In July 1938, area residents gathered here to participate in the first showing of the Fort Griffin Fandangle. Earlier that year, Albany High School drama teacher Robert Nail, Jr. wrote and directed a play depicting the settling of the Fort Griffin area. Receiving support from the local chamber of commerce, Nail created a similar show, leading to the Fandangle’s first performance.
Nail relied on volunteers for every aspect of the show, which included period costumes, livestock, elaborate sets and many performers. Music also played a vital role; later, original songs replaced traditional folk music. Alice Reynolds directed music for the production and served in a variety of other roles for 45 years as an integral part of the Fandangle’s success.
The acclaimed show became an annual affair. It went on hiatus due to World War II, but returned once Nail came back from military service. In 1964, performers were invited to help inaugurate an amphitheatre in Palo Duro Canyon for the show, “Texas.” The next year, the Fandangle moved from the stadium to the newly built Prairie Theatre. In 1967, the production accepted an invitation to present a show at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch. In 1968, Nail died suddenly; despite the loss of the show’s creator and director, the Fandangle continued.
Through the years, thousands of Albany residents have participated in the Fandangle as writers, composers, lyricists, choreographers, designers, lights and sound specialists, musicians, dancers, actors and make-up artists. Today, the Fort Griffin Fandangle, as a true people’s theatre, continues to employ the talents of Albany residents in creating a unique telling of the area’s pioneer story.
(2008)