The Old Bandera Players brought the original play “Hide and Horns” to Bandera for its premiere performance on Saturday at the Coconut Cowboy Stage on the corner of Maple and Eleventh Street.
This play written by Bob DeGeorge depicted Bandera during the cattle drive era in the late 1800’s. The tale told a story of the Old West, the Great Western Trail, and Bandera. The tale was as authentic as a Bandera yarn could be.
Six of the seven players in the company performed in the play. There was the trail boss, the gambler/doctor, the saloon owner, a madam, a drover and a young cowboy.
The story starts out with the drover looking for work in the saloon. He finds work with the trail boss driving a herd of longhorn cattle to Dodge City, Kansas. The performance had drama, comedy, and action.
The story details the hardships faced by the cowboys to get the cattle to the railhead. When the trail boss returns to Bandera, the story turns to helping a local sheep man who was stuck in the snow on Bandera Pass.
Everyone helps the sheepman and returns to Bandera to continue with their Christmas Party at the Saloon.
The audience starting out was rather small but as more people wandered in, chuckles and clapping signaled their approval of the piece.
The players talked to audience members and posed for pictures after the production ended. The costumes were authentic, and the props, while scarce, were effective to set the scene.
DeGeorge narrated the play and encouraged any willing local thespian to join the troupe.
The Old Bandera Players will continue through the month of December, take a break for the month of January and return to perform in mid-February.
For more information on the Old Bandera Players, contact DeGeorge at 830-328-3169 or email at [email protected].
