River back drop (Light rays though the river)

ABOUT THE SHOW

THIS MAD RIVER is a full-length puppet play set on the Snake River during the era of temperance and Prohibition. Reimagining Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick through the lens of Idaho history and frontier lore, the work follows bootleggers smuggling whiskey from Taylor’s Crossing through the Seven Devils and into Hells Canyon. Driven by obsession, guilt, and unraveling faith, their journey takes mythic shape in a leviathan that becomes the embodiment of destruction. Set against the vast landscape of the Mountain West, the piece explores the perilous edge between devotion and madness.

YOUR SUPPORT

Your contribution directly supports the creation of THIS MAD RIVER, including artist compensation, puppet construction, design materials, rehearsal time, original music, and production costs.

As Rubicon Studios’ first full-length production, this campaign does more than help us make one show; It helps launch the company, and create a foundation for future original puppetry work in the Treasure Valley, and beyond.