North Carolina is known as the birthplace of the American outdoor drama. One of its longest running outdoor productions, Unto These Hills, celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. To capture the spirit of that diamond anniversary, Connecting the Docs host John Horan, podcast interns Chris Deitner and Amelia Gantt, and producer Danielle Shirilla had an opportunity to travel west to watch the show and interview Communications & Development Director Chelsey Moore and Delegate at the Oconaluftee Indian Village, as well as Props Lead for the show, Devon Cucumber, about the drama, its history, and its longevity. 

Special thanks to the Cherokee Historical Association and the cast and crew of Unto These Hills for letting us use original audio from a live production in this episode. 

Primary Sources: 

Backstage at “Unto These Hills” by John H. Hemmer, North Carolina. Dept. of Conservation and Development Records, ConDev8273A, State Archives of North Carolina, https://digital.ncdcr.gov/Documents/Detail/backstage-at-unto-these-hills./344166. 

Dorothy Eugenia Richardson Collection, PC.2172, State Archives of North Carolina.  

Unto These Hills Performance, Governor's Papers -- James Grubb Martin (11 December 1935 --) [First and Second Administrations], Record ID: 373.4.27.23, State Archives of North Carolina.  

Secondary Sources: 

Faulkner, Ronnie W., et al. “Outdoor Dramas.” NCPedia, 2006, https://www.ncpedia.org/outdoor-dramas.   

Gaison, G. "We're still here": Eddie Swimmer on Cherokee History, Life, and Outdoor Drama in the Appalachian Mountains. North Carolina Literary Review, (19), 46-59, 2010. 

“Outdoor Dramas to Enjoy Under the Stars in North Carolina.” VisitNC, https://www.visitnc.com/list/outdoor-dramas-enjoy-under-stars-north-carolina.  

“Unto These Hills.” Wikipedia, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unto_These_Hills.