SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
Reno, Nev., May 26, 2010 – Nevada Humanities presents the 2010 Nevada Humanities Chautauqua festival, June 22 – 26 at the Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, Reno. Explore the theme “Public Legends, Private Lives” and meet legendary characters during the evening programs, including P.T. Barnum, Buffalo Bill, Emma Nevada, Bonnie and Clyde, Babe Ruth, Paul Robeson, Woody Guthrie, Joe Louis and Julia Child. Each night begins with a musical performance featuring a local band. Music starts at 6 p.m., and Chautauqua performances begin at 7 p.m.
“Our Chautauqua audiences have really enjoyed the venue at Bartley Ranch,” said Steve Davis, assistant director of Nevada Humanities. “There are plenty of comfortable chairs and a lawn for those who prefer to bring blankets. You can bring a picnic or find excellent food for sale by Men Wielding Fire, a local favorite. And parking is plentiful and free. Folks love it.”
Nevada Humanities Chautauqua tickets are available online at http://nevadahumanities.org and at the gate (cash or check only) the evening of the performance (reserved seating is only available for purchase online). General admission is $15/night or $45/weeklong pass for four shows; reserved seating is $30/night or $90/weeklong pass for four shows. For more information contact Nevada Humanities at (775) 784-6587 or visit http://nevadahumanities.org .
Nevada Humanities Chautauqua blends the insights of historical research with the fun of theatrical entertainment. The Chautauqua format is simple: a performer, in the guise of a historical figure such as Babe Ruth or Julia Child, tells “first-hand” stories about important episodes in the character’s life. After the monologue, the audience and performer engage in a lively give and take. Finally, the performer emerges from character to respond to questions that could not be answered in character. One of the longest-running Chautauqua festivals in the country, Nevada Humanities Chautauqua was created by Nevada Humanities in Reno in 1992.
In addition to Nevada Humanities Chautauqua evening performances, community events take place throughout Northern Nevada during Nevada Humanities Chautauqua week. On the mornings following each evening Chautauqua performance, people are invited to gather to meet Chautauqua performers, ask questions, and enjoy coffee and treats. Coffee with the Chautauquans is a free event and takes place Thursday, June 24 and Friday, June 25 from 7:30-9 a.m.; and Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27 from 9-10:30 a.m. at Sundance Bookstore, 1155 West Fourth Street, Reno. Visit http://nevadahumanities.org for a complete roster of programs.
To celebrate the life and legacy of Julia Child, Nevada Humanities and Nothing To It! Culinary Center have come together in 2010 to create a program that combines the romance and fun of learning culinary skills inspired by Julia Child’s cuisine with the enlightening fun of a Chautauqua performance. The Julia Child Show: A Nevada Humanities Chautauqua Culinary Workshop, will take place Saturday, June 26, at 11 a.m., at the Nothing To It! Culinary Center, 225 Crummer Lane, Reno. Join a special “studio audience” as Chef Lara Ritchie makes a guest appearance on the “Julia Child Show,” hosted by nationally acclaimed Chautauqua performer Mary Ann Jung as Julia Child. Workshop tickets are available online at http://www.nothingtoit.com for $55, which includes admission to the June 26 evening performance at Bartley Ranch.
Nevada Humanities Chautauqua begins on Tuesday, June 22, at 6 p.m., at the Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater, Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno, with an entire evening of Young Chautauqua performances by some of the program’s most talented performers in a free public program. In addition, throughout the week of Nevada Humanities Chautauqua, Reno’s Young Chautauqua participants have a chance to showcase their talent with daily performances. Tuesday, June 22 through Friday, June 25, 9:30 a.m.-12 noon, all Young Chautauqua performers have a chance to perform on stage under the tent at the Flying B Pavilion at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno. The program is free and open to the public, and children in the audience are invited to participate in hands-on craft activities. Nevada Humanities created the Young Chautauqua program in Reno in the early 1990s at the request of enthusiastic young people who wanted to know how they “could do it, too.” Since then, Young Chautauqua has spread to other Nevada communities and has been adopted by other states for use in classrooms around the nation.
Nevada Humanities Chautauqua is made possible with generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation, NV Energy, Intuit, Wells Fargo Advisors, Nothing To It! Culinary Center, KNPB Channel 5 Public Broadcasting, and many more community partners.
What You Need to Know about Nevada Humanities Chautauqua
When: Tuesday, June 22-Saturday, June 26, 2010. Doors open at 5 p.m. Musical performances begin at 6 p.m., and Chautauqua performances begin at 7 p.m.
Where: The Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, Reno. Parking is plentiful and free.
Tickets: Available online at http://nevadahumanities.org and at the gate (cash or check only) the evening of the performance (reserved seating is only available for purchase online). Admission to the Tuesday, June 22, evening program is FREE. General admission is $15/night or $45/weeklong pass of four shows. General admission allows first-come/first-served access to unreserved seats and lawn. Reserved seating is $30/night or $90/weeklong pass of four shows. Reserved seating is only available for purchase online. 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.
