[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21444]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE ``HORN IN THE WEST'' HISTORICAL DRAMA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor ``Horn in the West,'' 
which this year is in its 56th consecutive season and is the third 
oldest outdoor drama in the United States. ``Horn in the West'' is also 
the oldest Revolutionary War drama in the Nation. It brings theatre-
goers into the life and times of that legendary frontiersman Daniel 
Boone.
  Located in Boone, North Carolina, ``Horn in the West'' outdoor drama 
captured the heart of this great struggle for freedom that was fought 
by mountain settlers in Appalachia during the Revolutionary War. In its 
56 years of existence, the show has wowed more than 1.4 million people 
with its storytelling ingenuity and historical acumen. To this day it 
is not only entertaining thousands each year; it is also preserving a 
valuable story drawn from our Nation's early formative years.
  ``Horn in the West'' was written by Dr. Kermit Hunter, an 
accomplished author and playwright who wrote more than 40 other 
historical productions. Dr. Hunter, who passed away in 2001, was a 
dedicated spokesman for the genre of the outdoor drama. His drama 
highlights the early freedom-seeking settlers who migrated to the Blue 
Ridge Mountains in an attempt to escape from the tyranny of British 
rule.
  The story of ``Horn in the West'' is told through the lens of Dr. 
Geoffrey Stuart, who came to the Blue Ridge with his family to study 
smallpox. A freedom lover himself, Stuart joined the band of colonists 
in opposition to the British. ``Horn in the West'' ushers the audience 
into a great moment in the lead-up to the Revolutionary War when this 
group of patriots suffers defeat and capture at the hands of the 
British in 1771 at the Battle of Alamance.
  Dr. Stuart, a model of the American spirit to forge ahead in the face 
of opposition, must rescue his son who is one of those captured by the 
British. The story weaves its way through Stuart's life, his important 
intervention with the Cherokee tribe, and his partnership with Daniel 
Boone. ``Horn in the West'' is the story of a man and a Nation coming 
to terms with the meaning of liberty and independence in a tumultuous 
time.
  I am proud to commend the people at ``Horn in the West'' for their 
steadfast commitment to bringing this important time and place to life 
for audiences in the town of Boone every year. They embody the ideals 
of America that this production encompasses: a love of freedom, a 
strong belief in the common man, and a dedication to what is right even 
in the face of uncertain odds.
  The cast and supporting staff and board are dedicated to ``Horn'' and 
are doing a great job with very limited resources.
  The Daniel Boone Theatre that houses the outdoor production of ``Horn 
in the West'' is a magnificent setting for this historical play. When 
it was first reviewed, the critics raved that the theatrical setting 
was ``one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, in 
America'' and that ``the theatre alone is worth the price of 
admission.''
  The Daniel Boone Theatre merits such praise. It is a masterful blend 
of architecture and landscape. Designed by the NC State School of 
Design and built in 1952, it deserves its title as the best outdoor 
theatre in the east. It sits on 35 acres of Blue Ridge Mountain terrain 
and was designed specifically with ``Horn in the West'' in mind. The 
theatre blends into the mountains with its careful use of native stone 
and landscaping. The theatre's designers took great pains to integrate 
existing vegetation into the landscape so that today enormous 
rhododendron which were moved up the hill create a natural screen 
between the theater and the parking lot.
  The ``Horn in the West'' production and the Daniel Boone Theatre are 
priceless pieces of North Carolina and American history. They preserve 
something of our past that in today's era of sound bite and image-
obsessed is desperately needed. They remind us of our roots in a 
liberty-loving and free people who would give everything they held dear 
for the cause of freedom.
  My hope is that ``Horn in the West'' continues to dazzle audiences 
with its depiction of our shared history. It is a valuable part of our 
history and culture, and I wish it many more decades of successful 
production.

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