Caravan Farm Theatre summer show returns
After two years without its landmark summer show, tickets are now on sale for Caravan Farm Theatre’s Blackhorse July 12 to Aug. 7.
“The horse has been a partner in human progress for thousands of years, and as such holds a potent place in our imagination. Blackhorse harnesses the symbolic power of the horse to pull us into the story, the ideas, and the heart of the play. A hybrid of musical theatre and top-notch horse action, the ‘horse opera’ is a spectacular a form of theatre only possible here at Caravan Farm Theatre,” says Estelle Shook, artistic director of Caravan Farm Theatre.
Created by songsmith, poet, playwright and composer Linz Kenyon and Shook, Blackhorse is the story of a B.C. couple raising their family and pursuing their dreams against the backdrop of current socioeconomic forces. With the father away working in the Alberta oilpatch and the mother working closer to home to take care of the kids, the family struggles with inflation, the housing crisis, and the emotional toll of one-week-out and three-weeks-in. Told with a cast of six actors, four musicians, and six black horses who function as the stage machinery, the production offers humour, poetry, and an alt country western score sure to lift spirits while pulling heartstrings.
“Blackhorse is a story about love and dreams, and what happens to both when they come up against larger pressures beyond the individual’s control. Oh, and it’s funny. And moving. And so now,” says Shook.
As the third installment of Caravan Farm Theatre’s horse operas, following Cowboy King (2000) and IOU Land (2005), Shook and Kenyon spent years developing Blackhorse. In the summer of 2021, Caravan Farm Theatre spent two weeks workshopping Kenyon’s iconic score with a full band, and the horse choreography, led by crack Salmon Arm teamster Joyce Marchant. Three “behind the scenes” films were made to capture the process of creating this horse opera and can be viewed on Caravan’s website.
“Blackhorse will have the excitement of the rodeo, the emotional power of Greek Tragedy, and all the humour, musicality and spectacular design that folks have come to expect from a Caravan Farm Theatre show. And, we have made the first ten performances ‘pay what you can’ to ensure anyone who wants to will have a chance to see this production,” says Shook. “This is our love letter to the community.”
For more information and to reserve your tickets, visit the farm online at caravanfarmtheatre.com.
About Caravan Farm Theatre
Now in its 44th season, Caravan Farm Theatre is one of Canada’s premier professional outdoor theatre companies located on a beautiful 80-acre farm outside of Armstrong.
