Happy 422nd birthday, Virginia Dare, wherever you are

Virginia Dare (born August 18, 1587) was the first child born in the Americas to English parents, Eleanor and Ananias Dare. She was born into a short-lived colony on Roanoke Island.

The fact of her birth is known because the leader of the colony, Eleanor Dare's father, John White, returned to England to seek assistance for the colony. When White returned three years later, the colonists were gone.

422 years later, Virginia's birthday will be celebrated all day in the Elizabethan Gardens.

‘Grease’ is the word at the Waterside Theatre

Grease is the word, whether it is your 1st or 100th time, this 1950’s rock and roll musical is surely the “one that you want!” Performing at The Lost Colony’s Waterside Theatre, the Hurrah Players of Virginia bring you Rydell High’s class of ’59 complete with Danny, Sandy, the T-Birds and of course, the Pink Ladies for a one-time-only performance on Sunday, August 9th at 7:30 pm.

On this day in Outer Banks history

Henry VIII, father of our Queen, was crowned King of England in 1509 – 500 years ago today. How time flies.

Soundtrack: Greensleeves (YouTube), which legend has it Henry composed while wooing Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn.

PBS program travels to Roanoke Island in search of the Lost Colony

Time Team travels to Roanoke Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in search of Fort Raleigh, the first English settlement in America. The team has just three days to identify the location of the settlement, known as the Lost Colony, which has remained a mystery for over 400 years.

By the way, the show is scheduled to air 8 July on UNC-TV. Preview it here.

‘Lost Colony’ takes it up a notch

Settlement huts set ablaze, fog-shrouded scenes of slaughter and ominous sound effects were some of the new dramatic tools brandished at Friday’s opening night of the 72nd season of “The Lost Colony.”

In his second year with the nation’s longest-running outdoor symphonic drama, director Robert Richmond said he wanted to give the audience at Waterside Theatre the sense of what the 1587 English settlers may have experienced.

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‘Lost Colony’ featured on ‘My Heart Will Always Be in Carolina’

Ken Mann’s popular TV show will focus on both the historical colony and the outdoor drama about them.

The Lost Colony drama, presented where the real-life events occurred more than 400 years ago, uses song, dance, comedy and special effects to tell the story and mysterious disappearance of America’s first English colonies (1584-87).

Morrison, 100, leaves legacy as leader, ‘Lost Colony’ patron

Emma Neal Morrison, 100, a native of Scotland County, passed away in her home in Laurinburg on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Among her many credits, Morrison is best known for more than 50 years of service to The Lost Colony, including 20 years as the drama’s producer and a 12-year stint as chairman of the Roanoke Island Historical Association, the history play’s parent organization.

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‘Watering the Sahara’ presents complex playwright Paul Green

Playwright Paul Green is best known for creating the nation’s longest-running symphonic drama, The Lost Colony. From his experiences as an eastern North Carolina farm boy, to winning a Pulitzer and international acclaim, the story of Green’s early life and achievements is presented in a new book.

Continue reading Watering the Sahara presents complex playwright Paul Green »

The Cannon Foundation awards $45K grant to The Lost Colony

The Cannon Foundation Inc. awarded a $45,000 grant to The Lost Colony’s Waterside Theatre lighting project. The Foundation is glad to have a part in supporting this project, says Frank Davis, Executive Director of the Cannon Foundation. The funds were used for the replacement and renovation of 30-year-old elements in the lighting system, some of which were inoperable.

Continue reading The Cannon Foundation awards $45K grant to The Lost Colony »

Study guide about White’s watercolors now available

Researchers who visit the Outer Banks History Center to examine the 1719 panel by French engraver Henri Chatelain of John White’s 1585 watercolors of the New World now will find study much easier.

OBHC Associates member Lem Blades III volunteered to create a study guide for the panel, which originally was an atlas engraving of almost 17 inches by 20 inches with detailed descriptions in Old French.

Continue reading Study guide about White’s watercolors now available »