One of North Carolina's great cultural treasures is "The Lost Colony." The outdoor drama -- the nation's oldest -- is celebrating 70 years this year. Audiences continue to flock to the show on Roanoke Island despite "bugs, summer heat and high-priced gas," according to the Charlotte Observer.
"The story is about 120 English men, women and children who tried to start a colony on the Outer Banks in 1587. The colony's disappearance remains one of history's great mysteries," says the paper.
"The two-act play -- set in England and Roanoke Island -- distilled the story of their struggles into a blend of music, song, dance and poetic dialogue. ..."
The article states that in 2006 there were 180 outdoor plays in 40 U.S. states, with North Carolina leading the way with 11, the most of any state.
"From the Appalachian tale 'Horn in the West' in Boone to Raleigh's 'The Amistad Saga: Reflections,' which dramatizes a slave ship mutiny in 1839, the plays cover wide historical ground. [Note: We recently lost Fred Cranford, a dear family friend and author of one of the longest-running outdoor plays in the state, "From This Day Forward."]
" 'The Lost Colony' came first. Written in 1937 by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green, the play 'holds up the ideals of American democracy,' said Laurence Avery, a UNC Chapel Hill English professor. ...
"Green, who died in 1981, grew up on a Harnett County cotton farm. He taught philosophy and drama at UNC. He expected the show to run for one season. But it drew national attention. President Franklin Roosevelt saw the production. So did his wife, Eleanor, who became a champion. New York Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson gave it a glowing review. ..."
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