Outdoor Dramas – A Carolina Tradition

The Lost Colony – Photo Credit: Cory Goodwin Photography

North Carolina is in fact the birthplace of the outdoor drama in the United States and what has become a multi-generational tradition for many families. It started with playwright and North Carolina native Paul Green, who crafted “The Lost Colony” to tell the history of the first colony in the New World. The Broadway-style, full-blown outdoor stage production opened in 1937 and has since paved the way for similar productions across the country.

The history of the outdoor drama in fact connects to its appeal today for retirees wanting a reason to make a road trip. As people began to take vacations in their automobiles in the 1920s, outdoor dramas became a destination for travel and a chance to be entertained. Outdoor dramas were appealing because they were accessible, affordable, and good family entertainment. And these dramas were performed in the very places where the historical events happened. All of those appeals hold true today.

Green wrote a number of historical outdoor dramas, as well as scripts for plays and films. His “Cross and Sword” in St. Augustine, Florida, tells of Spain’s settlement of the nation’s oldest city. “Stephen Foster: The Musical” in Bardstown, Kentucky, showcases the music of the Kentucky native and composer, and Green’s “Trumpet in the Land” in New Philadelphia, Ohio, recreates life in the frontier of Ohio during the Revolutionary War.

Although not unique to North Carolina, we are fortunate to have several successful outdoor dramas that draw locals and visitors to towns across the state.

Kermit Hunter wrote Boone’s “Horn in the West” which tells the story of the Revolutionary War with Daniel Boone at the center. Opened in 1952, “Horn in the West” is produced annually by the Southern Appalachian Historical Association.

Now in its 58th year, “From This Day Forward” is one of six theatrical productions by the Old Colony Players in Valdese. Between 30 and 40 actors of all ages perform in the production which takes place in the Old Colony Players Amphitheatre that can seat as many as 400 people.

Folks travel from all over the country to see the outdoor dramas that we have right in our backyard here in North Carolina.

Showcasing History

The Lost Colony

On the north end of Roanoke Island, North Carolina, a unique tradition has transpired each summer since 1937. When you think of things to do on a small island just west of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a theatrical show shouldn’t come to mind, but for the last 88 years each summer tens of thousands of theatre patrons have flocked to Roanoke Island to witness The Lost Colony. The show is an institution of American Theatre and a testament to a community that seeks to honor its legacy. Performed in an open-air outdoor theatre right on the shore of the Roanoke Sound, there’s a reason that the show is the longest running Outdoor Symphonic Drama in America.

Set on the legendary Outer Banks, “The Lost Colony” is the nation’s longest running symphonic outdoor drama and tell the story of America’s first unsolved mystery. Photo Credit: Cory Goodwin Photography

The Lost Colony tells the story of the first attempt at English Colonization in the New World in 1584-1587, 40 years before Plymouth and Jamestown. In 1584 a group of English explorers settled on Roanoke Island, which they called “The Goodliest Land Under the Cope of Heaven.”

After a complicated first few voyages, a permanent colony was established in 1587, and in August of 1587 Virginia Dare was born, who became the first English child born in America. The leader of the Colony, Governor John White, left to return to England to gather more supplies, but England’s war with Spain delayed his return for 3 years. When he eventually returned in 1590, the Colony had vanished, leaving only the letters “CRO” carved on a tree, thus sparking one of America’s greatest mysteries. The Lost Colony tells this story on the site where these events actually occurred.

