
DATE: Wednesday, June 4, 1997               TAG: 9706040080

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MILES DANIELS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   91 lines

"THE LOST COLONY" MARKS ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY ON STAGE

WHEN PAUL GREEN wrote ``The Lost Colony,'' he expected it to run only one season. That was in 1937. Tonight, 60 years later, the outdoor drama about the mysterious disappearance of 16th century English settlers continues on Roanoke Island off North Carolina's Outer Banks.

``The obstacles that have faced this show probably would have forced any other organization to call it quits a long time ago,'' said Thomas L. White Jr., chairman of the Roanoke Island Historical Association.

``But `The Lost Colony' is different. It has a life of its own, and regardless of what nature or man throws in our path, the show always goes on.''

The drama officially opens its 1997 season on Friday Waterside Theatre. A special showing will be held tonight for Dare County residents, and a media night is set for Thursday. The public is also invited both evenings.

The show, held every night but Saturday, features 125 actors, actresses and crew members and tells the story of the first English settlement on Roanoke Island in 1587. Dazzling music, energetic dance and intense action help create the elements that have made this production America's longest-running outdoor drama. It hasn't been easy. Since its opening performance, Waterside Theatre has faced depression, war and other troubles, and at times it was forced to close.

The 1940s were especially tough on the outdoor theatre. World War II landed on North Carolina's doorstep, forcing a blackout on the coast from 1941 to 1945. All performances were canceled during the blackout. Two years after the war ended, fire swept the theater, sparing only the costumes.

Another blow came on Sept. 11, 1960, when Hurricane Donna rocked its fragile foundation, leveling almost everything.

Today, Waterside Theatre still stands and now has a new look.

Two-time Tony Award winner William Ivey Long has redesigned some of the sets and added an authentic historical reproduction of an Algonkian Indian village. Queen Elizabeth's private chambers have also received a face lift and Friday night will sparkle royally.

Benefiting from $2 million in funding from the federal government and the state, Waterside Theatre is undergoing renovation for the first time since 1960. New backstage facilities, state-of-the-art audio equipment, new lighting systems and fold-down stadium seating are all part of the plan, which is scheduled for completion in 1998.

U.S. Sen. Lauch Faircloth, R-N.C., was instrumental in obtaining $1 million in federal funding. He will dedicate the 1997 season on opening night.

``The Lost Colony'' is produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who watched the show from his car in 1937, is among the famous people who have seen the drama.

Television star Andy Griffith performed the role of Sir Walter Raleigh from 1949 through 1953 and lives in a waterfront home not far from the theater. Terrance Mann, the Broadway performer best known for his leading role in ``Cats'' and ``Beauty and the Beast,'' worked as a dancer and singer in the drama from 1975 through 1977. And Chris Elliott, the comedian best known for his wacky appearances on ``The David Letterman Show,'' performed as an actor/technician in 1979.

Every summer the outdoor drama plays to more than 80,000 people from around the world who leave pondering the fate of Sir Walter Raleigh's colony. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo courtesy of The Lost Colony

Clay Goodson, right, dances in part of the Uppowoc in a scene from

"The Lost Colony."

Graphic

``LOST COLONY'' INFORMATION

The 1997 production season runs June 5 through Aug. 29. ``The

Lost Colony'' plays nightly except Saturday in Historic Waterside

Theatre on Roanoke Island.

How to purchase tickets:

Tickets are $14 for adults; $12 for groups of 20 or more; $13 for

senior citizens 65 and over; and $7 for children 11 and under.

Sundays are Kids Nights, with $3.50 tickets for children 11 and

under.