The Waterside Theatre, home of The Lost Colony outdoor drama, has been granted a $1 million appropriation for renovation from the North Carolina State General Assembly. This appropriation comes after US Senator Lauch Faircloth introduced a matching $1 million line item into the US Department of Interior's 1997 budget.

The Lost Colony has been produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA) since July 4,1937, making it the longest running of 100 similar productions across the country. Written by Pulitzer Prize winner and North Carolina native Paul Green, the drama tells the story of 117 men, women, and children who established an English colony in the New World on Roanoke Island in 1587 and how they mysteriously vanished.

Located on the north end of Roanoke Island near the actual settlement site, the Waterside Theatre is a 2,000 seat outdoor amphitheater. The theater has been rebuilt twice: once in 1947 following a disasterous fire, and again in 1960 after Hurricane Donna devastated it. The current 37-year-old theater is in desperate need of repair and renovation. A complete renovation plan has been developed by the Association, which includes reconstruction of the main stages and dressing rooms, installation of sprinkler systems, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance items, replacement of outdated electrical systems, and improved stadium seating. These renovations will cost approximately $2.3 million.

"The appropriation of these funds is a sure signal of the State's dedication to the arts, as well as to The Lost Colony," said Thomas L. White, Jr., chairman of the RIHA. "By rebuilding Waterside Theatre, we are also sending a message that the story of our nation's beginnings will continue to educate and entertain future generations."

As part of the renovation project, the uncomfortable wooden bench seats will be replaced by fold-down stadium seats. Individuals, organizations, and businesses have the opportunity to endow one of the new seats. Contributers will receive an engraved plaque on the back of their seat as a sign of their support. For more information on the endowment opportunity, please contact The Lost Colony at (919) 473-2127.