Trumpet in the Land

June 19th – August 16th (Specific Dates Vary, See Website For More Information), 8:30pm
Schoenbrunn Amphitheatre
1600 Trumpet Dr NE, New Philadelphia, OH 44663

Trumpet in the Land , Ohio’s official state play and longest running outdoor theatre production, brings to life the tragic but inspiring story of David Zeisberger and his Christian Deleware followers as they struggled to preserve their peaceful settlement despite the growing violence of the Revolutionary War.

​The story begins in 1772 in the heart of the Ohio wilderness. Ziesberger, a Moravian minister has just arrived in the Ohio valley with dreams of building the first settlement in the wilderness, Schoenbrunn. Meanwhile, tempers between the British and Americans flair, eventually leading to the start of the Revolutionary War.

When the Revolutionary War breaks out, Zeisberger and his followers find themselves caught between the British at Fort Detroit and the Americans at Fort Pitt. By refusing to take sides in the struggle, Zeisberger and his people incur the wrath of both warring parties, eventually leading to the brutal massacre of 96 Christian Delaware at Gnadenhutten in 1782 by a band of American militiamen. President Teddy Roosevelt, a noted historian, called the event “a stain on the frontier character that time cannot wash away.”

​The performance is full of unforgettable historical characters including Simon Girty, a conniving border renegade who agitated for all-out war in the region; Captain Pipe, a young warrior chief whose hatred of all white men for the killing of his father added to the dangers facing the missionaries; and John Heckewelder, one of the first explorers of the “Ohio country.”

​Written by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Paul Green, Trumpet in the Land is set in the very hills once traveled by those portrayed in the show and handpicked by the author. Watch the warm summer nights come alive with beautiful horses, brilliant fire dances, authentic looking costumes, fiery battle pyrotechnics and a beautiful natural setting.

Adult admission is $25.00 per person. Discounts are available for children under 18 and seniors 60 and over. Visit Trumpet in the Land’s website for more information or call 330-339-1132 for the box office or 330-364-5111 for the administrative office.