In 2007, a friend from London told me about the “most amazing show ever” at the National Theatre of Great Britain. The show was War Horse, the story of a horse named Joey, the boy who raised him and the bond they form that transcends the horrendous combat of World War I.
It’s hard to imagine a play about horses onstage, but War Horse galloped to Broadway in 2011 and won five Tony Awards, including best play. The real magic of the show comes from the Handspring Puppet Company’s horse creation. This group of South African artists dreamed up how to recreate life-size animals in a convincing and evocative way — unlike any puppets you’ve ever seen. This story is also a tear-jerker: People have recommended bringing a box of tissues to me more than once. This is truly emotional storytelling, not to be missed.
Through April 7. $28-$83. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, 513-369-4363, cincinnatiarts.org.
This article appears in Mar 20-26, 2013.
