Warhorse

Mom and I went to see this performance when she visited the mainland.  She came to California the beginning of the month, then went to Omaha, then returned to California the latter part of the month before going home.  Before she went to Omaha, we watched the movie, Warhorse.  So seeing the play gave us a different perspective of the same story.

This story takes place during WWI in England.  To spite his brother, a man buys a prized stallion with the last of his money.  His son takes care of the colt and when they are challenged with the possible loss of their farm, he trains the race horse to plow a field.  War starts and the horse is commissioned to be part of the English army as they travel to the war trenches in France.  The horse goes from one loving owner to another during the war as the boy joins the infantry trying to find his horse. 

The most compelling scene in the story is when the horse flees from the bombardments and gets tangled in the barbed wire between the warring trenches.  The English and Germans hear the whinnying of the horse.  Soon, two soldiers from each side cautiously crawl to the horse.  Then they work together to untangle the horse, finally freeing it.  The English soldier wins the horse in a coin toss and brings the horse back to the medics where the boy happens to be treated for burns around his eyes.  The doctor is about to shoot the horse because of his wounds, but the boy hears about the rescued horse.  Believing it is his horse, the whistles and the horse responds, saving himself from being killed.

In the play, the horse is actually a frame with puppeteers that work the feet and head of the horse.  At the beginning of the play, a couple of puppeteers work the frame of the colt, but at one point the grown horse emerges and the impact brought applause from the audience.  The horse was life size.  The back and front hooves were actually 2 different people in the frame and their feet manipulated the hooves.  A third person had two poles that manipulated the movement of the head.  At first, the people interfered visually, but soon we saw beyond it.  They movements conveyed the breathing and muscle movements of a horse.  It was amazing and wonderful. 

Part of the war scenery was off stage right near us in front of the first row.  When soldiers jumped into the trenches, they were actually jumping right in front of us.  Fun.  Enjoyable play and movie with a wonderful ending.  Feel good movie that is great for the whole family despite the fact that it is about war.