DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Fort Griffin Fandangle — and friend, this is one worth settlin' in for. July of 1938. Right here in Shackelford County, area residents gathered for something nobody quite had a name for yet — the first showing of the Fort Griffin Fandangle.
Now, to understand how it got to that night, you have to back up just a little. Earlier that same year, a man named Robert Nail, Jr. — Albany High School drama teacher — sat down and wrote a play. Directed it himself.
It depicted the settling of the Fort Griffin area, told by the very people whose families had lived that settling. The local Chamber of Commerce got behind it, lent their support, and Nail took that encouragement and shaped it into something bigger. Something that would last.
Here's the thing about Robert Nail, Jr. — the man did not hire a cast and crew. He relied on volunteers. Every single aspect of that show: the period costumes, the livestock — yes, livestock — the elaborate sets, the many performers.
Music played a vital role from the start, and in time, original songs replaced the traditional folk music that had anchored the early productions. Alice Reynolds directed that music and served in a whole variety of other roles for forty-five years. Forty-five years as what the marker calls an integral part of the Fandangle's success.
That's not a footnote — that's a pillar. The show became an annual affair. Then came World War II, and the Fandangle went on hiatus.
But once Nail came back from military service, it returned. Albany had been waiting. By 1964, the Fandangle's reputation had traveled far enough that performers were invited to help inaugurate a brand-new amphitheatre — out in Palo Duro Canyon — for a show called Texas.
The very next year, 1965, the Fandangle itself moved from the stadium into a newly built Prairie Theatre. Things were growin'. Then came 1967, and an invitation arrived that you don't turn down: the production was asked to present a show at President Lyndon B.
Johnson's ranch. Albany, Texas — at the President's ranch. Let that sit a moment.
And then 1968 brought the kind of news that stops a community cold. Robert Nail died suddenly. The creator.
The director. The man who had written the whole thing into existence back in that first year was gone. By any reasonable measure, the Fandangle should have gone with him.
It didn't. Through the years, thousands of Albany residents have stepped into that production — as writers, composers, lyricists, choreographers, designers, light and sound specialists, musicians, dancers, actors, and makeup artists. Thousands.
The whole town, generation after generation, taking their turn. Today, the Fort Griffin Fandangle continues — described on that marker as a true people's theatre, employing the talents of Albany residents in creating a unique telling of the area's pioneer story. One drama teacher, one July night in 1938, and a town that never let it go.
What the marker says
FORT GRIFFIN FANDANGLE 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 CRE-ATED 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 A 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, LIGHT 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)