Historical dramas are original plays, usually with music and dance, based on a significant event, or series of events, and performed in amphitheatres near the site where the events actually occurred. Uniquely American and epic in scope, these dramas focus on the people who shaped the heritage of the country.
Numbers at the top of each entry refer to the state locator maps on this website. Please click on the entry number to be taken to a Directory listing for that state.
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AMERICAN FOLKLORE
THEATRE Set in 1959 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this romantic musical comedy features Lucy, who has been "pinned" by her college boyfriend, Percy. Traveling out west, Lucy meets George who shakes up her notion of life's expenctations. Complete with the sounds of fifties girl groups, folk songs, and cowboy music, A Cabin with a View is adapted from E. M. Forster's Room with a View, with a very American touch. Fishing for the Moon, Fred Alley, playwright; James Kaplan and Fred Alley, composers American Folklore Theatre, PO Box 273, Fish Creek, WI 54212-0273
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THE AMISTAD SAGA "REFLECTIONS" A mutiny aboard a slave ship in 1839, that marked the
beginning of the end of slavery in the United States,
is brought to life through powerful speeches, song and
dance. Amistad dramatizes the plight of the ship's
captives, from their removal from their native land to
a revolt at sea, and their battle for freedom. |
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THE
ARACOMA STORY This is the tale of the Indian princess Aracoma and her
ill-fated love for the British soldier captured by her father
in 1780 in the West Virginia hills. For specific production dates, please call the box office.
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BIG DREAMS...RESTLESS SPIRIT Set in Greenbrier County, WV, in the late 1800's, toward the end of the mighty logging drives down the nearby Greenbrier River, local residents begin to dream big and explore bold new opportunities to fulfill their restless spirits. Riders of the Flood Company, 601 Clay St, Ronceverte, WV, 24970 |
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DEATH BY DARKNESS ALSO: Leading Ladies, Ken Ludwig, playwright Pioneer Playhouse,840 Stanford Rd., Danville, KY 40422 |
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DOCK BROWN: LEGEND OF AN OUTLAW DOWN IN HOODOO HOLLER |
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ETHAN ALLEN AND THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS INVENT VERMONT Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys defeat the British Empire, the State of New York, and a New Jersey lawyer, Isaac Tichenor, in the struggle to abolish slavery and create a democratic Vermont. ALSO: Understood Betsy, Stacey Luftig, playwright; Mary Feinsinger, composer; Robert Elhai, additional music |
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8. FIRST FOR FREEDOM This drama celebrates events that led up to the signing
of the Halifax Resolves on April 12, 1776, the first formal
declaration of independence from Great Britain by an American
colony.
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FROM THIS DAY FORWARD Told through music, dance and drama, From This Day
Forward is the story of the Waldenses, a religious
sect that arose in southeast France in the late 1100s.
It centers on the struggle to survive persecution in
their homeland, and their arrival in North Carolina
in 1893 to establish a colony at Valdese. Old Colony Players, PO Box 112, Valdese, NC 28690 |
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THE GRAY GHOST Guns blaze and horses charge as The Gray Ghost captures the exciting life of Col. John S. Mosby. In song and action this exciting outdoor drama offers excellent family fare. Experience the battles of the Civil War, get closer to the lives of those who fought, and examine how reputations for honor and integrity survived the conflict. This uplifting production captures events unique to the area and integral to the testing of the United States in their darkest hours. |
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GONE FOR A SOLDIER: VOICES OF THE AMERICAL CIVIL WAR Gone for a Soldier: Voices of the American Civil War dramatizes the historical events that took place in Georgia during the American Civil War. Drawn from letters, news items, first person narratives and campaign histories, it portrays our nation's tragic civil war through the experiences of two young friends who fought on separate sides of the conflict. |
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HATFIELDS AND McCOYS This musical dramatizes the fierce mountain pride that fueled the world-famous conflict between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky. HONEY IN THE ROCK This musical drama is a historical epic which tells how
West Virginia was born out of the anguish of the Civil
War. Through a combination of dance and imagery,
it dramatizes what Indians encountered when they first
settled the land and discovered its strange natural gas
wells, which they called "honey in the rock."
For specific production dates, please call the box office. |
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HONEY IN THE ROCK This musical drama is a historical epic which tells how
West Virginia was born out of the anguish of the Civil
War. Through a combination of dance and imagery,
it dramatizes what Indians encountered when they first
settled the land and discovered its strange natural gas
wells, which they called "honey in the rock." This musical dramatizes the fierce mountain pride that fueled the world-famous
conflict between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky. ALSO: Cinderella, Oscar Hammerstein II, playwright; Richard Rodgers,composer For specific production dates, please call the box office. |
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HORN IN THE WEST Set in the southern Appalachian mountain region of North
Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, this drama
follows frontiersman Daniel Boone and his band of mountain
settlers as they struggle against the British militia. |
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15. LAURA'S MEMORIES This outdoor drama follows Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family, from
the Big Woods of Wisconsin to Plum Creek in the DakotaTerritory, and finally to
Mansfield in 1894. The story brings to life the stories of Wilder's "Little House" books. |
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LIBERTY: THE SAGA OF SYCAMORE SHOALS Tennessee's Official Outdoor Drama depicts the momentous 18th century history of northeast Tennessee, including the first free and independent government, the largest private real estate transaction in America, and the legendary muster of the Overmountain Men whose victory at King's Mountain turned the tide of the Revolutionary War. This drama is presented on the very land where historical events of monumental significance took place. |
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THE LOST COLONY Performed in the Waterside Theatre, this symphonic drama
depicts the valiant struggle, of 117 men, women, and children,
to settle in the New World in 1587. They disappeared more than 400 years ago without
a trace, and this continues to be one
of history's greatest mysteries. ALSO: Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim, playwright and composer |
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MIRACLE ON THE MOUNTAIN Miracle on the Mountain is an adaptation of Crossnore School founder Mary Martin Sloop's memoir. The play chronicles 60 years of Crossnore history as Mary Sloop and her husband, Eustace, both medical doctors, came to the mountains of western North Carolina in the early 1900s as pioneers. They battled local traditions of moonshining, teen marriage and pregnancy, and truancy and brought medical care, roads, electricity and education to the region. |
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THE MIRACLE WORKER This is a dramatization of Helen Keller’s life, who,
as a young girl, lost her sight and hearing. Her life changed
when she came under the tutelage of Annie Sullivan, but
only after turbulent, violent and emotion-packed events.
