The Mummy Has Been Found

Last weekend a large crowd made its way to the Milesville Hall to watch 20 local actors visit the Egyptian Room at the museum. It had been 2 ½ years since the last Milesville Play. Anyone remember its name? The costumes, actions, and jokes made for many chuckles and outright laughing in the audience…. and a few in the front chairs even got wet! Did they actually find all those frogs, or did any go home in pockets?
During the play, a tribute was paid to early Milesville citizen, “Hoppy” Howard Hopkins, born in 1914. He came to Milesville as a child, and spent all of his life in the area, except for four years in the Army during World War II. He was always quite the character, and eventually started appearing in some small roles on the Milesville stage. One memorable role was found in the 1991 play, “Squad Room,” which took place at the police station. Hoppy came on stage as the sandwich salesman with a tray of sandwiches strapped to his shoulders like a vender at a ball game. As owner of “Hoppy’s Deli,” he was to ask what sandwich each person would like and then hand one sandwich from the tray to each of the policemen. Hoppy came on stage, shouted something about “Ham, Pastrami, and Roast Beef!” Then he surprised everyone as he just threw the sandwiches everywhere, even into the audience.  This was followed by Hoppy’s hasty retreat, heading downstairs for coffee and cookies. Those of a certain age will always fondly remember Hoppy, with a smile.  He died in 1995.
The Milesville stage was decked out as the Egyptian Room at the O. Howe Dulle Museum. This name came directly from the playbook, but little did the author know that O. Howe was named the Artist Laureate for South Dakota in 1960. Oscar Howe (1915-1983) created, taught, and changed the way Native American art became perceived and accepted. Oscar Howe was born on a reservation at Joe Creek, South Dakota (Hughes County). His artistic style was very distinct, and has been exhibited around the world, but especially all over America. He taught at the University of South Dakota, and there are permanent collections of his work at museums in both Mitchell and Vermillion.
The photo with this story shows the three mummies that were on the loose in this play. Two were identified in the program, but the most famous, Yo-Wut-Sup, kept his identity “under wraps” until the end of the play. Try to identify each of the mummies pictured.  If you haven’t figured them out, look for another photo near the back of this newspaper.
And, by the way, the last play, performed in November of 2021, was “Foibles and Folly”, taking place in the dilapidated apartment building, Distinctive Manor, with its cast of eccentric tenants. One of the “blind” tenants walked about with an innertube around her middle to keep from running into things.