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Texas State Plays and Outdoor Dramas

Theater masks - Texas state plays

Settlers, Cowboys, and Indians

Texas has recognized four plays as official state symbols:

Fandangle:

Focus is the area along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. The story is recalled by an old-timer of the region - a cattleman who sits on the porch of a ranch house to reveal the past as he remembers it. The production consists of a series of segments, each based on historical material introduced by the narrators and then interpreted by one or more songs and dancing. Source: Handbook of Texas.

Texas:

Held in Palo Duro Canyon in a natural amphitheater - performed under the stars - a 600-foot cliff serves as the backdrop as you are taken into the past to reveal the struggles and celebrations of the early settlers, cowboys and Indians. Source: Amarillo KOA.

The Lone Star:

Presented in Galveston Island State Park Amphitheatre - part of the "Lone Star Legacy" festival . Galveston Island State Park has an interesting 500 year history.

Beyond the Sundown:

An outdoor Drama held by the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation. Last produced in 1983.

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The origin of theater goes back to prehistoric people acting out their hunting experiences and ancients singing and dancing for religious ceremonies. Theater as pure entertainment evolved slowly - the first recorded European theater was in ancient Greece about 600 BC (for a festival honoring the god of wine and fertility). A poet named Thespis won a dramatic play competition at this celebration and is so considered "the first actor" (origin of the term thespian)

Source:
History of the Theater: Kids Work!
Links:
Vaudeville - Entertainment 1870-1920: Library of Congress
William Shakespeare Plays: Old Globe Theater History
Cultural Symbols - 50 states

    

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