Horn in the West

Horn in the West, by Kermit Hunter, is an outdoor drama produced every summer since 1952 in the Daniel Boone Amphitheatre in Boone, North Carolina. The show, the oldest revolutionary war drama in the United States, was about the life and times of the first White people to settle the mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. It covers a time period during the American Revolution between the Battle of Alamance in 1771 and the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780. The story follows the family of Dr. Geoffrey Stuart, a British loyalist, who is forced to flee the lower colony due to the actions of his son during the Battle of Alamance. Led into the mountain country by frontiersman Daniel Boone, Stuart must come to terms with his own loyalties, which are divided between his country and his son.

There have been hundreds of cast members in the show's long history, but the three roles most often noted are those of Dr. Geoffrey Stuart, Daniel Boone, and Rev. Isaiah Sims, an itinerant Baptist circuit-riding preacher who befriends Stuart during his time in the mountains. Dr. Stuart has been portrayed by a great many actors over the years. William Ross originated the role of Dr. Stuart. James Maddux acted the role for several years; as did Mark Allen Woodard, who portrayed Dr. Stuart from 2003 until 2007; Andrew Dylan Ray, who portrayed the Doctor from 2008–2011; Ryan Gentry, who held the role in 2012 and 2013, J. J. McCarson in 2014, and Jake Duvall-Early, the latest performer in the role. The original performer cast as Daniel Boone in the show was Ned Austin. He was followed by Glenn Causey, who donned Boone's "coon-skin cap" for forty-one years until shortly before his death (and is still commonly associated with the role in the Boone area); Wesley Martin, who assumed the role of the rugged frontiersman from 1998 until 2011; Joseph Watson in 2012 and 2013; and the current "Dan'l," Jon Mark Bowman. The role of Preacher Sims was written into the show in 1956 for Charles C. Elledge, an original cast member, who went on to portray Rev. Sims until 1983. After Mr. Elledge left the role shortly before his death, the role went through a succession of actors, including Jerry Vencill, Ricky Joe Jessup, Doug Williams, and Darrell King, who performed in the role for over twenty years. For 2014, the role has been passed to Bradley Archer.

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