Ky. More than 60 representatives of outdoor dramas nationwide will discuss audience profiles, attendance trends, tourism, marketing ideas and management strategies for outdoor historical and religious plays and Shakespeare festivals.
Participants get exposure to nearly every facet of outdoor drama production and management.
The Wiley play is based on a true story of a Kentucky pioneer woman who was abducted by Indians in the late 1780s and later escaped. State University in Raleigh will give results of his national audience survey last summer. Gustke, a professor of parks, recreation and tourism management, often conducts research for the institute on facets of outdoor drama, including their contribution to state and local economies. At a closing banquet Saturday, organizers will present the annual Mark R. Sumner Award, which honors contributions by an individual to a drama or the outdoor drama movement.