{"product_id":"the-lost-colony-symphonic-drama-by-paul-green","title":"The Lost Colony, A Symphonic Drama in Two Acts, By Paul Green","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eATLANTIC SOUTH. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook of The Arts \/ Classic Theatre. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Lost Colony of Roanoke was one of the great historical mysteries of the European colonial era. Having already failed in an attempt to establish an English outpost colony on today’s Outer Banks of North Carolina, a second attempt was mounted in 1587. This second attempt went so poorly that the small group of just over one hundred colonists were forced to send their governor back to England that summer to procure much needed supplies. But during his absence, war broke out with Spain. The seas were crawling with enemy navies and postponed his return indefinitely. When the governor finally made it back to Roanoke Island in 1790, the colony’s inhabitants had all vanished. The only clue left behind was the cryptic word “Croatoan” carved into the wood of their former palisade wall, along with the shorter “Cro” on a tree outside the fort. Though many theories seemed plausible across the centuries, archeologists have only recently discovered evidence of Elizabethan pottery and debris more inland. This, plus, re-readings of old maps allow former conjecture to solidify around the inhabitants of the lost colony having moved into the interior, probably in separate groups, many likely being absorbed into local native tribes. Nonetheless, the drama of not knowing for centuries still has it as one of the most lasting tales of European migration to the “new world,” one that was already very old and fully inhabited … Paul Green was already a successful North Carolina playwright (with heavy ties to UNC) when he was recruited by the Roanoke Colony Memorial Association to create a new play based on amateur theatrics of the story of the Lost Colony having been put on by the Association since the 1920s. Intended to coincide with the 350th birthday anniversary of Virginia Dare, granddaughter of the mentioned governor’s daughter (who gave birth to Virginia on Roanoke Island, the first documented English born child in North America), Green aimed for a far grander production than the original provincial concepts. But this being the Depression era, the entire operation found funding difficult to come by. It was only targeted support arriving by way of the Work Progress Administration’s cultural art initiatives—The Federal Theatre Project in particular—that allowed Green to complete his vision of a symphonic drama mixing music, dancing, and narrative. Just as ambitious would be the creation of an outdoor venue within which to stage the expansive production, construction of this venue again helped along with Federal assistance by way of the Civilian Conservation Corps. “The Lost Colony” debuted on July 4, 1937, and was an instant success. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, himself, would be among the early attendees of the show. The show was so widely popular, attracting theatre tourists from far and wide, that it is given credit for helping pull the local Roanoke Island economy out of the bleak shadow of the Depression. The play has an amazing legacy, being put on annually—to this day—at the original site: The Waterside Theatre. This edition was a 1946 “Memorial” release of the original July 4, 1937 program [Condition: Used Very Good. Considering the age of this book @ 80+ years, we are inclined to create a whole new high-level category of Used Very Good. Despite a lack of dustjacket, the hardcover shows few blemishes: the slightest of wear at coverboard corners and spine, its green color and the foil-relief on front-cover + title on the spine still vibrant. Aside from common age-wear on the end papers, the interior pages are pristine: no foxing, no discoloration, the binding tight.] \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition: Used Very Good. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Arts. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaul Green. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1946. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover, 202 pgs, 5.75 x 8.25” \/ 13 oz\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Regionals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50172530622721,"sku":"B1ASLOS00240","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0723\/3264\/0513\/files\/lost-colony-paul-green-01-3081.jpg?v=1786398821","url":"https:\/\/theregionals.store\/products\/the-lost-colony-symphonic-drama-by-paul-green","provider":"The Regionals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}