Bringing history to life... Chautauqua was a lakeside village in upstate New York, where the idea of traveling humanities programs originated in the late 1800's. An NMHC Chautauqua program brings history to life at your event with a performance by a scholar/performer posing as a historical figure or an expert speaker on an intriguing topic. A lively discussion follows each show.
Imagine: the Master of Ceremonies introduces the Chautauquan: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to introduce Clyde Tingley!" The Chautauqua scholar, acting in character, relates the period history for about 45 minutes to an hour, using your podium, table, slide projector, or whatever you have jointly arranged. The Chautauquan spins yarns, sings songs, and recounts personal events, all with the voice of firsthand experience. At the end of the talk, the Chautauquan, still in character, take questions from the audience. The fun of the extended performance is the illusion that a famous historical character is really present, willing to answer questions, not only about his or her time period, but about our times, too. When there are no more questions for the character, the performer "breaks character," and the audience has a chance to ask personal questions of the scholar. Now the Chautauqua experience is complete. The performer has transported the audience with a "humanities time machine" to experience, explore, and enjoy our history.
To attend an event near you, browse our event listings. To help you decide on a program, or to get a taste of past programs, browse our online scrapbook. |
