A solo performance
By Christopher Hunt
Family. Land. Memory. Music
Premiered in a sold-out 8-performance run in January, 2026 with Lunchbox Theatre and One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo in Calgary.
We have definitely not seen the end of Ribstone.”
— Calgary Herald
About the Show
RIBSTONE is a solo theatre performance written and performed by Calgary actor Christopher Hunt. Blending storytelling, live music, and a hand-cranked illustrated scroll (“crankie”), the piece traces four generations of a ranching family in Alberta while exploring larger questions of land, inheritance, memory, and belonging.
The show takes its name from the Ribstone: a rare and sacred stone formation connected to the Blackfoot Confederacy and other Indigenous Nations. One stood on the hill above Hunt’s family ranch in east-central Alberta, becoming both a childhood landmark and the starting point for the play’s deeper investigation into family history, settler relationships to the land, and the stories that get passed down — or left unspoken.
Warm, funny, and deeply personal, RIBSTONE moves fluidly between characters, timelines, and memories: grandparents and ranchers, musicians and hired farm workers, old family stories, small-town dances, prairie winters, auction sales, kitchens, funerals, and roadside conversations. Throughout the performance, Hunt plays live banjo and fiddle-inspired music rooted in old-time prairie traditions.
At its heart, the show asks:
What does it mean to inherit a place?
The Crankie
A central visual element of RIBSTONE is the crankie — a hand-built scrolling panoramic artwork operated live during the performance. Sometimes described as the “IMAX of the 1800s,” the crankie combines illustration, movement, and storytelling in a form that feels both handmade and theatrical.
Created specifically for the production, it allows the audience to travel through prairie landscapes, memory, and history alongside the performer, giving the show a visual language that audiences consistently remember long after the performance ends.
Music
Music runs throughout RIBSTONE as both atmosphere and memory. Hunt performs live onstage using banjo and old-time musical traditions that connect directly to the world of the play.
The production also features The Ribstone Waltz, an original composition by the late Calgary musician Tim Williams — a longtime friend and collaborator of Hunt’s whose spirit and musical influence are woven deeply into the piece. The production is dedicated to his memory.
Christopher Hunt | Writer & Performer
Christopher Hunt is a Calgary-based theatre artist with a career spanning more than four decades on Canadian stages. Known for his versatility as an actor, he has performed with many of Western Canada’s leading theatre companies, developing a reputation for emotionally grounded performances, rich character work, and a deep connection with audiences.
RIBSTONE is his first full-length work as a playwright and solo performer.
The play emerged following the death of Hunt’s mother and began as an attempt to better understand his family’s relationship to the land where they had lived for generations. What started as a personal exploration gradually expanded into a larger conversation about prairie identity, settler history, music, memory, and reconciliation.
The result is an intimate theatrical experience that feels at once personal and widely recognizable — a prairie story that resonates far beyond the prairies.
Production & Touring
RIBSTONE was created specifically for intimate venues where the audience can fully experience the storytelling and visual detail of the crankie. The production is self-contained and adaptable, making it well suited to touring in a variety of spaces.
Ideal venues include:
Studio theatres and black box spaces
Community arts venues
Small and mid-sized performing arts centres
Heritage sites and museums
Rural halls and gathering spaces
Festival presentations
Indigenous cultural centres
University and college venues
The production typically works best in venues ranging from approximately 80–200 seats.
Themes & Audience
RIBSTONE speaks to audiences interested in:
family history
rural and prairie life
music and storytelling traditions
questions of land and belonging
intergenerational memory
reconciliation and settler history
While rooted in Alberta ranch country, the play has resonated with audiences far beyond that specific geography. Its questions about inheritance, identity, and how we live on contested land have proven meaningful to audiences across generations and communities.
The show is suitable for general audiences ages 14+.
Indigenous consultation for the project was provided by Telly James.
Response
The premiere Calgary run sold out before opening night, generating strong word of mouth and audience response. A return engagement with Lunchbox Theatre is programmed for October 7 – 17, 2026.
Additional touring conversations are currently underway for future presentations across Canada and internationally.
Booking & Contact
For booking inquiries, touring information, scripts, archival video access, or presenter materials:
Christopher Hunt
chris.duffer@outlook.com587-437-7599