Texas Comedies & Crank Collective Stage THE FEUD

The Civil War is over, but fighting rages on in 1870s Texas. In this one-hour musical comedy with a live band, a beleaguered army officer stands between an outlaw family and a band of vigilantes, while a wronged woman seeks her own twisted justice.

The Sutton-Taylor feud pitted the notorious State Police against the Taylor ring (which boasted killer John Wesley Hardin). In this musical comedy based on actual events, an army officer risks his life and reputation to try to bring a lasting peace.

In The Feud, vengeful women, corrupt lawmen and desperate outlaws sing, dance, ride hard and shoot straight.

About the real Sutton-Taylor Feud

After the Civil War, army troops occupied Texas. Outlaw bands and vigilante groups fought over land and cattle , and blood feuds were common. The longest and bloodiest of these was the Sutton-Taylor feud.

The feud began when Buck, Hays and Doboy Taylor were involved in the killing of army soldiers in Mason in 1867. Shortly thereafter, William Sutton, a deputy sheriff, shot two in the Taylor gang as they were "trying to escape."

A cycle of vengeance killings began. Farmers and townspeople in around Dewitt County were forced to take sides. Robberies, jailbreaks, ambushes and shoot-outs were frequent. Finally, in The Town of Clinton, Texas, a peace treaty between the warring parties was signed.

Cast and Ensemble

The cast features Megan Ortiz, Phil Rodriguez, Kera Blay, Josh Meindertsma, Carl Guthrie and Creighton Moench.

The band includes Mikey Walters, John Cecil, Chris La Cava, and Jonathan Hoyle.

About Texas Comedies

Texas Comedies (aka Crank Collective), led by producing director John Cecil, is a group of actors, musicians and theatrical artists that has performed in New York, Prague and Bucharest. The ensemble brought the show Epidemic of Fear: An Influenzical to Austin in 2009, then Drone in 2011 (nominated for an Austin Critics' Table Award for Best Musical Production). For its Texas History Series, Crank Collective recently produced Cabeza de Vaca, Alamo Aftermath, Boomtown, The True Story of Bonnie and Clyde, Murders & Moontowers, Prohibition and Red Scare.

Crank Collective is a sponsored project of the Austin Creative Alliance, a non-profit arts service organization, working to advance, connect, and celebrate Austin's creative life. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.