The Shepherd of the Hills Historic Homestead and Old Mill Theatre in Branson will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the 1907 publication of the literary phenomenon, Harold Bell Wright’s, “The Shepherd of the Hills,” on July 6-8, 2007. The three day celebration, that is open to the public, will be attended by a host a dignitaries including Missouri’s lieutenant governor. A search is on for the thousands of cast members who have been in the outdoor drama over the past 48 years so that they may be honored.
"It was the book that started it all," said Keith Thurman, director of the show, The Shepherd of the Hills. The outdoor drama is performed at the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre to which tourists have flocked for 48 years. "It’s an uplifting tale of the people who lived in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri. The book became an immediate bestseller and started tourists coming to the Ozarks and the rest, the say, is history."
Missouri’s Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley are among a host of dignitaries and celebrities who have agreed participate in the celebration, according to Thurman.
"In the 48 years The Shepherd of the Hills has been performed here, there have been literally thousands of cast members," Thurman, said. "Some members of the cast have been with the show for years, such as Dorthy Kniffer who is celebrating her 40th season this year, others have been a part of the show for a single summer or less."
Past cast members will be honored with a reception. Anyone who has been a part of show should contact Ashlee Ingram at 1-800-OLD-MATT (653-6288) ext. 4621 or e-mail aingram@oldmatt.com.
Among the festivities are a specially prepared video presentation, fireworks and a parade through the Historic Homestead. Sunday’s events include a traditional "All Day Meetin’ with Dinner on the Grounds" with a church service on Inspiration Point, a gospel sing-along with Logan Ridge Revival and other gospel singers and games. Seating is limited, for reservations call 1-800-OLD-MATT.
Each day’s activities will conclude with a performance of the most performed outdoor drama in the country recognizing the centennial release of Wright’s book, the first book in history to sell over one million copies, even outselling the works of such talented authors as Hemmingway and Gray.
Wright was a Christian minister who was in poor health and discovered he could minister to a greater number of people through writing than he could from the pulpit. On a doctor recommended journey to find a gentler climate for his ill health, he was stopped in the Ozarks by the White River that was at flood stage. The ferry operator told him of the Ross Homestead where he would be welcomed until the river was crossable. Wright became so enchanted with the Rosses and the others in the community that he returned to their homestead for the next seven summers and penned The Shepherd of the Hills story. The pre-release of 1,500 copies was July 6, 1907 and quickly sold out. Fans of the book began flocking into the Ozarks to see the people and places Wright so eloquently described. The arrival of the railroad brought even more visitors, and by the early 1920s reenactments of the book were being performed on the lawn of the Ross home, or Old Matt’s Cabin, as it became known.
The Shepherd of the Hills was required reading in Missouri schools and visitors continued to pour into the hills. A theater troupe performed the story on the Taneycomo lakefront in downtown Branson, and Marvel Cave began to develop into Silver Dollar City. The Mabe brothers started a music show for visitors and took on the name of the fierce vigilante group, the Baldknobbers. The Shepherd of the Hills found a permanent home in an amphitheatre carved into a rugged hillside on the Ross homestead, and Old Matt’s gristmill became the setting for the stage. The Presley’s soon joined in with their theater on Highway 76, and the tourism boom in Branson was well underway.
The public is invited to participate in this very special weekend planned by The Shepherd of the Hills cast and crew. For more information call 417-224-2077.