The outdoor drama “Unto These Hills” tells the story of the Cherokee Indians. The production runs nightly (except Sundays) through Aug. 18 at the 2,100-seat Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, N.C. (Photo from “Unto These Hills”)“Unto These Hills,” one of the country’s most popular outdoor dramas, has kicked off its summer season in Cherokee, North Carolina.
The third oldest outdoor drama in the United States, “Unto These Hills” unfolds Monday through Saturday evenings at 8 in the newly renovated, 2,100-seat Mountainside Theatre at 688 Drama Road in Cherokee. The season runs through Aug. 18.
Since its debut on July 1, 1950, “Unto These Hills” has entertained more than 6 million people, telling the Cherokees’ rich story from 1780 to the 21st century. And for the first time in over a decade, that original production – updated for cultural sensitivity and extra stage drama – is back.
The play, which tells the gripping story of the Cherokee people, traces the tribe’s history from the height of its power, through the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears, into the modern day. Thousands of years in the making, the production depicts ritual, betrayal, love, action, suspense and loss. Talented actors in spectacular regalia dance, sing and exhilarate amid elaborate sets complete with fog and fire, haunting music and thundering surround-sound effects.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a sovereign nation with more than 15,000 enrolled members. It is the only federally recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. Home is the 56,600-acre Qualla Boundary, encompassing five western North Carolina counties about an hour west of Asheville and at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.