Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre facts for kids

The Snow Camp Theatre is a special theater group in Snow Camp, North Carolina. This group brings history to life through exciting plays. They want to share stories from the past with people today. Their plays are about important historical events and inspire everyone who watches them.

Over the years, two main plays have been very popular. These are Pathway to Freedom and The Sword of Peace. Both plays explore how local Quakers were involved in big events. This includes the American Revolutionary War and the Underground Railroad. The plays are set near the Cane Creek Friends Meeting, which is a Quaker community started in 1751. The theater is very close to their old meetinghouse.

Pathway to Freedom

Pathway to Freedom is a play about Quakers who helped fight against slavery. It also shows their role in the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom. The play was written by Mark R. Sumner.

The play Pathway to Freedom has been performed at Snow Camp, North Carolina, since 1994. It tells an exciting story about the challenges and brave acts of the 1840s and 1850s. The story follows the 'Underground Railroad' from North Carolina to Indiana. It shows how people, especially those against slavery in North Carolina and formerly enslaved African Americans, secretly helped people escape. They helped them travel from central North Carolina to states like Indiana and Ohio.

Even though laws at the time made it illegal, many people broke these laws to help. They became part of what was called the Underground Railroad. The play's main story and characters are fictional. However, they are based on real people and events. Some characters, like Levi Coffin, Frederick Douglass, and Rutherford B. Hayes, are real historical figures. The play focuses on a character named George Vestal. He is the son of a family who owned enslaved people. The play shows how he gets involved in helping enslaved families find freedom and respect. The play also features rich music from that time period. This music helps to show the strong emotions in the story.

The writer, Mark R. Sumner, wanted to show that working together and being kind to help human freedom is more important than violence. He believed this helps civilization grow.

In 1994, Ms. Myrick became the first woman and the first African American to direct a historical outdoor play in America. She directed the first performance of "Pathway to Freedom." This play won awards and was praised by critics. It has been performed for over 30 years now.

The Sword of Peace

The Sword of Peace is a play about the American Revolution. It shows the struggles of the Quakers, who are a group of people who believe in peace and do not fight in wars. After the Battle of Guilford Court House, the British army moved south. Some soldiers stopped at Snow Camp and took over the house of Simon Dixon, a leader in the Quaker community. This play was first performed in 1973.

The author, William Hardy, was an actor and writer. He also taught at the University of North Carolina. He directed another famous outdoor play called Unto These Hills for many years. That play is about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

See also

• The Lost Colony
• Unto These Hills
• Roots: The Saga of an American Family