Cowdog Gets Held Over in Brownwood

Abilene Reporter-News, November 20, 2003

By Celinda Emison

BROWNWOOD. Hank the Cowdog in "Thank You, Lord, For Making Gals," a student production at Howard Paine University, is rounding up herds of children from all over the area. The play, an adaptation of several stories in the popular children's book series written by John Erickson of Perryton, has been so popular that performances were added to keep up with the demand.

"It is hilarious," said Brownwood Intermediate School sixth grader Nancy Sanchez as she left a performance Wednesday. Initially, 11 performances were scheduled but six more were added to handle the classes of schoolchildren who wanted to see the show. Public performances are set Friday and Saturday.

"So far, we've had 2,600 kids see the show," said Chris McMurtry, one of two directors of the production. "Every performance has been sold out. In fact, we were sold-out before we even had auditions."

From direction to making props to acting, the entire production has been a labor of love by the students in Alpha Psi Omega, the National Honor Theatre fraternity on the HPU campus. This year, the members of the group planned for the huge demand and lined up two casts and crews.

This week, busloads of students from all over Brown County have come to see the show. They "boo" when mean, one-eyed horse Tuerto takes the stage and clap when Hank woos Beulah the Collie.

"It's fun to see the kids interact with the show," McMurtry said. McMurtry said more adults are expected at the upcoming evening performance. "Hank the Cowdog appeals to kids of all ages and adults too," he said. "There is a whole bunch of humor the adults pick up on."

Hank the Cowdog is considered the most successful student-directed play since the 1960s. "It has been fantastic to watch this come together."

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For information on Hank the Cowdog stage plays, contact Maverick Books at 806-435-7611, or www.hankthecowdog.com.