News Arts Snow Camp’s Wilson receives national award
| Snow Camp’s Wilson receives national award |
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| Tuesday, October 20, 2009 | |
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James E. Wilson, general manager of the outdoor theater in Snow Camp for 35 years, has received this year’s Mark R. Sumner Award for significant contributions to the field of outdoor drama. The award was presented recently by the Institute of Outdoor Drama, part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In another honor for Wilson, the Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre’s board of directors voted last year to rename the site the Wilson Amphitheatre to honor Wilson and his family for their dedication to the theater. Each summer, the theater offers two dramas, a musical and a children’s show. The first drama, “The Sword of Peace,” concerns Quakers in the community who resisted violence during the American Revolution. The second, “Pathway to Freedom,” tells a tale of slavery opponents and free blacks in Snow Camp helping hundreds of escaped slaves flee north before the Civil War. Wilson commissioned both works. Wilson credited community volunteers in part for the theater’s longevity, and for helping him and his late brother, Bobby, open doors to the theater in 1974. Rob Fox, Institute of Outdoor Drama director, said of Wilson, “He has a unique ability to rally supporters for the Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre. Note: Wilson can be reached at (336) 376-6948 or toll-free at (800) 726-5115 Institute of Outdoor Drama contact: Rob Fox, (919) 962-1328, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it News Services contact: LJ Toler, (919) 962-8589 |