Usually a trip to the theater involves heading indoors. However, for more than three decades a unique north Okanagan theater company has been putting on plays under the open skies on a rural property near Armstrong, B.C.
Each summer more than 10,000 people make the trip to take in the company’s productions.
This summer, as the company approaches a milestone anniversary, it is remounting one of their most-beloved shows.
Billed as a bluegrass opera, The Ballad of Weedy Peetstraw, tells the story of a banjo player who makes a deal with the devil, trading his soul to become an extraordinary musician.
“He does this proverbial deal at the crossroads and experiences tremendous success but also has to grapple with what he has lost,” said director Estelle Shook.
The theater company started out touring North America in horse-drawn wagons. It bought the farm near Armstrong, where they now preform, in 1978 as a place to live during the winter season and breed horses.
The company put on their first farm show in 1983. In the early days, the concept was untested.
“We never looked back. It has been amazing that people find their way here.”
Next year will be the company’s 40th year on the farm and will mark 35 years since the first farm show here.
As it heads towards those milestones, it’s reviving The Ballad of Weedy Peetstraw.
“It has been 19 years since we first produced it here and it just felt right to go for something really fun with lots of music,” said Shook.
Like all caravan productions, the unique element is that the play will be performed outdoors with the natural farm surroundings flavouring the show.
“It is all under the open sky that changes over the course of the evening with the moon rising and the stars coming out,” said Shook.
“Cows in the neighbouring field come in and make cameos in the scenes.”
The Ballad of Weedy Peetstraw runs from July 25 through until August 27 at Caravan Farm Theatre.
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