This summer marks the 75th year that this outdoor production has been produced just outside of Manteo, NC. Thirty years ago, attendees sat on blankets on the sand in front of the stage. Now, there’s a very nice tiered outdoor theater. I had chosen these seats last week without quite realizing that they were in the front row. What a view we had! In back of the stage is the Roanoke Sound. As you make your way along the path to the theater, the actors line the sides greeting you in their period costumes. Indians lurk in the woods as well. A nice start to a very enjoyable evening. By the time things got underway, we estimated that at least 500 people were in attendance.
There’s singing, dancing, battles, and lots of drama as the story unfolds. Even the Queen of England and Sir Walter Raleigh play important parts in this fictionalized story.
The native Algonquin's are at first pleased to have the English colonists in their midst. Of course, that doesn’t last, and a great battle ensues complete with gunfire, stabbings, and general mayhem. 
Now I know where the towns of Manteo and Wanchese got their names. They were the two Algonquin chiefs that had dealings with the colonists. They even made a trip to England to meet the Queen.
I’m not going to relate the entire story here, but if you are on the Outer Banks during any summer season, this is a not to be missed experience in my opinion. There is enough action with the battles and dances, and the antics of a comedic settler to even keep the young ones in the crowd entertained and awake until almost 11:00 at night. No flash pictures or videos are allowed, so getting photos can be a real challenge with a hand held time exposure. It isn’t often that the actors stand still long enough.
In the end, the entire colony moves off and are never heard from again. Hence the name… The Lost Colony.
Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later, Judy
What an exciting thing to see!! Isn't history interesting??
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and you got some great photos.
ReplyDeleteWe camped at Hatteras in 1976 and one of the things we saw was the Lost Colony. So glad to hear that it is still being performed !
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful time. Thanks Miss Judy.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to imagine how they turned that story into a musical. Sounds like a fun evening!
ReplyDeleteTHe first time we went, we actually did sit on blankets. That was really fun but the show was quite long and we didn't bring a pillow and those nifty sit upons with back support weren't commong. I like the theater seating much better and second the program as a must see if you are there in the summer. Nice pictures without flash Judy.
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered what happened to the colonists who were never found again, and I hope they blended in with the Indians and survived.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Adding this to my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for a receiving line...Up close and personal with the cast.
ReplyDeleteI think that last photo is really creative. If some well-known person posted that photo, it would go viral. Looks cool to me.
Very interesting. Having lived in NC for 20 years, I'm ashamed to say we've never experienced this. It's now on my list.
ReplyDeleteYou managed to get some great shots. beautiful costumes.
ReplyDeleteLove the pics. Sounds like a great night out
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review; missed it in April as it was too early in the season for performances; will add to our list for next visit.
ReplyDeleteThe costumes look very authentic!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE live theater...That's one plus about living near Chicago...
ReplyDeleteI love local live theater. How exciting it must have been to experience the history of our country on stage. I would have loved to have been there.
ReplyDeleteSee now if they'd let you take pictures and put them on the Internet, the colony wouldn't be lost, it would live forever in cyber space!
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