Broadway Under the Stars
It's outdoor drama time again, and IVorth
Carolina has more summer “theatres” than
it has ever had before.
By CHARLES PARKER
A scene from “Thundcrland,” in which Daniel Boone arrives foo late to save
Matoka, an Indian friend, from a hostile savage. The play opens near Asheville
June 26, plays nightly except Sunday.
More than a quarter million vaca¬
tionists saw them last summer, and
North Carolina’s summer outdoor
dramas are prepared for larger au¬
diences this year.
There arc five of them — three in the
Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Moun¬
tains. one on Roanoke Island and one
in the Piedmont. The outdoor drama
season is from the last week end in
June through the first week in Septem¬
ber.
Production dates for the dramas
have been announced as follows: The
Lost Colony, Manteo. June 27 through
September 6; Unto These Hills,
Cherokee, June 27 through Septem¬
ber 7; Horn In The I Vest, Boone, and
Thttnderland at Asheville, June 26
through September 7; The Sword Ol
Gideon, Kings Mountain, July 23-
August 15.
The outdoor drama, a relatively
new form of theatrical art with a wide
appeal for spectators of all ages, was
pioneered in North Carolina. The first
was Paul Green’s The Lost Colony.
This portrayal of the first English set¬
tlement in America is now entering
its 13th season on historic Roanoke
Island, where a restoration of Fort Ra¬
leigh marks the site of the first settle¬
ment. In 1950, Unto These Hills,
Kermit Hunter's drama of the Chero¬
kee Indian, opened at the North Caro¬
lina entrance to the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park and was an
overnight success. In 1952, the lights
went up on two new dramas: Horn
In The l Vest, written by Kermit Hunt¬
er and presented at Boone, and Thun-
derland, written by Hubert Hayes and
produced at Asheville.
A cast and technical staff of from
100 to 175 is required for each out¬
door drama. Acting, music and dancing
are interwoven to present a story
based on historical events which took
place in or near the regions where the
shows are staged in amphitheatres seat¬
ing up to 3.0(H) people. The am¬
phitheatres arc designed not only for
effective theatrical productions, but for
beauty, comfort and accessibility. Free
parking areas, refreshment stands,
comfortable scats and picnic grounds
are among the conveniences offered
patrons. Admission prices range down¬
ward from $3.00. Comfortable ac¬
commodations are available in the
community where each drama is pre¬
sented, as well as in the surrounding
locality.
A large percentage of production
supervision and acting talent is drawn
from the Department of Dramatic
Art of the University of North Caro¬
lina. and its famous Carolina Playmak-
crs. A typical outdoor drama cast, like
a typical audience, includes people
from many states but local residents ap¬
pear in all of the dramas. In the Chero¬
kee drama, more than 40 per cent of
the cast in 1952 were Cherokee In¬
dians.
The dramas depict widely different
chapters of history.
In writing The Lost Colony, the
Chapel Hill playwright. Paul Green,
was inspired by the mystery surround-
6
THE STATE. June 20. 1953
