Nevada Humanities Chautauqua

Nevada Humanities
Chautauqua Evening Programs
Sunday, June 26 – Thursday, June 30
at the
Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater
Bartley Ranch Regional Park
6000 Bartley Ranch Road, Reno

Nevada Humanities presents its 2011 Nevada Humanities Chautauqua festival with the lives and times of legendary characters including Henry VIII, CoCo Chanel, painter Thomas Hart Benton, Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Thomas Jefferson. Each evening's event begins with a musical performance featuring a local band. Music starts at 6:00 p.m., and Chautauqua performances begin at 7:00 p.m. There are plenty of comfortable chairs as well as a lawn area for those who prefer to sit on a blanket. Some people bring picnics while others take advantage of the excellent food offered for sale by Men Wielding Fire. Parking is plentiful and free.

Nevada Humanities Chautauqua blends the insightful depth 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 Mark Twain or Thomas Jefferson, tells “first-hand” stories about important episodes in the character’s life. After the monologue, the audience and performer engage in a lively discussion. Nevada Humanities Chautauqua was created by Nevada Humanities in Reno in 1992 and is one of the longest running Chautauqua festivals in the country. Tickets are available for sale at nevadahumanities.org/programs/chautauqua/and at the gate on the evening of the performance.

Sunday, June 26: An Evening of Young Chautauqua: Failure & Success. Featuring performances by local youth. Music by the Reno Youth Jazz Orchestra. FREE

Monday, June 27: Anne and the King. Alyssa Foster as Anne Boleyn and Frank X. Mullen Jr. as Henry VIII. Music: Sierra Nevada Balalaika Ensemble. $15 general/$30 reserved.

Tuesday, June 28: America’s Artist and the Little Black Dress. Doug Mishler as Thomas Hart Benton and Annette Baldwin as Coco Chanel. Music: Reno Taiko Tsurunokai. $15 general/$30 reserved.

Wednesday, June 29: A More Perfect Union. Fred Blanco as César Chávez and Marvin Jefferson as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Music: Mariachi Plata. $15 general/$30 reserved.

Thursday, June 30: The Indispensable Man. Clay Jenkinson as Thomas Jefferson. Music: Shiloh. $15 general/$30 reserved.

Cost of Tickets: General admission is $15 per night/$45 per weeklong pass of four shows. General admission allows first come/first served access to unreserved seats and lawn. Reserved seating is $30 per night/$90 per 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. Admission for the Sunday, June 26, evening program is free.

Nevada Humanities Chautauqua "Events Around Town"
All "Events Around Town" are FREE and open to the public.

Coffee with the Chautauquans. Monday, June 27-Friday, July 1, from 7:30-9 a.m., Sundance Books and Music, 121 California Ave., Reno. Gather each morning during Chautauqua week at the new Sundance Book and Music to meet Chautauqua performers, ask questions, and enjoy coffee and treats. FREE

Young Chautauqua Under the Tent. Monday, June 27-Thursday, June 30, 9:30 a.m.-12 noon, Flying B Pavilion at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, Reno. Young scholars perform on stage; hands-on crafts activities for young people. Great for kids. FREE

Henry VIII Meets eHarmony.com with Frank X. Mullen Jr. Sunday, June 26, 1 p.m., Downtown Reno Library, 301 South Center St., Reno. FREE

The Poor People’s Campaign: Martin Luther King’s Last Great Dream with Marvin Jefferson. Sunday, June 26, 2 p.m., Bethel African American Cultural Center, 220 Bell St., Reno. FREE

Henry VIII and Hollywood: Tudors in Film and Pop Culture with Frank X. Mullen Jr. Tuesday, June 28, 1 p.m., South Valleys Library, 15650A Wedge Parkway, Reno. FREE

My Thirty Years with Thomas Jefferson with Clay Jenkinson. Wednesday, June 29, 1 p.m., Sparks Library, 1125 12th St., Sparks. FREE

Great Designers Never Die with Annette Baldwin. Wednesday, June 29, 2 p.m., Incline Village Library, 845 Alder Ave., Incline Village. FREE

American Art and Genius: Thomas Hart Benton and Jackson Pollock with Doug Mishler. Thursday, June 30, 1 p.m., Sparks Library, 1125 12th St., Sparks. FREE

[text from Nevada Humanities website. image of postage stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first Chautauqua from Wikipedia: Chautauqua]