- WELCOME TO NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND.
I'M DEBORAH HOLT NOEL.
2017 MARKS A MILESTONE BIRTHDAY
FOR A CULTURAL ARTS ICON IN OUR STATE.
IT'S THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR OLDEST OUTDOOR DRAMA,
THE LOST COLONY.
IT'S BEEN SEEN AND LOVED BY GENERATIONS OF VISITORS
TO THE OUTER BANKS.
AND WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE WHAT MAKES IT
SUCH A TIMELESS AND MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE.
- [NARRATOR] NIGHT BEGINS TO FALL OVER ALBEMARLE SOUND
WITH A VIEW FROM ROANOKE ISLAND THAT MIMICS
WHAT THE FIRST SETTLERS MUST HAVE SEEN FOR THEMSELVES.
BACK THEN, THEY SET UP CAMP HERE.
TODAY, IT'S THE WATERSIDE THEATER
WHERE THEIR STORY IS TOLD.
- I TRY TO IMAGINE HOW IT MUST HAVE APPEARED
TO THE BRAVE SOULS WHO MADE THE FIRST DANGEROUS VOYAGES.
SOME NIGHTS, LIKE TONIGHT,
I CAN ACTUALLY FEEL THEIR PRESENCE
AND I CAN ALMOST SEE THEM GATHERING HERE, WITH US.
- [NARRATOR] THE NARRATOR POSING AS A MODERN DAY PARK RANGER
IS DON BRIDGE, AN IMPORTANT PLAYER IN THE HISTORY
OF THE THEATER PRODUCTION THAT IS CELEBRATING ITS 80TH YEAR.
- IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN TO SOMEBODY WHO DOES NOT LIVE HERE
WHAT THE LOST COLONY MEANS TO DARE COUNTY
AND THE OUTER BANKS AND ROANOKE ISLAND.
BUT IT IS KIND OF THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE ISLAND.
- [NARRATOR] IN 1937, LILLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA NATIVE
PAUL GREEN, A UNC ALUM AND A PULITZER PRIZE WINNER,
PUT FORWARD THIS PRODUCTION, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND.
A HISTORICAL PIECE PLAYED OUT
ON THE VERY GROUND WHERE HISTORY WAS MADE.
HE CALLED THE NEW GENRE OUTDOOR SYMPHONIC DRAMA.
- WHEN THEY STARTED THE LOST COLONY IN 1937
THERE WERE NO BRIDGES TO THE MAINLAND.
PEOPLE CAME, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CAME OVER
ON FERRYBOATS TO SEE THE LOST COLONY.
- [NARRATOR] IN THAT FIRST SUMMER 80 YEARS AGO,
PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT'S CALENDAR
INCLUDED A DATE AT THE WATERSIDE THEATER.
HIS CAR WAS TRANSPORTED BY COASTGUARD
FROM ELIZABETH CITY.
AND ONCE ON THE ROANOKE ISLAND,
HE WATCHED THE SHOW FROM HERE, WITH THIS VIEW.
TODAY, HOPEFUL NEWCOMERS TO THEATER MIXED WITH VETERANS,
SIX NIGHTS A WEEK DURING SUMMER.
OVER THE MANY YEARS,
GREAT NAMES OF THEATER HAVE WORKED HERE.
ANDY GRIFFITH PLAYED SIR WALTER RALEIGH.
TONY AWARD WINNER TERRENCE MANN DIRECTED
AND ANOTHER MULTIPLE TONY WINNER, WILLIAM IVEY LONG,
IS CURRENTLY IN HIS 47TH YEAR
OF PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR THE SHOW.
BY THE WAY, ALL THREE OF THOSE DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS
OF THE LOST COLONY FAMILY
ARE NATIVES OR HAVE LIVED IN NORTH CAROLINA.
THIS SHOW IS LIVING HISTORY FOR NORTH CAROLINIANS.
- THAT'S ME, RIGHT THERE.
- [INTERVIEWER] THAT IS YOU?
AND WHO ARE YOU?
- I PLAY CHIEF MANTEO, MY NAME'S JOEY CASSELLA.
- [INTERVIEWER] AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
- I'M FROM CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA,
BUT I LIVED IN KILL DEVIL HILLS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
- [INTERVIEWER] ARE YOU SERIOUS?
- YUP, YEAH.
- [INTERVIEWER] OH MY GOSH, WHAT A THRILL.
- YEAH, IT'S SO COOL TO COME BACK.
I REMEMBER SEEING THE SHOW WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
AND NEVER THOUGHT THAT ONE DAY I'D BE OUT HERE PERFORMING.
HILLSBOROUGH NATIVE, PHILIP CULTON,
A GRADUATE OF WESTERN CAROLINA,
CALLED HIS EXPERIENCE AFTER TWO SEASONS IN THE SHOW
LIFE CHANGING.
- YEAH, IT HAS.
- [INTERVIEWER] HOW SO?
- WELL IT WAS THE BIGGEST STEP OF APPLICATION
FROM THE THINGS THAT I STUDIED.
SO IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE IT,
TO DO IT PROFESSIONALLY.
- [INTERVIEWER] YOU'RE REALLY WORKING.
- YES.
- [RICK] THE SHOW HAS SHORTENED A BIT
SINCE PAUL GREEN LAST SIGNED OFF ON THE SCRIPT IN 1971,
BUT CEO BILL COLEMAN SAYS IT IS LARGELY
STAYED TRUE TO ITS HISTORY,
WHILE BEEFING UP ITS ACTION.
- WELL, YOU KNOW IN 80 YEARS,
I MEAN I'D HAVE TO SAY TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY WE'VE BEEN INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY
A LOT IN THE PAST FEW YEARS
AND WE HAVE NEW LIGHTING AND NEW SOUND SYSTEMS
AND THINGS THAT OUR PEOPLE EXPECT.
A LOT OF THE FIGHT SCENES, A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY
THAT HAPPENS ON STAGE DURING BIG BATTLE IS ALL NEW.
SO WE HAVE SOME REALLY NEAT EFFECTS THAT PEOPLE ENJOY.
- AND OF THE HOLY GHOST, AMEN.
- [RICK] AT THE WATERSIDE THEATER IN MANTEO,
I'M RICK SULLIVAN FOR NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND.
- THE LOST COLONY OUTDOOR DRAMA
IS PERFORMED IN MANTEO AND RUNS THROUGH AUGUST 19TH.
THE SHOWS ARE MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
WITH DOORS OPENING AT 6:00 P.M. AND THE PERFORMANCE AT 7:45.
FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION,
YOU CAN CALL [252] 473-6000 OR VISIT THEM ONLINE
AT THELOSTCOLONY.ORG.