Mary Draper Ingles panel focuses on local legend

On Monday March 26, 2018, a panel discussion was held about local historical figure and legend Mary Draper Ingles. The four-member panel was composed of Dr. Mary Ferrari, Professor of History, Wesley Young, Professor of Theatre, Kathleen Harvey Harshberger, a Radford alumna, and Amanda Barr, current student in the theatre program.

The panel focused on the history and adaptations of the life of the local heroine and legend who, in 1755, escaped from Indian captivity and walked over 400 miles through the wilderness to return to her family in the New River Valley. Panelists discussed historical facts of Ingles' life, as well as the fictions that have developed through legend, myth, and various dramatic interpretations of her story.

The panel was arranged by Molly Hood, Assistant Professor of Theatre. According to Hood, “Mary is a great source of pride for the people in this region, but she is not well-known among the more general population. I hoped that the panel, as part of Women's History Month, would expose her history and story to a new group of folks so that they might better understand the history and culture of the area.”

Hood and Young are working together on an outdoor drama about Ingles titled “Walk to Freedom: The Mary Draper Ingles Story” which will have performance dates in June and July. Tickets and information about the upcoming production can be found here.