CARTHAGE — The Carthage community will be sponsoring a melodrama, “D.K. Molar, the Devious Dentist” or “There’s Gold in Them Thar Teeth,” for two performances during the annual Straw Bale Celebration Aug. 6 and 7.

The melodrama, written by Billy St. John, is being produced with special arrangements with Pioneer Drama Service, Englewood, Colo.

Performances are planned Friday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 7, at 2 p.m. Both performances will be held in the City Auditorium.

This will be the 18th year for the production, which is usually held in March, but this year is planned to coincide with the Straw Bale Celebration.

Members of the cast include JoDene Darnell as Iva Paine, Kathy Faber as Nova Caine, Dave VanAsperen as Dr. D.K. Molar, Dianne Larson as Polly Dent, Sandra Austerman as Flossy Dailey, Travis Bornitz as Dr. Phil de Tooth, and Loralee Nelson as director.

Freewill donations will be received for the play and pie and ice cream that will be served. Donations from this year’s event will help with the installation of air conditioning in the auditorium.

The melodrama takes place in 1915 in the office of Dr. D.K. Molar, a devious dentist, who along with his noxious nurse, Nova Caine, creates a scam by putting patients to sleep with nitrous oxide, then removing their gold crowns and replacing them with fake gold crows.

The unsuspecting patients are none the wiser, at least until Dr. Molar’s new receptionist, Flossy Dailey, begins to speculate over some strange happenings in the office. She finds help unraveling the dasturdly operation from an upstanding young dentist, Phil de Tooth.

Everyone is invited to attend.