The Show Goes On

Sep 2, 2020

By Michael Zimny

Deadwood's outlaw history is key to its draw as a tourist destination. Street performances by the local acting troupe Deadwood Alive — reenacting historic scenes featuring characters like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane — draw crowds and stoke the Deadwood mystique.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the start of Deadwood's tourist season, but business is picking up.

Statistics tallied by the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce show May hotel occupancies were down 19 percent, and June's down nearly 18 percent, though occupancy levels fared better than the national average. According to numbers compiled by the South Dakota Commission on Gaming, gambling revenues were down throughout the spring, but rebounded in June, with Deadwood casinos actually improving on last June's take by 13.75 percent, led by a brisk slot machine business.

As the sound of pulled slot levers get louder, crowds have grown for Deadwood Alive's street performances.

Andy Mosher is the executive director of Deadwood Alive. He also plays several roles, including that of Con Stapleton, the first and only town marshall of Deadwood, and John Swift, the court clerk at The Trial of Jack McCall.

This year, Deadwood Alive cancelled its weekend spring season. The summer season started Memorial Day weekend with the troupe, per usual, presenting several outdoor performances at daily scheduled times.

The Trial of Jack McCall, a Deadwood theatrical tradition since the 1920s, is still presented indoors, nowadays to a smaller audience. Masks are recommended though not enforced.

"We started out to a very small crowd," Mosher says. "Our attendance has increased as the summer has progressed. Outside our shows are practically not affected. It's built slowly up through the summer and now it's kind of normal for what it would be. Our indoor show is still quite reduced and probably down about 30 percent for the year."

The reduced numbers at the indoor show and loss of the spring season have markedly decreased revenues, but they've managed to stay fully staffed.

"We were lucky enough to attain a little bit of funding through government subsidies and so forth to make up some of the money that we're losing," Mosher says.

Deadwood Alive's outdoor performances are popular but don't pay the bills.

"The Trial of Jack McCall of course, is [at] an indoor venue, so people are a little more hesitant to attend. That's the only thing that we charge money for is that show. So it is going to affect our revenues substantially this year."

The players recently performed at the (outdoor) Days of '76 Rodeo, which Mosher says was a success.

"It was huge. I was actually kind of surprised at how many people did attend and sit right in the bleachers nearby each other. Of course, it is outdoors and that does help quite a bit."

Michael Zimny is a content producer for South Dakota Public Broadcasting and is based in Rapid City. He blogs for SDPB and contributes columns to the South Dakota Magazine website.