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Depression-era Chautauqua prompts memories
A collaboration of the Nebraska Humanities Council and the Kansas Humanities Council, the Chautauqua also visited Lawrence and Beloit in Kansas. The 2008 Kansas-Nebraska Chautauqua is especially significant for the relatively recent nature of its theme.
“The 1930s is the most recent Chautauqua period we have ever explored,” said Jane Renner Hood, executive director of the Nebraska Humanities Council. “Because of that, we have an opportunity to draw from the experience of local people in each community who might have experienced the Depression.”
Audiences had the opportunity to consider the strength of Nebraskans during the 1930s and celebrate their resilience and creativity through adversity.
“Both Hastings and Falls City have utilized local resources to locate farm equipment, radios, photographs or stories that are significant to their communities in the ’30s,” said Beth McQueen, NHC program officer and Chautauqua coordinator. “This shows how relevant the 1930s era is to Nebraska and to people today.”
Scholars portrayed five historical characters who helped shape America’s response to the Great Depression. The characters are humorist Will Rogers, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Louisiana governor and U.S. Sen. Huey Long, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston.
The “Bright Dreams, Hard Times” Chautauqua is funded, in part, by a major three-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the NEH’s special “We The People” initiative.
For additional information, contact Beth McQueen at (402) 474-2131 ext. 108 or beth@nebraskahumanities.org.
March 2008 2008 Chautauquans bring a wealth of experience
Five
Chautauqua scholars gathered in
The characters are humorist Will Rogers, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Louisiana governor and U.S. Sen. Huey Long, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston. Most of the scholars have worked with Chautauqua for many years and in many states, and they have a variety of backgrounds and experience.
Both Doug Watson (Rogers) and Fred Krebs (Long) have been Chautauquans for nearly two decades. Watson has spent 15 years perfecting his portrayal of Rogers, and his candid presentation gives the audience a taste of Rogers’ satiric style and “common man” mannerisms. While this is Krebs’ first time as Long, his Chautauqua experience dates back to 1985, when he presented Kansas newspaper editor William Allen White, a critic of FDR, in the Great Plains Chautauqua. Nebraska audiences saw him last summer in Kearney as William Jennings Bryan during the “Notable Nebraska Reformers” Chautauqua.
Roosevelt and McPherson will be portrayed by scholars Patrick McGinnis and Tonia Compton, who first appeared in Nebraska as Capt. William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Dolley Madison, respectively, in the 2005 and 2006 Great Plains Chautauqua, “From Sea to Shining Sea.” McGinnis brings his historical knowledge of the Thirties to his FDR, accurately representing Roosevelt in his vocal cadence, his physical impairment, and his overriding theme of assuredness and hope in a time of great despair for the country. Similarly, Compton’s evangelizing McPherson provides audiences with the experience of the 1930s through the lenses of faith, womanly persuasion, and charitable assistance for those suffering through the Depression.
Wanda Schell, who will portray Hurston, is the newest addition to the group familiar to Nebraskans. Schell, who has researched and presented Zora for more than 20 years for state humanities councils and other educational organizations, brings the eccentric folklorist and novelist to life with a presentation complete with folktales and singing.
“I'm very excited about being a part of this year's Chautauqua,” Schell said. “The theme allows me to explore some of Zora’s work that was written for the Work Projects Administration but never published until recently. I have performed my one-woman show on Zora since 1985. Orientation gave me the opportunity to begin incorporating my solo performance with four extremely talented performers.”
The “Bright Dreams, Hard Times” Chautauqua will be hosted by Falls City from June 25-29 and by Hastings from July 2-6. It is funded, in part, by a major three-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the NEH’s special “We The People” initiative.
March 2008 Falls City and Hastings will host 2008 Chautauqua
The Nebraska Humanities Council will present the 2008 Chautauqua in Falls City from June 25-29 at Stanton Lake Park and in Hastings July 2-6 at the Chautauqua Pavilion at Chautauqua Park.
The theme will be “Bright Dreams, Hard Times: America in the Thirties.” Scholars will portray Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), Huey Long (1893-1935), Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944), Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960), and Will Rogers (1879-1935).
Economic depression, a devastating environmental disaster—the Dust Bowl on the Great Plains—and signs of worldwide political unrest characterized the 1930s. In the midst of these difficulties, most Americans had an underlying optimism.
Patrick E. McGinnis will portray Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president of the United States from 1932-1945 and the leader of the New Deal to help Americans in their time of need. McGinnis holds a Ph.D. from Tulane University and for the last four years has been emeritus professor of history at the University of Central Oklahoma. Fred Krebs will portray Huey Long, the Louisiana senator who, unlike Roosevelt, used force and totalitarian tactics to attempt to bring aid to his constituents and Americans. A professor of history at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., Krebs is an active Chautauqua speaker, participating in 16 states with some 15 different historical characterizations.
Tonia Compton will portray Aimee Semple McPherson, who provided relief to impoverished families in Los Angeles and who was a pioneer evangelist and pastor. Compton is a history doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and holds a master’s degree from Texas A&M.
Wanda Schell portrays Zora Neale Hurston. Schell is an accomplished actress and writer who holds degrees in Liberal Arts and Theatre from the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and has pursued graduate work at Trinity Repertoire Conservatory (Providence, Rhode Island). In addition to a variety of stage roles and first-person portrayals, including Jazz vocalist Billie Holliday, Schell has used her theatrical skills to conduct youth outreach programs across the country.
