New things are happening to the world’s longest-running melodrama.

“Gold in the Hills” has a new director, a new location and a new time for perform-ances. And, for the first time in more than a year, a dear, old friend of the play will return — the peanut

“This is one thing we missed,” said Buddy Hallberg, director of two performances set for this month. “Audience participation is a great asset for us, and we’re finally able to bring it back.”

The play, listed in the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the world’s longest-running melodrama, featured for years members of the audience throwing peanuts at the villain.

Peanut-throwing was halted after a 2006 fire at the play’s longtime home, Parkside Playhouse Theater, revealed that the peanuts were causing a rodent problem.

But the tradition will resume because “Gold” is moving, on a trial basis pending success, to The Vicksburg on Clay Street.

“We’ve even built a temporary set and stage that is going to allow us to clean up the peanuts easily while we’re at The Vicksburg, and they won’t get into corners or nooks and create the same problem,” said Mike Calnan, president of the Vicksburg Theatre Guild and producer of “Gold

If you go

“Gold in the Hills” performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 25 in the Coral Room at The Vicksburg, 801 Clay St. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children at the door. Peanuts will be sold inside. Because the October performances are special ones, admission is not included in a Vicksburg Theatre Guild membership.

The move to The Vicksburg, Calnan said, is rare for the drama which has been performed at Parkside Playhouse for more than a dozen years, excluding the months following the 2006 fire when it was performed at Vicksburg High School.

In addition to its new location, “Gold” being performed in the fall is a new thing. Having typically been in the spring and summer, Calnan hopes the October performances will help promote Fall Pilgrimage, an event that features tours of Vicksburg’s historic homes. He said the continuation of the October performances will depend on their success.

“We’re also going to try some stuff that hasn’t been seen in a while,” Hallberg said.

Hallberg, the second person to win a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Vicksburg Theatre Guild, has been involved in “Gold in the Hills” for more than 50 years. He is best known for his longtime role as the villain, one of his favorites.

“We’re going to try stuff that hasn’t been seen since the days of performing on the Sprague,” Halberg said. “Over the years, numbers have been added and things have been changed and, for these performances, we’re going to get away from that.”

“Gold in the Hills” was first performed in 1936 on the Sprague, a steam-powered boat docked at City Front.

 The run ended in 1974 when the vessel burned, forcing the play to move to a Bowmar Avenue church. In 1997, Parkside Playhouse was built and performances moved there.

“Gold in the Hills” will be performed twice this month— at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 25 — in the Coral Room at The Vicksburg, 801 Clay St. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children and will be sold at the door. Peanuts will be sold inside. Because the October performances are special ones, admission is not included in a Vicksburg Theatre Guild membership.