News
2009 Nevada Humanities Chautauqua - 05-19-2009
Reno, NV – Nevada Humanities will present the 2009 Nevada Humanities Chautauqua festival June 21 – 25 at the Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno. This year’s program theme is “The American West” with an emphasis on Nevada. Performers portraying characters such as Sarah Winnemucca, John C. Frémont, Mark Twain, Annie Oakley, and Zane Gray will investigate “Exploration and Confrontation” and “The Myth of the West” among other themes. Sunday – Thursday main stage programs begin with music at 6:00 p.m. and Chautauqua performances start at 7:00 p.m. Stadium-style seating and lawn space are available. Parking is free.
If you love history, enjoy a good show, or want to engage with people from the past, then Nevada Humanities Chautauqua is for you. The Nevada Humanities Chautauqua format is simple: a presenter in the guise of a historical figure describes important episodes in his or her character’s life and thought. After the monologue the audience and presenter have a lively dialogue.
Reno resident Bonnie Buckley, one of the founders of Nevada Humanities Chautauqua, has been a fan since its inception in 1992. “I was hooked on Chautauqua from the first time I witnessed a program where Thomas Jefferson was the keynote speaker. I felt as though I were actually in the presence of this great man.”
Nevada Humanities Chautauqua also features free community events held at venues throughout Reno and daytime Young Chautauqua performances by area students at the Flying B Pavilion at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno. For more information visit www.nevadahumanities.org.
Evening Program Information
- Dates: Sunday, June 21, through Thursday, June 25, 2009. Music at 6:00 pm, Chautauqua performance at 7:00 p.m.
- Where: The Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno.
- General Admission: $15 per night/$45 per weeklong pass. General admission allows first come/first served access to unreserved seats and lawn (only low-back chairs and blankets on the grass). Admission for the Sunday, June 21, program is free.
- Reserved Seating: $30 per night/$90 per weeklong pass. Reserved seating tickets allow access to a block of seats in a prime location held for reserved ticket holders. With reserved seats you can arrive any time you want and get a great seat.
- Food: Excellent barbecue and treats offered for sale by Men Wielding Fire. Picnic baskets also welcome (wine and other beverages permitted, but no glass containers: plastic only).
Evening Programs
- Sunday – Thursday main stage programs begin with music at 6:00 p.m. and Chautauqua performances start at 7:00 p.m. Stadium-style seating and lawn space are available. Parking is free.
- Sunday, June 21: An Evening of Young Chautauqua: Myth vs. Reality, featuring local students. This program is free and open to the public.
- Monday, June 22: Exploration and Confrontation, Sarah Winnemucca portrayed by Alix Voorhees and John C. Frémont portrayed by Frank Mullen.
- Tuesday, June 23: Life on the Comstock, Mary McNair Mathews portrayed by Anita Watson and Mark Twain portrayed by McAvoy Layne.
- Wednesday, June 24: Politics Western Style, Governor John Sparks portrayed by Michael Fischer and Theodore Roosevelt portrayed by Doug Mishler.
- Thursday, June 25: The Myth and Reality of the West, Zitkala-Sa portrayed by Nicole Piechocki, Annie Oakley portrayed by Tyler Stewart, and Zane Grey portrayed by David Fenimore.
Daytime Activities
Free community events take place throughout Reno during Nevada Humanities Chautauqua week. Visit www.nevadahumanities.org for information about all Chautauqua daytime activities.
- Coffee with the Chautauquans, Tuesday, June 23 – Friday, June 26, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m., Sundance Bookstore, 1155 West Fourth Street, Reno. Nevada Humanities Chautauqua audiences will have an opportunity to continue the discussion begun at the performance the previous evening. Free and open to all.
- Young Chautauqua on Stage, Monday, June 22 – Thursday, June 25, 9:30 am – 12:30 p.m., Flying B Pavilion at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno. Morning Young Chautauqua on Stage events also include hands-on craft activities for young people. These performances are free and open to all.
- Daily Life on the Comstock: Mary McNair Mathews, a Chautauqua performance.
Monday, June 22, 7 p.m., Fourth Ward School, Virginia City.
- Women Entertainers of the Old West
The lives of female performers on the frontier. Tuesday, June 23, 10 a.m., Senior Center Library.
- Native Americans: Myth and Reality
Treatment of Indians in American popular culture. Tuesday, June 23, 11 a.m., Sparks Heritage Museum.
- How the West Was Sung: Folk Music in the Western Films of John Ford
Use of folk music in John Ford westerns. Tuesday, June 23, 1 p.m., South Valleys Library.
- Women Entertainers of the Old West
The lives of female performers on the frontier. Wednesday, June 24, 4 p.m., Incline Village Library.
- Being John C. Frémont: The Nuts and Bolts of 19th Century Exploration
Hands-on instruction on how the Frémont expedition mapped the West. Thursday, June 25, 2 p.m., Northwest Reno Library.
- Theodore Roosevelt: the American Cowboy
Impact of the West on TR's and the American character. Thursday, June 25, 4 p.m., Sparks Library.
Nevada Humanities Chautauqua is made possible by the generous support of the Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation, NV Energy, Intuit, Wells Fargo Advisors, VSA arts of Nevada, Charter Communications, Washoe County Regional Parks & Open Space, The Media Center, and Camelot Party Rentals.
Nevada Humanities is one of 56 state and territorial humanities councils affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities. With offices in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada Humanities creates public programs and supports public projects statewide that define the Nevada experience and facilitate the exploration of issues that matter to Nevadans and their communities.
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