Doug Watson will portray Will Rogers, American humorist, radio and film star, and essayist who commented on American culture and politics. As moderator for each performance, Will Rogers will bring audiences into the Thirties using his authentic American voice. Watson holds a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University and teaches English at Oklahoma Baptist University.
The Chautauqua runs Wednesday through Sunday, with a different scholar portraying his or her character each evening. Each gives a 40-minute, first-person presentation as the historical character, then answers questions. Workshops for children and adults are held during the day.
October 2007 NHC hires program officer for two-state Chautauqua
The Nebraska Humanities Council (NHC) has hired Beth McQueen as program officer in charge of several programming areas, including the 2008 Kansas-Nebraska Chautauqua, entitled “Bright Dreams, Hard Times: America in the Thirties.”
McQueen will be project director for the two-state Chautauqua, as well as serving as community coordinator for the Nebraska host cities. She also will coordinate the statewide simulcast of the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues lecture series.
McQueen graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and writing and a minor in French. She was in exchange programs in Australia and on the island of Reunion near Madagascar. She worked in the development and gift planning office of Nova Southeastern University in Florida while finishing a master’s degree in cross-disciplinary studies, with an emphasis in conflict analysis and resolution in culture and society.
The “Bright Dreams, Hard Times” Chautauqua will explore critical changes in cultural and political life in the 1930s through the lives of five historical figures: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Louisiana Gov. Huey Long, Pentecostal leader Aimee Semple McPherson, Harlem Renaissance writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, and humorist Will Rogers.
“History provides insight into the things that are happening today in our world,” McQueen said. “Through Chautauqua, we have the opportunity to gain historical perspective and relate it to our present and future. With this historical context, we can learn how to deal with issues, both those that repeat throughout time and those that seem new to us. My position at the NHC gives me the distinct opportunity to be part of this educational process in many capacities.”
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded the NHC a $179,010 grant with an additional federal match of $105,000 to support a new Chautauqua program that will tour 12 communities in Nebraska and Kansas from 2008 through 2010, one of two special projects funded by the NEH as part of its “We The People” initiative.
Each host community will offer nearly a week’s worth of educational programming, including four evening presentations by scholars portraying the historical figures; workshops offered by the Chautauqua scholars on topics related to America in the 1930s; a documentary project for high school students reminiscent of the WPA photographic work of the ’30s; a Youth Chautauqua Camp for middle-school students to recover their local history; and an accompanying exhibition on the Dust Bowl. The grant also will support reading and discussion programs and a 1930s film series for each community before the arrival of Chautauqua next June.
August 2007 Council receives NEH grant for Chautauqua
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded the Nebraska Humanities Council (NHC) a $179,010 grant with an additional federal match of $105,000 to support a new Chautauqua program that will tour 12 communities in Nebraska and Kansas from 2008 through 2010. The grant award was one of two special projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of its “We The People” initiative.
The “Bright Dreams, Hard Times: American in the Thirties” Chautauqua will explore critical changes in cultural and political life in the 1930s through the lives of five historical figures: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Louisiana Gov. Huey Long, Pentecostal leader Aimee Semple McPherson, Harlem Renaissance writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, and humorist Will Rogers.
Each community selected to host the “Bright Dreams, Hard Times” Chautauqua will offer nearly a week’s worth of educational programming, including four evening presentations in the large Chautauqua tent by scholars portraying the historical figures; workshops for adults and children offered by the Chautauqua scholars on topics related to the theme of America in the 1930s; a documentary project for high school students reminiscent of the WPA photographic work of the ’30s; a Youth Chautauqua Camp for middle-school students to recover their local history; and an accompanying exhibition on the Dust Bowl. The grant also will support reading and discussion programs and a 1930s film series for each community before the arrival of Chautauqua next June.
According to Jane Hood, executive director of the NHC, the familiar Chautauqua format will be updated for audiences from Nebraska and around the world thanks to web technology. In addition to providing daily schedules, the Chautauqua web site will engage viewers through humanities essays, photographs, discussions with the scholars, and research that is done locally in each community, such as the documentary photographs produced by high school students.
“The Nebraska Humanities Council has been producing Chautauqua in our state for nearly a quarter-century,” said Hood. “I think this is going to be the most exciting one we have ever done. We are thrilled that the National Endowment for the Humanities has funded it for three years.”
If your community is interested in hosting the 2008 Chautauqua, contact NHC Program Officer Mary Yager at (402) 474-2131 ext. 103 or at mary@nebraskahumanities.org for an application. Applications are due Oct. 1.
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![2008 Chautauquans are (from left) Doug Watson as Will Rogers, Wanda Schell as Zora Neale Hurston, Tonia Compton as Aimee Semple McPherson, Fred Krebs as Huey Long and Patrick E. McGinnis as FDR. [Photo by Aimee Poor]](../images/Chaut08group.jpg)
Omaha March 7-9 to prepare for the
new Kansas-Nebraska Chautauqua, a collaboration between the Nebraska
and Kansas humanities councils. The scholars will portray five
historical characters who helped shape America’s response to the
Great Depression during the “Bright Dreams, Hard Times: America in
the Thirties” Chautauqua, which will travel to Falls City and
Hastings, Neb., as well as Beloit and Lawrence, Kan.Phone 402-474-2131 or e-mail nhc@nebraskahumanities.org. |
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