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THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
AT
CHAPEL HILL

August 9, 1990

Dr. Kermit H. Hunter
9004 Villa Park Circle
Dallas, TX 75225

Dear Dr. Hunter:

In January of this year, I was fortunate enough to have been
asked to follow Mark Sumner as the director of the Institute.
I gratefully accepted the offer and, while much of the time
here thus far has been spent learning the ropes, I have made
several changes in the operations.

Perhaps the most immediate is that we will be moving the site
of the annual Managers, Directors and Promoters Conference
from Chapel Hill. Although the meeting has been held in
other locations in the past, including Boone, NC, Branson,

MO, and Amarillo, TX, it has now been five years since weve
met on the site of an operating company.

So, this year we will gather in Cherokee and enjoy the
hospitality of the Cherokee Historical Association. The
dates are set for October 5-7.

The programming of the Conference will also vary somewhat
from that of previous conferences. There will be an emphasis
on touring the CHA facilities, a performance of Tom DeTitta�?Ts
THE REACH OF SONG (an historical drama of the north Georgia
mountains which opened in 1989), and a look at the
relationship of the Cherokee culture to the play itself.

Of course, we will continue to have workshops and panel
sessions, but for this year, at least, there will be fewer
than in the past. Those that we do have planned will include
some of the newer faces in outdoor drama from across the
country.

On Saturday evening, October 6, we are preparing a special
program to follow an authentic Indian feast. It will be an
informal presentation by individuals associated with UNTO
THESE HILLS and several Cherokee, who will help us understand
the relationship between Cherokee culture, the community and
the play. Bill Hardy will serve as the Master of Ceremonies
and I°ve asked Barry Hipps to help put together the program.

A tentative program for the evening would include the
following:

Robert Bushyhead would join us to deliver the
invocation in the Cherokee language.

The dining hall would be decorated with many
and varied Cherokee arts and crafts gathered from
private collections around the reservation.

Bill Hardy would relate some of his experiences
with UNTO THESE HILLS over the years. I�?Tve asked
him to invite a member of the 1950s production
company to pass on an anecdote or two from the
early days of the show.

I°m writing now to ask if you would join us for this special
evening. As playwright of this benchmark outdoor historical
drama, your experiences, particularly relating to the
research involved in writing the play, and your relationship
with the Cherokee and community leaders, would be of great
interest to all of us.

Further, your thoughts on outdoor historical drama and the
unique challenge of writing for this genre would be
especially helpful to those who are now in the process of
planning and developing new outdoor dramas.

As I remember, it has been several years since you�?Tve been
able to attend the annual meeting. Many of the "old hands"
continue to come each year, of course; but there are more and
more new people on the scene, including many who are
currently planning dramas for their communities. My best
guess is that the early and mid-90s will see a number of new
productions up and running.

Because it is now less than two months until the Conference
itself, we are on the fast track in putting together the
program for it. As soon as the entire program has been
finalized, I will be sure you receive a copy.

I am embarrassed to say that the Institute cannot afford to
meet your expenses in traveling to the Conference, but hope
that, as you have been associated with our operation for many
years, you will understand and forgive.

If the dates of October 5, 6, and 7 are possible for you, we
would be honored to have you join us in Cherokee for this
special program. As soon as you have a chance to look at
your schedule, I would be grateful to hear from you.

Many thanks.

Sincerely/,

Director J
ce. Frank aa

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pil Hardy Hipp