The 2011 Broadway premiere of the World War I drama “War Horse” won five Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Direction. But the show also garnered a special Tony Award for Handspring Puppet Company, which designed the show’s star – a horse puppet named Joey.
It takes three puppeteers working together to play one horse on stage – the head, the heart, and the hind – through movement, sound and breath. They gallop Joey around the stage, voice him, and create the emotional indicators like ear flicks and tail swishes that bring the horse to life.
Broadway in Louisville opens the touring production of “War Horse” next week. Earlier this year, WFPL’s Erin Keane spoke with three actors who play Joey on Broadway.
