kris, a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the National New Play Network, resides in Georgetown, TX where she and her husband are perpetually restoring their 1920’s historic bungalow. Read her work at www.kristhompsonplaywright.com.
This script is so much fun! Well written story with lots of jokes and lots of room to play. Every character will give the actors many ways to have fun, especially the villains (mwahahaha)! The audience will be right there with them with many laugh-out-loud moments, silly scenarios, an ample opportunities for audience interaction. Highly recommended for production. Fantastic show for all to enjoy!
This script marked my return to the stage as Bodkin Shamley. It is such a fun role and story to perform. Highly recommended!
I had the privilege of being a part of the original Bad Medicine read through and cast. It was an incredibly fun piece to perform with a wide variety of characters that are perfect for diverse groups of actors. Great opportunity to really ham it up!
I was fortunate to be cast in a production of Bad Medicine. It was a fun show that kept the audience laughing. Clever writing and each character is a delight. Too many melodramas get focused on the top 3 (heroine, hero, and villain) and forget to provide a way for the other characters to shine. That’s not the case with Bad Medicine. Every character brings something to the show!
Bad Medicine is clever, well paced, and of course melodramatic! I performed in it at a community theatre, and we had a blast. Audiences loved it too. It’s legitimately funny, with great takes on the typical melodrama characters and tropes. It’s also easy to stage with a simple set if needed—we did it on an outdoor stage and had to tear down every night. 4.5 stars.
Way Off Broadway Community Players put on this play in 2021, fresh out of the pandemic, outdoors, and I played Becky Trueheart. Plenty of cheesy yet funny and charming gags and jokes, as well as a plot that makes it impossible to not cheer the hero and heroine along. Not to mention, a genuinely enthralling story line! If you don’t like melodramas, this one might get you rethinking your opinion. Strap on your spurs and holsters for this wild ride of a play!
I had the honor of playing Charlie Hamby in a community theatre version of this show. The characters in this melodrama are fun, and funny. This whole show is well written, giving plenty of laughs, a few tender heart felt moments, and plenty of room for audience participation! If you get the chance, go see this show. If you get a chance to be in it, even better!
I had the great pleasure of being part of this wonderful show! As a performer, I appreciated the many ways it is so well written. The story is fun and intriguing. I never lost interest during a show or found myself thinking, ” These actors are doing a great job!”. I was always involved with real people and their lives. The cast and crew all loved the story and their characters, and the audiences were delighted! We all hated closing night to come!!
Bodkin Shamley! What a wonderful name for a melodrama villain. Kris Thompson has written a deliciously nasty, egocentric maniac of a villain in Bad Medicine. Bodkin was more fun to bring to life than any character I had played before. The cast is rounded out with a collection of characters that make for an engaging company of entertaining buffoons and sweet-hearted heroics. This is not only a fun plot, but is very well written with sharply observed interplay between the characters. Audiences love this show.
This isn’t a one man for one woman play! It’s got several characters built to have the “happy ending”. Loads of fun, lots of laughs and great antics!
This such a fun trip to classic world of old western melodramas. Great heros and great villains! Perfect for a popcorn throwing night of cheering for the hero and booing the villain.
This play was a place I enjoyed visited and would enjoy seeing the characters again!
My son was in this play one summer. He loved the role, very well written. I watched it multiple times and never got tired of it. The villain was the best!
Had the pleasure of performing as Bodkin Shamley in McKinney, TX, and it was one of the most fun roles I’ve ever landed. Wonderfully funny and well-written!
Superior, sublime silliness, this homage to 19th century melodrama is a lot of fun. With a large cast offering meaty roles for performers of any gender to sink their teeth into, this is the kind of show that is like a vacation for its audiences: pure, delightful entertainment.
Review Bad Medicine.