A History of Equestrian Drama in the United States

6  The Plays

Frontier Equestrian Drama

The next, and most distinctly American, type of equestrian drama to premiere in the United States is the “frontier” or “border” drama. Because horses are central to the frontier world in which these plays are set, most of these plays include horses as part of the story line, but horses are not always scripted to appear onstage. When horses are present onstage, the plays are equestrian dramas. In order to best understand the significance of the horse to these plays, it is useful to first consider the significance of the horse within the larger culture and development of the United States. This is essential for understanding the frontier drama and the related form of the Wild West show, which is discussed ...