Snow Camp Outdoor Theater
Encyclopedia
The Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre is an outdoor repertory theater presenting several dramas each summer in unincorporated
Alamance County
, North Carolina
. The theatre is supported by the Snow Camp Historical Drama Society, Inc., with grants from the Theatre Arts Section of the North Carolina Arts Council
, the North Carolina General Assembly
, and the National Endowment for the Arts
.
Its two key plays are the The Sword of Peace (1973) by William Hardy and Pathway to Freedom by Mark Sumner. Both plays examine local Quaker involvement in past events, especially the Revolutionary War and the Underground Railroad. The plays are set within the local context of the Cane Creek Friends Meeting
, a Quaker congregation established October 7, 1751, in what is now southern Alamance County
. (Snow Camp was for a time part of Guilford County
during the Revolutionary
-era events of Sword of Peace). The Cane Creek meetinghouse is a few hundred feet from the amphitheater.
Other productions include a musical and children's theater.
war period and the struggle of the pacifist Quakers. Two days after the Battle of Guilford Court House
, the British army moved south, where some stopped at Snow Camp
and took over the house of Simon Dixon
, patriarch of the Quaker community. It was first produced here in 1973.
Hardy also wrote Unto These Hills
, a production about the Cherokee
created for outdoor stages.
Sumner also wrote The Lost Colony
. A drama created for outdoor staging, it is about the Native Americans and colonists on Roanoke Island
and presents an interpretation of the failure of the colony.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Alamance County
Alamance County, North Carolina
Alamance County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It coincides with the Burlington, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The theatre is supported by the Snow Camp Historical Drama Society, Inc., with grants from the Theatre Arts Section of the North Carolina Arts Council
North Carolina Arts Council
The North Carolina Arts Council is an organization in the U.S. state of North Carolina that provides grants to artists, musicians, and arts organizations. The group's mission is "To Make North Carolina a Better State Through the Arts." It was founded by executive order in 1964, and it became a...
, the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
, and the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
.
Its two key plays are the The Sword of Peace (1973) by William Hardy and Pathway to Freedom by Mark Sumner. Both plays examine local Quaker involvement in past events, especially the Revolutionary War and the Underground Railroad. The plays are set within the local context of the Cane Creek Friends Meeting
Cane Creek Friends Meeting
The Cane Creek Friends Meeting, founded in 1751, is considered the first established Quaker community in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The site was occupied by British troops during the American Revolutionary War.- History :...
, a Quaker congregation established October 7, 1751, in what is now southern Alamance County
Alamance County, North Carolina
Alamance County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It coincides with the Burlington, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. (Snow Camp was for a time part of Guilford County
Guilford County, North Carolina
Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In 2010, the Census Bureau estimated the county's population to be 491,230. Its seat is Greensboro. Since 1938, an additional county court has been located in High Point, North Carolina, making Guilford one of only a handful...
during the Revolutionary
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
-era events of Sword of Peace). The Cane Creek meetinghouse is a few hundred feet from the amphitheater.
Other productions include a musical and children's theater.
The Sword of Peace
The Sword of Peace is a drama of the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
war period and the struggle of the pacifist Quakers. Two days after the Battle of Guilford Court House
Battle of Guilford Court House
The Battle of Guilford Court House was a battle fought on March 15, 1781 in Greensboro, the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, during the American Revolutionary War...
, the British army moved south, where some stopped at Snow Camp
Snow Camp
Snow Camp is an unincorporated community in southern Alamance County, North Carolina noted for it rich history and as the site of the Snow Camp Outdoor Theater...
and took over the house of Simon Dixon
Simon Dixon
Simon A. Dixon was the founder and prominent member of the community of Snow Camp, North Carolina. He was also one of the founding members of the Cane Creek Friends Meeting, the first Quaker community in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.- Biography :Dixon migrated to the area of Snow Camp,...
, patriarch of the Quaker community. It was first produced here in 1973.
Hardy also wrote Unto These Hills
Unto These Hills
Unto These Hills is an outdoor historical drama staged annually at the 2800-seat Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, North Carolina. It is the second oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States, after The Lost Colony in Manteo, North Carolina...
, a production about the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
created for outdoor stages.
Pathway to Freedom
Pathway to Freedom is a drama about Quakers involved in supporting abolition and the Underground Railroad.Sumner also wrote The Lost Colony
Lost Colony (play)
The Lost Colony is a historical play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green about Roanoke, the first English colony in North America. The play is based on the historical accounts of Sir Walter Raleigh's failed attempts to establish a permanent settlement in the 1580s in part of what was...
. A drama created for outdoor staging, it is about the Native Americans and colonists on Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
and presents an interpretation of the failure of the colony.
See also
- Lost ColonyLost Colony (play)The Lost Colony is a historical play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green about Roanoke, the first English colony in North America. The play is based on the historical accounts of Sir Walter Raleigh's failed attempts to establish a permanent settlement in the 1580s in part of what was...
- Unto These HillsUnto These HillsUnto These Hills is an outdoor historical drama staged annually at the 2800-seat Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, North Carolina. It is the second oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States, after The Lost Colony in Manteo, North Carolina...
- Roots: The Saga of an American FamilyRoots: The Saga of an American FamilyRoots: The Saga of an American Family is a novel written by Alex Haley and first published in 1976. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States, and follows his life and the lives of his descendants in the U.S....
parts of which also took place in Alamance County. - AmistadAmistad (1841)The Amistad, also known as United States v. Libellants and Claimants of the Schooner Amistad, 40 U.S. 518 , was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of slaves on board the Spanish schooner Amistad in 1839...