The Wyoming Territorial Prison is hosting the Horse Barn Dinner Theater this summer from July 1 to August 14. The Horse Barn Dinner Theater is putting on the show “WYOMING: A Brand New State,” every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The dinner begins at 6:15 p.m. with the show following at 7 p.m.

“The show is a success this year, although not as much as in recent years,” said producer Dale Hoops. “Hopefully other people will pick up on it, as it is a great show,” he said.

The Wyoming Territorial Prison is one of the Laramie’s must-see tourist attractions and is the only prison to have imprisoned Butch Cassidy. The self-guided walking tour at the prison takes the tourist through exhibits detailing life in the wild west, how the prisoners lived, and, of course, Butch Cassidy. The prison is the perfect place to stage a Wild West show because of the completely “western” atmosphere surrounding the prison.

The show is put on by the High Plains Theatre Company. It is the first production of the company, and they are very excited to have the prison as their setting for the Horse Barn Dinner Theatre. The cast consists of children and adults who are dressed up as cowboys and cowgirls of the Wild West.

“It is a hokey western musical on Wyoming right before it became a state. It gives some clever facts on Wyoming,” Hoops said.

The Horse Barn is the perfect place for a show because there are no big poles or corners obstructing the view. The whole stage is visible from almost any angle. This is the first year in awhile that the Horse Barn Dinner Theatre has been in the Horse Barn, but it may prove to be a lasting addition to the Territorial Prison depending on the revenue generated. Depending on the night, about half of the audience is local and half is tourists who have heard about the show, according to Hoops.

“We have had people from New York, North Carolina, and Washington,” Hoops said.

The dinner menu enhances the western feeling with BBQ pulled pork, mashed potatoes, and cherry cobbler. Vegetarian lasagna is available upon request. Water, iced tea, lemonade, and coffee are offered as beverages.

The cast are mostly Laramie natives. Susan Wiersema just graduated from Laramie High School, and Aaron Heath is a junior there. The two Laramie stars have played in numerous musicals and just sang with the school choir at Carnegie Hall in New York. Katie Winters and Carmella Chavez are both students at the University of Wyoming. They describe singing as one of their ultimate loves, according to their biographies. Finally, producer Dale Hoops is at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs majoring in musical theatre. He describes theatre as his “passion.” Ten children rotate spots this summer, and on any given night four children play roles. These children are all Laramie natives, and many of them are brother and sister duos.

Tickets for adults are $35, and tickets for children are $25. For information on tickets and performances, call 307-399-6112.

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