The
Lost Colony
...a 400 year-old
mystery
 Since 1937, over 4 million visitors have seen this dramatic
story of America's earliest beginnings.
The Lost Colony's 71st production season runs
May 30th through August 20th nightly,
Sundays - Fridays at
8:30pm
There are no
performances on Saturdays or on July 4.
About the Lost Colonists of Roanoke
 Before Jamestown and Plymouth, a group of about 120 men, women
and children bravely established the first English settlement in
the New World on Roanoke Island in 1587. Shortly after arriving
in this New World, colonist Eleanor Dare, gave birth to Virginia
Dare, the first English child born in America.
But life on the island was difficult. Low on supplies and facing
hostile Native Americans, the colonists sent Governor John White
back to England in the summer of 1587 for supplies. Due to the
impending war with Spain, however, Governor White was unable to
return to Roanoke Island until 1590. When he arrived, the colony
had vanished, leaving one tantalizing clue as to their
whereabouts: the word "CROATOAN" carved on a post. The fate of
those first colonists remains a mystery to this day and is one
of America's most intriguing unsolved mysteries.
Today, visitors to Roanoke Island can see this amazing story on
summer nights at Waterside Theatre, home of The Lost Colony.
Performed near the very site of the colonists' ill-fated
settlement, the production recounts the actual historical events
with the fictional story of the colonists' spirit, courage and
dream of freedom, a story that rings true today.
Written by North Carolina's Pulitzer prize-winning playwright,
Paul Green, and produced by the Roanoke Island Historical
Association, The Lost Colony is a first in its own right. It is
the first and longest running historical outdoor drama.
Combining drama, dance, spectacle, and song, the production is
the forerunner of the modern American musical.
During its extraordinary run, the production has served as a
training ground for hundreds of remarkably accomplished alumni
over the decades. Notable actors such as Andy Griffith, Leon
Rippy, Chris Elliott, Eileen Fulton and R.G. Armstrong got their
stage legs at the Waterside Theatre. Noted community Theatre
directors Ira David Wood and Haskell Fitz-Simons and North
Carolina Senator Marc Basnight graced the stage of Waterside
Theatre early in their careers. (Lost Colony Hall of Fame)
The current production is led by an award-winning artistic team,
several of whom credit The Lost Colony for their own auspicious
beginnings. Five-time Tony Award-Winning Production Designer
William Ivey Long and Emmy-nominated Executive Director/
Producer Carl Curnutte began their artistic careers with the
show! |
