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N.C.’s 14 outdoor drama theaters plan tales of the bard, religion, history

CHAPEL HILL -- Below is an alphabetical list of North Carolina’s outdoor dramas, with plots, places, dates and contact information. The 14 theaters present 11 historical plays, several Shakespeare productions and one religious drama.

For a list of all outdoor dramas nationwide and more information, visit the World Wide Web site of the Institute of Outdoor Drama at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: www.unc.edu/depts/outdoor/.

For a 2001 Directory of Outdoor Drama in America, send $5 to the Institute of Outdoor Drama, UNC-Chapel Hill, CB 3240, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-3240. The directory includes a locator map for approximately 120 theaters nationwide, plot summaries, performance dates, theater addresses and phone numbers.

"Amistad Saga: Reflections," African American Cultural Complex, 119 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27610. A mutiny aboard a slave ship that marked the beginning of the end of slavery in the United States is brought to life through powerful speeches, song and dance. Thursdays-Sundays, July 19-29. 919-231-0625.

Cape Fear Shakespeare, Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre, Wilmington. "Taming of the Shrew," 8 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, June 8-July 1. Free. P.O. Box 908, Wilmington, NC 28402. 910-392-7474.

"First for Freedom," Joseph Montford Amphitheatre, Halifax. Max Williams, playwright. Celebrates events leading to the signing on April 12, 1776, of the Halifax Resolves, the first formal declaration of independence from Great Britain by an American colony. Thursdays-Saturdays, June 28-July 21. Eastern Stage Inc., P.O. Box 21, Halifax, NC 27839. 252-583-3011.

"From This Day Forward," Old Colony Amphitheatre, Valdese. Fred Cranford, playwright. Story of the Waldenses, a religious sect that arose in southeast France in the 1100s, their struggle to survive persecution in their homeland and their eventual arrival in North Carolina to establish a colony in 1893 at Valdese. Includes music and dance. Fridays-Sundays July 13 -Aug. 18. Old Colony Players, P.O. Box 112, Valdese, NC 28690. Box office: 1-800-635-4778; administration: 828-874-0176.

"Horn in the West," Hickory Ridge Homestead, Boone. Kermit Hunter, playwright; Peter MacBeth, composer. In North Carolina's southern Appalachians during the American Revolution, frontiersman Daniel Boone and his settlers struggle against the British militia. Museum and homestead on site. Tuesdays-Sundays, June 22 -Aug. 11. Southern Appalachian Historical Association, P.O. Box 295, Boone, NC 28607. Box office, 1-888-825-6747; management, 828-264-2120.

"Listen and Remember," Waxhaw Amphitheatre, Waxhaw. Belva Dare Steele, playwright; Eleanor Niven McLaughlin, composer. Celebrates Waxhaw's early pioneers, including the family of Andrew Jackson, who learns from adversity and builds character to help him serve as president. Fridays - Saturdays, June 1-30. Waxhaw Historical Festival and Drama Association, P.O. Box 1776, Waxhaw, NC 28173. 704-764-7159.

"The Lost Colony," Waterside Theatre, Manteo. Paul Green, playwright. Original symphonic drama, in its 64nd year, on the mysterious disappearance of the first English colony to settle in America after its arrival on Roanoke Island in 1587. Mondays-Saturdays, June 1-Aug. 24. Roanoke Island Historical Association Inc., 1409 Hwy 64/264, Manteo, NC 27954. Box office 800-488-5012, management 252-473-2127.

Montford Park Players, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, Asheville: "Macbeth" and "Twelfth Night," Fridays and Sundays, June 1 -Aug.12. Call or write for specific dates: Montford Park Players, 246 Cumberland Ave., Asheville, NC 28801. Box office 828-254-5146; management 828-254-4540.

"Ripple in the River," Helen Goodman Amphitheatre, Polkton. The Anson County Writers' Club's story of Snedysborough, N.C., a small, bustling port at the headwaters of the Pee Dee River, which thrived from the late 1790s until just before the Civil War. Thursdays-Saturdays, June 7-16. "Ripple in the River," c/o Anson Community College, P.O. Box 126, Polkton, NC 28135. Box office, 800-766-0319; management, 704-694-4181.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in America, P.O. Box 3000, Forest City, NC 28043. "The Merchant of Venice," Aug. 11 and Oct. 22-27. For times, call 828-245-3000.

"Strike at the Wind," Adolph Dial Amphitheatre, Indian Cultural Center, Pembroke. Randolph Umberger, playwright; Willie Lowery, composer. This drama depicts the life and mysterious disappearance of North Carolina Lumbee Indian outlaw Henry Berry Lowrie, whose exploits in the years after the Civil War earned him a reputation as the American Robin Hood. Fridays and Saturdays, July 7-Aug. 11. Robeson Historical Association, Box 1059, Pembroke, NC. 910-522-6111; 910-521-2433.

"The Sword of Peace," "Pathway to Freedom," Snow Camp Historic Amphitheatre, Snow Camp. For a schedule, call or write Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre, P.O. Box 535, Snow Camp, NC 27349-0535. Box office, 800-726-5115; management, 336-376-6948. "Sword" William Hardy, playwright: During the Revolution, Cane Creek Society of Friends defends belief in non-violence; "Pathway," Mark Sumner, playwright: Slavery opponents and free blacks help hundreds of escaped slaves flee north before the Civil War. Wednesdays – Saturdays, June 20 -Aug. 25.

"Unto These Hills," Mountainside Theatre, Cherokee. Kermit Hunter, playwright; Jack F. Kilpatrick and McCrae Hardy, composers. The Eastern Band of the Cherokee from arrival of Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1540 to removal to Oklahoma on the tragic trail of tears. Cherokee leaders Junaluska, Tsali and Sequoyah fight for the tribe's survival. Mondays-Saturdays, June 13-Aug. 25.

Cherokee Historical Association, P.O. Box 398, Cherokee, NC 28719. Box office: toll free 1-866-554-4557; management: 828-497-2111.

"Worthy is the Lamb," Crystal Coast Amphitheatre, Swansboro. J.T. Adams, playwright. The White Oak River is the backdrop for this passion play beginning with John the Baptist's arrival in Jerusalem. The 300-foot stage features three life-size replicas of buildings in Biblical times; staff members dress in garb of the 12 tribes of Israel; sheep, horses and Solomon the camel are among the cast members. The recorded soundtrack features more than 150 Shakespearean actors in speaking roles and a symphony orchestra. Thursdays-Saturdays June 29-Aug. 25 and Fridays-Saturdays, Aug. 26 -Sept.

15. Passion Play Productions, P.O. Box 1004, Swansboro, NC 28584. Box office, 800-662-5960; management, 252-393-8373.

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Coverage suggestions: Many N.C. dramas have new marketing approaches this year and plan to add new features in the years to come based on new consumer research by the institute. The changes may give local reporters new angles for the dramas' openings this summer. Dr. Larry Gustke, a professor of tourism management at N.C. State University, suggested the changes after studies and attendance surveys he conducted while on loan to the institute for the past year. Gustke (919-962-1328, 919-515-3688) and theater managers can provide information for local stories on changes or highlights coming up for individual dramas.

Photos: To download photos from North Carolina’s outdoor dramas, visit http://www.unc.edu/depts/outdoor/ncpress/