The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-04-06
LOST COLONY DRAMA TO BE
PRESENTED in METROPOLITAN
OPERA HOUSE ON MAY 9TH
Will Be Feature Of 18th Ora+ory Finals; Jim Nor
ton, Part Time Dare Resident. Hell pfuI in Max
ing Arrangements.

Manteo, April 5. - Americas
foremost symphonic drama, "The
Lost Colony" enacted every sum-
mer here at the site of the first
English settlement in the New
World, will be presented in part,
at the Metropolitan Opera House
in New York City on May z as a
feature of the N. Y. Journal-Amer-
leans 18th Oratory Finals.
Announcement of Paul Green's
famous play making it's first ap-
pearance on a New York or any
stage, other than Waterside Thea
ire at Fort Raleigh here, was made
this week by Jim Morton, editorial
promotion editor of the New York
newspaper which has the largest
afternoon circulation in America.
Morton who commutes between
New York between that city and
his summer home on Mays Head
spent the Easter Holidays on the
Dare Coast with his family and
while here completed plans with
Lost Colony Manager Dick Jordan
for presenting Americas longest
lived outdoor production, or sever
al scenes from the show, in New
York.
Jordan stated that Roanoke Is
land Historical Association, spon-
sors of the drama which begins
it's 10th season on June 80 this
year, had given full sanction to
plans for staging important
scenes from the show in New
York. eve believe it will be one
of the greatest promotional moves
in the history of the drama which
has attracted more than 100000
paid customers to Roanoke Island
and the actual site of the original
happenings of the story it tells.
Roanoke Island Historical Asso-
citation agreed to the New York
presentation of The Lost Colony
Gin view of the statue of the Ora
tory Finals, a youth event spon-
sored by the Journal-American,
and it's patriotic and cultural BEN
efits to young people.
Green, the Pulitzer Prize-win-
ming North Carolinian, who Great
ed the symphonic drama as new
concept of theatre art, has written
an abbreviated version of The Lost
Colony expressly for the Met pa
geant.
1t includes a primitive Indian
dance to the Corn God by Uppo-
woe, medicine man of the Roa-
noke tribe, acted by Marvin Cor
don, currently in the smash stage
hit cast of "Damyankees."
Next comes a scene in which Sir
Walter Raleigh presented two
Roanoke Indians at the court of
Queen Elizabeth, and introduces to
her strange wonders of the New
Work-tobacco and an edible root
called the potato.
There follows the baptismal
scene of Virginia Dare, first child
of English parentage born in the
land that became America, and fl
nally the powerfully dramatic in
cident in England that doomed the
colony to eternal oblivion.
No trace was ever found of the
$50 settlers at Fort Raleigh, and
the incidents beginning in 1884 and
ending three years later in 1887,
has become one of the worlds
greatest history-mysteries.
1t will be this drama, lifted in
authentic detail from history, that
New York will see for the first
time at the 14th Oratory Finals
IN the Metropolitan Opera House
on May z.
A cast of up to go persons, in
authentic costumes of the Eliza
bethan period, will be in the per-
Torrance, many of the principals
being Lost Colony actors, now liv-
ing in the New York and New Jer-
| sey area. Many North Carolinians
and Honorary Tar Heels will be
| special guests at the event.