H.R. No. 2911

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, During the summer of 2015, the outdoor musical drama
	Texas in Palo Duro Canyon will celebrate its 50th anniversary and
	once again inspire and entertain audiences from across the state
	and the nation; and
	WHEREAS, This annual stage spectacular was the brainchild of
	Panhandle resident Margaret Pease Harper, a professor at West Texas
	State College in Canyon; she conceived of the idea of building an
	open-air amphitheater in majestic Palo Duro Canyon, and she
	persuaded North Carolina playwright Paul Green to write a
	large-scale pageant about the lives of Panhandle pioneers; and
	WHEREAS, Pioneer Amphitheater was opened in 1962, and in the
	summer of 1966, the first production of Texas was performed there;
	the play's music, choreography, and direction were provided by
	faculty members of West Texas State, and many of the show's original
	cast members were students from the school; and
	WHEREAS, Today, Texas is produced by the Texas Panhandle
	Heritage Foundation, which works to preserve the history of the
	Panhandle through theater; performed every evening Tuesday through
	Sunday from June until mid-August, the show tells the story of
	Calvin Armstrong, a young homesteader, and other characters include
	a wealthy rancher, a comic gold prospector, cowboys, pioneer women,
	and Quanah Parker, the last chief of the Comanche; and
	WHEREAS, From its thrilling opening, as a rider on horseback
	carries the Texas flag at top speed along the rim of the canyon, to
	its stirring conclusion under the Western stars, the outdoor
	musical Texas has delighted theatergoers for half a century, and it
	is truly one of the Lone Star State's cultural treasures; now,
	therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary and the 2015
	production of Texas and extend to the cast and crew sincere best
	wishes for a successful season; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for the cast and crew of Texas as an expression of high
	regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
	Price
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 2911 was adopted by the House on May
	30, 2015, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House