Blackhorse at the Caravan Farm Theatre until Aug. 7. (Photo by Zev Tiefenbach)

By Vernon Matters Staff

horse opera

Caravan Theatre’s ‘Blackhorse’: story of love & dreams

Jul 20, 2022 | 12:00 PM

It’s a story about horses, and families, and getting through tough times.

The musical ‘Blackhorse’ is currently showing nightly until Aug. 7 at the Caravan Farm Theatre, a professional outdoor theatre, located on Salmon River Road in Armstrong.

Created by playwright and composer Linz Kenyon and Estelle Shook, artistic director for the theatre, 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.”

“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 form of theatre only possible here at Caravan Farm Theatre,” said Shook.

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It’s told with a cast of six actors, four musicians, and six black horses who function as the stage machinery. It’s a story told with 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,” Shook remarked.

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,” said Shook. “This is our love letter to the community.”

Blackhorse opened July 12 with pay what you can pricing for the first 10 days of the four-week run, until Aug. 7.

For more information or to book tickets, visit the farm online at caravanfarmtheatre.com.