The show wasn’t meant to run for 88 seasons. In 1937, a group called the Roanoke Colony Memorial Association was looking for something to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the birth of Virginia Dare, and set out to create something like the Oberammagau, the large-scale passion play put on in Germany every ten years. W.O. Saunders, one of the founders of the RCMA and the Roanoke Island Historical Association, inquired about a playwright in his newspaper The Daily Independent, and one of his readers suggested Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paul Green, a North Carolina native. The RCMA reached out to Green in January 1937 with the goal of opening the show on July 4th. Federal assistance for the project arrived in the form of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which helped build the Waterside Theatre, where The Lost Colony is still performed to this day, and the Federal Theatre Project, which supplied the principal actors for the production. Even though federal assistance played a large part in the birth of the show, Roanoke Islanders were the heart and soul of creating this first production. The show opened on time on July 4th, 1937, and on August 18th (Virginia Dare’s birthday), President Franklin Delano Roosevelt attended the performance. It was clear after that first season that The Lost Colony was here to stay, and since then nearly 4.5 million patrons have seen the show.

Each summer, the production employs over 100 actors and technicians to perform on a stage three times larger than most Broadway stages. The production uses over 2,000 different costume pieces and 1,500 individual props and set pieces, making it one of the largest theatrical productions on the East Coast. Recently the show was updated, with new technology and script changes in order to appeal to a modern audience. On Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays throughout the season there is now a free Native American Cultural Presentation before the performance, which showcases different styles of Native American powwow dances.

Unto These Hills

Now in its 75th Anniversary Season, this drama has been seen by over six million people who have experienced heart-wrenching action and soaring triumph. The outdoor drama tells the triumphant story of the formation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from first contact with Europeans through the removal west on the infamous Trail of Tears.

Unto These Hills

Bring a blanket and an appetite for heart-pounding drama As Unto These Hills is performed under the stars at Mountainside Theatre. As you enjoy the fresh air in the 2100 seat amphitheater, it’s easy to get lost in the Cherokee story of struggle and uplifting triumph.

Unto These Hills

The Horn in the West

One of North Carolina’s most famous sons takes center stage in “Horn in the West” – the country’s oldest Revolutionary War drama. The story follows Daniel Boone as he migrates westward into the Blue Ridge Mountains, and brings to life the famous frontiersman Daniel Boone and the hardy mountain settlers of the Blue Ridge Mountains in their struggle to preserve their freedom during the years before and during the Revolutionary War. The drama tells the story of settlers who came to this North Carolina region seeking to escape British tyranny. A prominent British physician, Dr. Geoffrey Stuart, comes to the Colony of Carolina to study smallpox, a dreaded disease in those days, bringing his wife, Martha, and Jack, their teenage son with him. Danger and hardship, house-raising and romance, create the ties that bind the Stuart family as the small pioneer community grows. Dr. Stuart becomes a respected leader in this mountain community but struggles to resolve his conflicts of feelings of loyalty to the Crown and his family’s sympathy for the Regulators and America’s fight for independence.

From This Day Forward

The outdoor drama “From This Day Forward” written by Fred Cranford will mark its 58th season of production this year. This drama tells the story of the Waldenses, a people from the area known as the Cottian Alps in Northern Italy near the French border, and the founders of the Town of Valdese.

The Waldensians are a pre-reformation reformed sect of Christianity. They believed in the priesthood of all believers, translating the scripture into the “common” languages of the people of the day and encouraging education so that all people could read the Bible for themselves. A simple people, they were dedicated to taking care of the poor and justice for the oppressed. The Waldensian Community was excommunicated by the Catholic Church in 1184 at the Synod of Verona. Pope Innocent the 3rd went even further in 1215 declaring all Waldensians heretics. Forced to renounce their religious stances or flee, the small community of believers sought refuge in the Cottian Alps, where life was somewhat protected by the rugged landscape and isolation. Even so, the Waldenses were heavily persecuted by both the Catholic Church and the Reigning Monarchs throughout the region. Perhaps one of the bloodiest episodes in the history of their faith was in 1655 in a series of persecutions known as the Piedmontese Easter. In this series of massacres it is said that thousands of Waldensians were murdered for their faith. It is a mere 30 years later that our play begins. Total annihilation of the Waldensian Faith was the aim, yet throughout all the years of persecution, their faith remained and grew stronger. This is the backdrop to an exciting story told through this drama.

From This Day Forward

From This Day Forward