Breaking News/Company Focus: The Lost Colony costume shop and collections destroyed by fire
Photo by John Buford
courtesy of Roanoke Island Historical Association 9/11/07
The nation's longest-running outdoor drama, The Lost Colony in Manteo, NC, suffered a disastrous fire last night which destroyed their costume collection and entire shop. A Nags Head resident from across the inlet spotted the flames shortly after midnight and called authorities, but by the time the fire department arrived on the scene, flames had engulfed the roof of the building.
The News & Observer has what appears to be an exclusive interview with designer William Ivey Long, who has had a lifelong affiliation with the Lost Colony, having grown up as the child of parents who worked for the production. The drama was in its 70th season this past summer.
Here is the press release from TLC media contact John Buford:
(Manteo, NC - September 11, 2007) On 11 September 2007 at 12:35 A.M., a resident of Villa Dunes spotted a fire across the sound on Roanoke Island, and called 911. Part of The Lost Colony’s Waterside Theatre was in flames. All fire departments north of Oregon Inlet responded.
Fire crews worked swiftly and efficiently to control the blaze, and take necessary precautions to save the nearby men’s dressing room structure. In spite of their efforts, the maintenance shed, which appears to have been at or near the source of the fire was completely destroyed. Charred pieces of framing in a flimsy skeleton, pointing irregularly toward the star-lighted sky, appear to be all that remains of what was the Irene Rains Costume Shop. All of the show costumes, all of the historic costumes, all of the fabrics, all of the shoes and hats are traditionally stored in the costume shop. All are lost-except the court costumes which fortunately are still at the dry cleaners, and a few that have already been delivered to the NC Museum of History for the Lost Colony exhibition scheduled to open in October.
All of the colonist costumes, and all of the Indian costumes were destroyed.
All of the vintage costumes are lost-all those built by Irene Rains in the 1940s and 1950s; and all of Fred Voelpel’s in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s.
No other structures appeared to have been damaged. The Nags Head resident who reported the fire saved the theatre.
Ironically, 60 years ago, on 24 June 1947, a late afternoon fire destroyed two-thirds of the Waterside Theatre and most of the sets and props. The costumes in the 1947 disaster escaped the flames, however, because of costumer Irene Rains’ quick action in removing them from the dressing rooms and casting the items on the shore. There was no possibility of saving anything from the current disaster. From the point of arrival of the firemen, it was impossible to enter the building. The flames were already topping the trees.
Once again, The Lost Colony and its supporters must suffer the loss of their history and re-build. Community support is critical and a fund will be established for the replacement of the costumes.
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I'll post more as i hear it--i know they plan to set up a special fund for this, and presumably donations will be accepted. I also know that the drama operates on a shoestring and that they did not have insurance--what a huge, staggering loss. :(
ETA: There's another article at the Pilot Online, this one enumerates the loss in more concrete terms. Here's a quote:
The Roanoke Island Historical Association, producers of the play, estimate costume losses at $1 million to $2 million. About 75 percent of the production's costumes were lost.
But William Ivey Long, the show’s production designer and a five-time Tony Award-winning Broadway costume designer, said it is nearly impossible to put a value on a collection, which went back seven decades and included 700 costumes used in the show. That's all the colonists' clothes. All the Indian costumes. All the vintage costumes made by costumer Irene Rains in the 1940s and '50s and by Fred Voelpelin in the '60s, '70s and '80s. Not to mention the William Ivey Long collection.
Including those used for doubles and extras, Long said, there were more like 1,500 to 2,000 costumes lost.
The Pilot also has a photo gallery, with some images of the building, some damaged interior images including a burnt-up antique Singer that's heartbreaking, but a few lighthearted images of the firemen sporting armor they found and salvaged in the blaze.