I draw on the methodology of public history, and specifically on the subfields of museum studies, cultural heritage, and collective memory. Public historians work to identify and analyze popular understandings of history, both because our goal is to promote historical accuracy and because we understand historical narratives to be a core part of contemporary politics and culture. Using evidence from archival research, oral history, and analysis of museum interpretation, I argue that The Lost Colony play has serious intentions. Outdoor historical drama constituted an early form of public history beginning in the 1930s, intending to educate audiences about local history through dramatic realism, folk music and dance, and performances in outdoor theaters at the site of historical events. Playwright Paul Green used ethnographic research and sought to present authentic sixteenth-century folk culture, although with significant biases and omissions in his presentation of Indigenous characters. Over time, the play’s renown and high visitation, stemming from its role as a heritage ritual for participants and audiences, has led it to assume responsibility as the primary public history institution on Roanoke Island. At both historic sites, the alleged mystery of the colonists’ whereabouts, a narrative promoted by the play, continues to dominate these sites’ representations of the 1587 settlement.
Since 2021, changes to The Lost Colony’s script and casting practices, and new Tribal partnerships, have shifted the play’s narrative toward Indigenous perspectives of early settlement. My ongoing research seeks to determine how these changes happened, to what extent they have challenged the “lost colony” narrative’s utility in supporting settler identity, and their effects on other public history institutions. These representations of the “lost colony” have significant bearing on present-day ideas and relationships around indigeneity and national identity.
My research has drawn on varying visual sources, and I look forward to sharing them not only as embellishment but as part of my evidence base. These include: sketches of outdoor amphitheatres, which reveal the interpretive vision for outdoor historical drama; performance photos, exposing the changes over time in The Lost Colony’s historical messaging; and maps of historic sites on Roanoke Island that depict the relationship between public history institutions. As my research also draws on aural sources—oral history and music—I intend to use QR codes on my poster that link to clips of oral history interviews and musical performances, respectively.