Information: Visit http://nevadahumanitites.org or call (775) 784-6587.
Nevada Humanities Chautauqua – Evening Programs, June 22-26
Evening programs take place Tuesday, June 22-Saturday, June 26, 2010. Doors open at 5 p.m. Musical performances begin at 6 p.m.; Chautauqua performances begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online at http://nevadahumanities.org or at the gate the night of the show (cash or check only). Reserved seats available online only.
Tuesday, June 22: An Evening of Young Chautauqua: Change & Progress in the 20th Century featuring performances by local youth. Music by the Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra. FREE.
Wednesday, June 23: Larger than Life, with Doug Mishler as P.T. Barnum and Brian Kral as Buffalo Bill. Music by HomeMade Jam. $15/general or $30/reserved.
Thursday, June 24: A Diva, Two Outlaws & The Babe, with Alyssa Foster and Ethan Foster as Bonnie & Clyde, Anita Watson as Emma Nevada, and Frank Mullen Jr. as Babe Ruth. Music by Reno Taiko Tsurunokai. $15/general or $30/reserved.
Friday, June 25: This Land is Our Land, with Marvin Jefferson as Paul Robeson and David Fenimore as Woody Guthrie. Music by Second Baptist Church Choir. $15/general or $30/reserved.
Saturday, June 26: The Sweet Science & Haute Cuisine, with Hasan Davis as Joe Louis and Mary Ann Jung as Julia Child. Music by Hot Club de Renaux. $15/general or $30/reserved.
Nevada Humanities Chautauqua – Events Around Town & Beyond, June 10-26
Visit http://nevadahumanities.org for program updates and information.
Emma Nevada: The Silver State Diva, a Chautauqua Performance with Anita Watson. Thursday, June 10, at 7:30 p.m., Churchill County Museum, 1050 South Maine Street, Fallon. FREE.
Emma Nevada: The Silver State Diva, a Chautauqua Performance with Anita Watson. Saturday, June 19, at 7:00 p.m., The Historic Fourth Ward School, 537 South “C” Street, Virginia City. FREE.
Young Chautauqua Under the Tent, Tuesday, June 22-Friday, June 25, 9:30 a.m.-12 noon, Flying B Pavilion at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno. Young Chautauquans perform on stage; event also includes hands-on craft activities for young people. Great for kids! FREE.
Sing Along with David Fenimore as Woody Guthrie. Wednesday, June 23, at 3 p.m., Sierra View Library, 4001 South Virginia Street, Reno. It’s hootenanny time! Kids will learn a dozen or so of Woody’s best known songs. FREE for kids of all ages.
Coffee with the Chautauquans, Thursday, June 24 and Friday, June 25 from 7:30-9 a.m.; and Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27 from 9-10:30 a.m., Sundance Bookstore, 1155 West Fourth Street, Reno. Gather each morning during Chautauqua week to meet Chautauqua performers, ask questions, and enjoy coffee and treats. FREE.
Run Away to the Circus. Thursday, June 24, at 3:30 p.m., Downtown Reno Library, 301 South Center Street, Reno. Actor and historian Doug Mishler will share circus stories; hands-on activities and humbugs for all. Great for kids! FREE.
“You Can’t Scare Me, I’m Sticking to the Union”: American Folk Protest Music of the 20th Century with David Fenimore. Thursday, June 24, at 5 p.m., South Valleys Library, 15650 Wedge Parkway, Reno. Learn about – and listen to – the songs that have fuelled political movements. FREE.
The Julia Child Show: A Nevada Humanities Chautauqua Culinary Workshop. Saturday, June 26, at 11 a.m., Nothing To It! Culinary Center, 225 Crummer Lane, Reno. Be a part of our special studio audience as Chef Lara Ritchie makes a guest appearance on the Julia Child Show, hosted by nationally acclaimed Chautauqua performer Mary Ann Jung as Julia Child. Workshop tickets available online at http://www.nothingtoit.com for $55, which includes admission to the June 26 evening performance at Bartley Ranch. Bon appétit!
That’s Entertainment. Saturday, June 26, at 1 p.m., Sierra View Library, 4001 South Virginia Street, Reno. Join historian Doug Mishler for an illustrated presentation and explore circuses and Wild West shows, as well as the early years of film, vaudeville, radio, and more. FREE.
Paul Robeson, Singer!, with Marvin Jefferson. Saturday, June 26, at 2 p.m., Bethel African American Cultural Center, 220 Bell St., Reno. Young people will have an opportunity to learn about Robeson’s life and sing some of the songs he made famous. Great for kids! FREE.
The Babe and the Bambinos. Saturday, June 26, at 4 p.m., Incline Village Library, Incline Village. Frank Mullen Jr., as Babe Ruth in Yankee uniform, will tell kids about the Babe’s life and times. This event is part of Incline Village Library’s 5th anniversary celebration. Great for kids! FREE.
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. With offices in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada Humanities is one of 56 state and territorial humanities councils affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