The drama is performed on the grounds of Helen’s childhood home. |
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OKLAHOMA! Designated the "national home" of the famed
musical, the 1,500-seat Discoveryland Amphitheatre is
the setting for this all-American love story in the late
1800s, the days of the Oklahoma land rush. |
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THE OLD HOMESTEAD Drawn from memories of his youth in Swanzey, NH, in the
mid-1800s, this play tells the story of Uncle Josh, an unsophisticated
Swanzey citizen, who travels to New York City in search of
his son. |
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PATHWAY TO FREEDOM THE SWORD OF
PEACE |
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RAMONA Set in southern California in the 1850s, this is the
tragic love story of Ramona, the half-Scottish, half-Indian
bride of Alessandro, a member of the local Cahuilla tribe.
Based on the 1884 novel, which inspired the song and five
motion pictures, this outdoor drama was first presented
in 1923 and is the California State Outdoor Play. Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre, 27400 Ramona Bowl Rd,
Hemet, CA 92544-8108 |
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SALADO LEGENDS Salado Legends follows the history of the founding
of Salado, TX. One of the original songs, "Be Careful
What You Wish For," weaves the legends of the Tonkawa
Indians, the dreams of the Spanish Explorers, and the
hopes of the Scottish settlers into a panoramic tale
that encompasses the Civil War. Tablerock Festival of Salado, PO Box 312, Salado, TX
76571 |
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THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS Based on Harold Bell Wright’s 1907 best-selling novel, The Shepherd of the Hills dramatizes the story of a gentle stranger who comes to the Ozark mountains as a shepherd, but
with a mysterious mission that gradually unfolds as he befriends
the members of the community. |
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STEPHEN FOSTER
– THE MUSICAL Nestled in My Old Kentucky Home State Park where music
fills the night air, this musical tribute to America's
first composer, Stephen Foster, contains over fifty of
his most appealing songs including, "My Old Kentucky
Home." Dazzling costumes and lively dancing take
audiences back in time to the 1800s. The Stephen Foster Drama Association, Inc., PO Box
546, Bardstown, KY 40004 |
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THE SWORD OF
PEACE
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TECUMSEH! Tecumseh! tells the story of the great Shawnee Indian leader’s
lifelong effort to protect his homeland, the Scioto River
Valley of southern Ohio, from white settlers. The drama ends with
his self-prophesied death at the Battle of the Thames
in the War of 1812. |
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TERROR OF THE TUG Terror of the Tug recaptures the turbulent times during the organization
of the United Mine Workers. The drama tells the story of two events of the mining
war - the May 19, 1920, massacre and the August 1, 1921, murder at the Welch Courthouse - when Sid Hatfield, Sheriff of Matewan, earned the nickname "Terror of the Tug." |
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TEXAS Musical Drama This play dramatizes the gritty determination and pioneering
spirit of life on the frontier plains of the Texas Panhandle
in the 1880s with galloping horses, special effects (thunder
and lightning, fireworks), and portrayal
of the legendary Quannah Parker. |
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TOM DOOLEY: A WILKES COUNTY LEGEND This is the dramatization of the well-known 1866 Wilkes County love triangle that resulted in the murder of Laura Foster and the subsequent hanging of Tom Dulah (pronounced Dooley). Folklore and legend indicate that Tom confessed to the murder to protect his true love, Anne Melton. Moonshine and Thunder - The Junior Johnson Story Set in Wilkes County, once known as the moonshine capitol of the world, this drama tells the story of the early years of running "'shine," racing in the mountains of NC and its evolution to NASCAR. |
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TRAIL
OF THE LONESOME PINE |
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TRUMPET IN THE LAND Set in Ohio's historic Tuscarawas Valley during the Revolutionary War, this is the compelling story of David Zeisberger, a Moravian missionary, who with a small group of Delaware Indians, established Ohio's first settlement, Schoenbrunn. THE WHITE SAVAGE ALSO: FOOTLOOSE, Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie , playwrights; Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford, composers |
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UNTO THESE HILLS...A RETELLING From the arrival in the Appalachian Mountains of Spanish
explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1540, to the removal of the
Cherokee Indians to Oklahoma along the tragic "Trail
of Tears," this drama paints a vivid portrait of the
Eastern Band of Cherokee and their brave leaders. |
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VIVA EL PASO! Viva El Paso! celebrates the city's colorful heritage through the music and dance of its four cultures - American Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo- American in this tribute to the ethnic diversity of the great American Southwest. |
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