About the Institute of Outdoor Drama

Established in 1963, the Institute of Outdoor Drama is a public service agency of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  It is the only organization in the U.S. providing national leadership in fostering artistic and managerial excellence and expansion of the outdoor drama movement through training, research and advisory programs.  The Institute serves as a national clearinghouse for more than 102 constituent theatre companies across the nation.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been the nation’s definitive center for information on writing and producing modern American Epic Drama, since assisting in the 1937 production of the nation’s first outdoor historical drama, Paul Green’s famed history play, The Lost Colony at Manteo, North Carolina.

The Institute gathers information related to outdoor writing, management, and production and distributes that information to production companies, planners, the news media and artists in the field.  It works with writers, lawyers, directors, architects, managers, promoters, performers and designers, and experts in marketing and travel.

Research by the Institute indicates that the outdoor drama field, consisting of approximately 37 historical dramas, 8 religious dramas, 33 musical theatre productions, 55 Shakespeare festivals producing 110 Shakespeare plays, 27 non-musical productions and 10 children's shows and employs 5,000 people and has an annual economic impact on the U.S. travel and tourism industry of approximately $500 million.

The Institute is governed by an administrative board composed of distinguished faculty and leaders throughout the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, an advisory council of eminent American theatre professionals, who are valued consultants, assists in research and planning.

The activities of the Institute are focused on fulfilling the mission of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an educational, public service and research institution.