Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama celebrates 50th season
CHILLICOTHE— Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama is celebrating its 50th season this year with opening night scheduled for Thursday.
The “epic production,” as producer and CEO Brandon Smith calls it, will take audiences on an immersive experience through the life story of the legendary Shawnee leader Tecumseh as he battles to defend his home in late 1700s Ohio.
“It is a unique experience,” said Smith. “We are telling the story of Tecumseh near where he grew up.”
The theater is set up so that audiences feel like they have walked through the woods and ended up witnessing these events. The performance uses live horses, a water stage and cannons to bring the events to life. It showcases a community coming together to fight for something they believe in, something Smith says everyone can relate to.
Since the first performance in 1973 over 2.5 million visitors have enjoyed the outdoor play. This, however, does not mean that every year is identical, with over 100 people including cast and crew being involved with each production there are always slight differences. This year the new actor playing Tecumseh is bound to bring variations to the show. Even with the yearly changes the drama bases all of the show on real historical events.
This year audiences will get a better experience the theater has recently tripled the number of speakers used in the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre. This upgrade will ensure that everyone in the audience can clearly hear what is being said. It will also allow for a more immersive sound experience.
This year the theater will only be seated at around 70% capacity each night. While this capacity limit was originally set during the pandemic those at the drama found that a lower capacity crowd results in a better experience for everyone involved.
For more information about Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama or to buy tickets to a show you can visit the Tecumseh! website.
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at Sreeves@gannett.com