Crazy Horse at the Black Hills Playhouse

Custer State Park is famous for its scenic drives, free-roaming wildlife, and impressively pointy geology. This might not be where you’d expect to find one of the longest-running summer theater companies in the United States, but there it is - tucked unpretentiously off Needles Highway.

The Black Hills Playhouse was established in 1946 by a professor at the University of South Dakota. He moved his company into buildings which had originally been constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. Since then, there have been numerous updates and improvements made to the facilities, which now host a world-class theater company composed of people from all over the country.

This year’s season looks to be wonderful, but there’s something extra special in the line-up for lovers of history and the Black Hills: the first production of the summer will be “Dreams Carved In Stone,” an original play by Ric Averill which tells the story both of Korczak Ziolkowski, sculptor of Crazy Horse, and of Crazy Horse himself. The play will incorporate traditional Lakota music and dance, including hoop dancing by Dallas Chief Eagle, one of the nation’s best hoop dancers.

β€œWhat audiences can expect to see,” said Nancy Halverson, director of the play, β€œis a show that celebrates the accomplishments of the Lakota warrior, Crazy Horse, and the artistic accomplishments of Korczak Ziolkowski.” She hopes the play will inspire audiences to give some thought to their own dreams and passions.

Other productions in the summer season will include “Urinetown,” “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure,” and “The Boys Next Door.”