The Lost Colony ...
a 400 year-old mystery

Since 1937, over 4 million visitors have seen this dramatic
story of America's earliest beginnings.

The Lost Colony's 72nd production season runs May 29th - August 20th nightly, Sundays - Fridays @ 8:30pm !  There are no performances on Saturdays or on July 4.

About the Lost Colonists of Roanoke
Before Jamestown and Plymouth, a group of about 120 men, women and children bravely established the first English settlement in the New World on Roanoke Island in 1587.

Shortly after arriving in this New World, colonist Eleanor Dare, gave birth to Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America.

But life on the island was difficult. Low on supplies and facing hostile Native Americans, the colonists sent Governor John White back to England in the summer of 1587 for supplies. Due to the impending war with Spain, however, Governor White was unable to return to Roanoke Island until 1590. When he arrived, the colony had vanished, leaving one tantalizing clue as to their whereabouts: the word "CROATOAN" carved on a post. The fate of those first colonists remains a mystery to this day and is one of America's most intriguing unsolved mysteries.

Today, visitors to Roanoke Island can see this amazing story on summer nights at Waterside Theatre, home of The Lost Colony. Performed near the very site of the colonists' ill-fated settlement, the production recounts the actual historical events with the fictional story of the colonists' spirit, courage and dream of freedom, a story that rings true today.

Written by North Carolina's Pulitzer prize-winning playwright, Paul Green, and produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association, The Lost Colony is a first in its own right. It is the first and longest running historical outdoor drama. Combining drama, dance, spectacle, and song, the production is the forerunner of the modern American musical.

During its extraordinary run, the production has served as a training ground for hundreds of remarkably accomplished alumni over the decades. Notable actors such as Andy Griffith, Leon Rippy, Chris Elliott, Eileen Fulton and R.G. Armstrong got their stage legs at the Waterside Theatre. Noted community Theatre directors Ira David Wood and Haskell Fitz-Simons and North Carolina Senator Marc Basnight graced the stage of Waterside Theatre early in their careers. (Lost Colony Hall of Fame)

The current production is led by an award-winning artistic team, several of whom credit The Lost Colony for their own auspicious beginnings. Five-time Tony Award-Winning Production Designer William Ivey Long and Emmy-nominated Executive Director/ Producer Carl Curnutte began their artistic careers with the show!

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