What: 2010 Chautauqua – “Beyond Boundaries”: Living History Portrayals of Thurgood Marshall, Frederick Law Olmsted and Sacagawea
Where: Various Outdoor locations in Easton, Maryland (In case of severe weather, program will be held indoors at the Avalon Theatre)
When/Who: Music begins at 7 p.m. with performance at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, July 12, “Thurgood Marshall” in Thompson Park
Tuesday, July 13, “Sacagawea” in Londonderry Manor
Wednesday, July 14, “Frederick Law Olmsted” in Idlewild Park
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to watch famous, historical figures talk about their experiences and accomplishments…in real life? Chautauqua gives Marylander’s the chance to “meet” Thurgood Marshall, Frederick Law Olmsted, and Sacagawea and hear what their lives were like, what they thought about, and what kinds of impact they made on our culture and in our society.
Chautauqua takes place every summer in Maryland under large outdoor tents at college campuses, outdoor arenas and in community theaters. Chautauqua is a traveling event which hasn’t been held in our own backyard for quite some time. So take advantage of this original, educational, and fun event. All Chautauqua events are free and open to the public!
A little more about this year’s historical figures and the people who portray them:
Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) worked throughout his life to challenge racial barriers in education, housing, transportation, electoral politics, and criminal justice. He won the landmark Brown v Board of Education case in 1954 and later became the first African American to serve on the United State Supreme Court. Portraying Thurgood Marshall is Lenneal J. Henderson – Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Administration and Senior Fellow at the William Donald Schaefer Center for Public Policy and a Senior Fellow in the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics at the University of Baltimore. In addition to his portrayal of Thurgood Marshall, Henderson has also appeared as Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sacagawea (c.1788 – 1812) was the only woman in the famous expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1804-1806. Eau. Carrying her infant son, Sacagawea traveled thousands of miles from the Mandan/Hidatsa village in what is now North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean and back. Her primary function was to serve as a translator for the expedition. Portraying Sacagawea is Selene Phillips – a professor in the Communication Department at the University of Louisville and member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe Nation. She has portrayed Sacagawea at Chautauquas, on public television, and in other settings.
Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. (1822-1903) is known for his diverse landscapes, from New York’s Central Park, to the Capitol Grounds in Washington, to the Chicago World’s Fair, and many college campuses from the east coast to the west coast. But his values and vision extended into many endeavors, including farms ownership and management, journalism (he wrote three books on economic and social conditions in the South, with important observations on slavery), and serving as Executive Secretary of the Sanitary Commission with a mandate for providing health services during the Civil War. Gerry Wright, who portrays Olmsted, works in the areas of human services, environmental advocacy, and international relations.
History:
“Chautauqua” was named for the Chautauqua Lake area in upstate New York, where the movement began in 1874 as a Methodist summer retreat. A wide range of religious lectures and educational programs attracted a huge following and turned Chautauqua, New York, into a popular summer resort.
As it evolved, the Chautauqua movement presented the latest thinking in politics, economics, literature, science, and religion. By 1900, more than 400 summer communities had developed from the original Chautauqua model, and touring companies presented lectures, debates, and performances at sites throughout the country. Theodore Roosevelt, himself an active participant, dubbed Chautauqua “the most American thing in America” due to its enormous popularity and accessibility.
In Maryland, the tradition dates back to the late nineteenth century, when Chautauquas took place at Mountain Lake Park in Garrett County and at Glen Echo Park in Montgomery County. In its heyday between the 1880s and World War I, this program attracted thousands to the community for symphonies, operas, plays and nationally prominent speakers including President Taft, Samuel Gompers, William Jennings Bryan, and Billy Sunday.
While increased access to radios, movies and cars led to a gradual decline in the Chautauqua movement by the 1930s, its legacy lives on through continuing education programs at community colleges, and humanities councils nationwide.
MHC launched the modern Chautauqua in Maryland in 1995 at Garrett College, and since then this popular program has spread to other parts of the state, educating and entertaining thousands of Marylanders every summer.
Chautauqua 2010 in Easton is generously sponsored by Hope and Tony Harrington.