The Lost Colony (play) facts for kids
The Lost Colony is an exciting outdoor play. It tells a true story from history. Paul Green wrote it. People have watched it in Manteo, North Carolina since 1937. The play is about Sir Walter Raleigh. He tried to start an English town on Roanoke Island in the 1500s. This island was part of the Colony of Virginia back then. The play happens outdoors. It is at the same spot where the first Roanoke Colony was. This place is in the Outer Banks. Over four million people have seen the play. It even won a special Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre award in 2013.
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The Story Behind the Play
Paul Green wrote the play during the Great Depression. He had already won a Pulitzer Prize for his writing. The Lost Colony was a new type of play for him. He started creating big outdoor shows with music. He called these "Symphonic Dramas." As of 2012, it was the second longest-running outdoor play in the U.S. Only The Ramona Pageant in California has run longer.
The First English Settlement
Before Jamestown or Plymouth were built, English settlers came to Roanoke Island. About 120 men, women, and children started a town in 1587. This was one of the first English towns in the New World. Soon after they arrived, a baby girl was born. Her name was Virginia Dare. She was the granddaughter of Governor John White. She is thought to be the first English child born in North America.
The Mystery of the Lost Colonists
Life on the island was very hard for the settlers. They did not have enough supplies. They also faced problems with the Native Americans. So, Governor White went back to England in 1587 for supplies. But a war with Spain kept him from returning until 1590. When he finally came back, the colony was gone. There was no sign of the people. People believe the word "CROATOAN" was carved on a post. No one knows for sure what happened to them. The fate of these first colonists is still a big mystery today.
How the Play Began
On July 4, 1937, The Lost Colony opened for the first time. People on Roanoke Island had celebrated Virginia Dare's birthday for many years. These parties started in 1894. They were often picnics with songs and speeches. By 1923, they added short plays. In 1925, local people put on a full play. It used acting without words, music, and a narrator. W. O. Sounders, a newspaper editor, really wanted the celebration to grow.
Early Efforts and a Silent Film
Mabel Evans Jones was from Roanoke Island. She was also the Dare County School Superintendent. In 1921, she wrote, made, and starred in a silent film. It was about the historic events of the colony. This film was shown all over North Carolina. It was the first silent film ever made in the state.
The play in 1926 brought in the biggest crowd yet. The organizers wanted to do even more. They started planning for Virginia Dare's 350th birthday. They asked Paul Green to write a new play.
Green had visited the island many times. He had already thought about writing a play. He wanted to tell the story of "those tragic first settlers." He worked with Saunders and Bradford Fearing to create the play. They wanted to celebrate Virginia Dare's 350th birthday. At first, they thought about a story where Virginia Dare fell in love. She would marry the son of Chief Manteo. They would have a new race of people who then vanished. They even planned a beauty contest to find an actress for Virginia Dare.
But Green had a different idea. He wanted a big show with music, talking, and dancing. He called it "symphonic drama." He wanted the play to show ideas like freedom and strength. These were important ideas for America during the Great Depression.
Getting the Play Funded
It was hard to find money for the first play. Many promises of money disappeared as the depression got worse. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped a lot. This was a program from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It gave money and jobs for the play. The WPA helped theater groups, writers, and artists. North Carolina Congressman Lindsay Warren also helped. He got 25,000 special half-dollar coins made. These coins were sold to raise money.
English architect Albert Quentin "Skipper" Bell built the large set. Workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped him. Bell had also designed log buildings at Fort Raleigh.
WPA money also paid actors' salaries. This was part of a program to help actors from New York City. Katherine Cale, an English actress, played Eleanor Dare. Lillian Ashton played Queen Elizabeth I. Earl Mayo played the funny Old Tom. Jack Lee told the story as The Historian. Other actors filled the main roles. People from the Carolina Playmakers, Roanoke Islanders, and the CCC played smaller parts.
Samuel Selden directed the play. He worked with Green at UNC Chapel Hill. Frederick H. Koch supervised the production.
Music and Special Guests
Eric Stapleton directed the music for the play. He was in charge of North Carolina's WPA Federal Music Project. The music came from old English hymns, songs, and folk tunes. These were the kinds of songs the settlers likely knew. Lamar Stringfield, a composer, is said to have written the original music. However, his name is not in the first program. An electric organ was used for the music.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt saw the play on August 18, 1937. He said, "We do not know the fate of Virginia Dare or the First Colony. We do know, however, that the story of America is largely a record of that spirit of adventure."
A Long-Running Show
The play brought many tourists to Roanoke Island. This helped the local hotels, motels, and restaurants. They did well even during the Great Depression. The town of Manteo even renamed its streets after people from the play. The play was only supposed to run for one season. But it was so popular that it came back the next year. It has been a North Carolina tradition ever since. Over four million people have seen it since 1937.
Out of more than 40 outdoor plays from the 1900s, The Lost Colony is one of only three still running today. It has only been canceled twice. It stopped in 1944 because of World War II. It also stopped in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community and Famous Faces
The play is a community effort. Many local people from Roanoke Island and North Carolina have performed in it. Marjalene Thomas started in 1938. She played almost every female role over the years. Robert Midgette has been the fight director for over 40 years. Actor Andy Griffith performed in the play from 1947 to 1953. He loved Manteo so much that he decided to live there. North Carolina State Senator Marc Basnight was born in Manteo. He played a colonist child in the play.
This exciting play is a must-see for families visiting the Outer Banks. It runs throughout the summer. You can see it from mid-May to mid-August at Manteo's Waterside Theater.
Talented People From the Play
The Lost Colony is known for helping young artists. Many actors and designers start their careers here. They then go on to work on Broadway, in movies, TV, and theme parks.
Famous Alumni
Besides Andy Griffith, other famous people got their start here. These include Leon Rippy, Chris Elliott, Eileen Fulton, Terrence Mann, Ira David Wood III, and R.G. Armstrong. Ted Tally spent a summer in the play. He later won an Academy Award for his movie script, Silence of the Lambs. His niece was in the 2008 show.
Tony Award winner Steve Kazee played the main role of John Borden in the 1990s. He won a Tony for Once: The Musical.
Academy Award and Tony Award nominee Lynn Redgrave played Queen Elizabeth I. She performed in seven shows during the 2006 season.
Artistic Staff
Some people on the current artistic team started their careers with The Lost Colony. This includes Production designer William Ivey Long. He has won six Tony Awards for Best Costume Design.
Lighting designer Joshua C. Allen began his career at The Lost Colony in 1991. He is now a very famous lighting designer. He has designed lights for hundreds of shows and places. He has won many awards for his work.
The play is performed nightly from May to August. Shows are Monday through Saturday at 7:45 pm.
Costume Shop Fire
On September 11, 2007, a fire broke out at the Waterside Theatre. Fire departments from all around came to help. But the maintenance shed, costume shop, and a small storage building were completely destroyed. The cause of the fire was never found.
Almost all of the play's costumes were lost. Only a few were saved at a dry cleaner's or on display. The lost costumes included old ones from the 1940s and 1950s. They also lost costumes from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Even costumes designed by Tony Award-winner William Ivey Long were gone.
Many people helped the play recover from the fire. Money came from the government and from donations. New costumes were made. The building was rebuilt. The play was ready for opening night on May 30, 2008.
