The Lost Colony
Come see epic battles and Indian dances. Experience the sorrow and heartbreak of tragedy and loss. Witness the pageantry of the Queen and her court and celebrate the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America.
While visiting the Outer Banks make sure your group saves time to see a performance by The Lost Colony, the nation's premier, and longest-running outdoor symphonic drama.
The Lost Colony is an 83-year-old Roanoke Island performance, showcasing one of our nation's greatest mysteries. In 1587, 117 settlers came ashore to Roanoke Island, and 3 years later when a supply delivery was set to arrive to the settlers, not a soul was found. The play explores this mystery and commemorates the birth of the first English child born in America during that time, Virginia Dare. It was first established in 1937, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning Paul Green. Green wanted a more interactive experience, something that would relate to and affect the audience. He called this a 'people's theater'.
The stage (Manteo's Waterside Theater) is 3 times as big as any NYC Broadway play, the performers using 3 sides of the audience as well as the aisles. Over 120 actors, technicians, designers, and volunteers come together to provide a unique combination of drama, song, and dance, the performance bringing 'music, laughter, romance, and dance'.
This play is a summer season only event, running from the end of May until the end of August on the grounds of the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.