“Horn in the West,” created by Kermit Hunter, is the nation’s oldest Revolutionary War drama. It tells the story of Daniel Boone and the first people to settle the hills of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Since 1952, Horn in the West has told a story of struggle set against the backdrop of the American Revolution. It’s a struggle for freedom, family and country.
Throughout the years, thousands of cast members have taken part in the story. Three key roles – that of Daniel Boone, Dr. Geoffrey Stuart, and the Reverend Isaiah Sims, have come highlight the outdoor drama that takes place every summer at the Daniel Boone Amphitheatre in Boone, NC.
The settlers who ventured to the Blue Ridge Mountains seeking freedom and escape from British tyranny is the main crux of play and what the action centers around. Stuart, a British physician of note, is brought to the Carolinas in order to better understand smallpox and the beginnings of this devastating epidemic. Along with Stuart are his wife, Martha, and Jack, their teenage son.
In May of 1771, “Regulators” – a colonial gang, challenge the British authorities with violent resistance. These rebels are eventually captured, along with Stuart, who along with Regulators fought tooth and nail against the British. Now, it’s Stuart who must save his son and take back his family name.
Through scenes of romance, toil, and perseverance, the Stuart Family and the small Western North Carolina community begin to flourish behind the leadership of the doctor, and Rev. Sims. It’s the doctor who wages a friendship between settlers and the Cherokee Indians. With British officials pushing for war between the Cherokee and the settlers, Dr. Stuart’s medical training helps forge a bond between the native Indians and the villagers. Nane’hi, daughter of a Cherokee Chief, and Daniel Boone, also play vital roles in maintaining the freedom of the mountain settlement.
For Stuart it also becomes an inner battle he must wage for the love of a son and his loyalty to his home country of England. In the end, the doctor, Jake, and the entire community start out on the long trek to King’s Mountain. It’s there that the future of a new nation, and a free nation, begin.
Having begun in mid-June and running until mid-August, the Horn observed its 62nd consecutive production season this past summer of 2012.