FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steve Davis, 1-800-382-5023
Nevada Humanities
University of Nevada, Reno
P.O. Box 8029
Reno, NV 89507 USA
Email: srdavis@unr.edu
Website: http://www.nevadahumanities.org
CHANGES IN THE WORKS FOR 2008 NEVADA HUMANITIES CHAUTAUQUA — NOW HELD IN JUNE!
New dates, new location, new name — but the same great Chautauqua — announced for northern Nevada’s popular summer event
Reno, Nev., Feb. 5, 2008 — Since 1992, Nevada Humanities has offered Great Basin Chautauqua, a well-loved summer cultural event featuring interactive performances by community scholars who research, rehearse and present historic figures in full character, who then address their contemporary audiences.
For 2008, several major changes are slated to enhance the already popular summer program:
- New dates (It’s in June now!): June 22-26, 2008, Sunday through Thursday, with musical introductions, 6-6:45 p.m. and Chautauqua performances, 7-9 p.m. each evening
- New location: Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch Regional Park in Reno
- New name: Nevada Humanities Chautauqua (formerly Great Basin Chautauqua)
“2009 will mark the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth,” Jenkinson said. “We believe this is a good opportunity to reevaluate the Lincoln legacy. Lincoln, arguably our greatest president, is universally loved and admired, but little understood. He was indeed a great man, but as our first martyred president, the Great Emancipator, and the Savior of the Republic, his status as national icon has usually overwhelmed his humanity and inner conflicts.”
The sixteenth president will come alive through his own words and the stories of those who knew him best. Historical characters will include Mary Todd Lincoln, Lincoln’s private secretary and friend John Hay, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and General Ulysses S. Grant.
Performance schedule and tickets
The Nevada Humanities Chautauqua performance schedule, presenters and ticket prices will be announced on the Nevada Humanities website. Tickets will be available in advance online or at the gate starting at 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday of Chautauqua week.
Young Chautauqua performances
The Young Chautauqua theme for 2008 is Battle Born: Civil War, Statehood, Westward Expansion, 1840-1900, with performances on Sunday evening, June 22, 2008, and each morning, Monday through Thursday, June 23-26. All Young Chautauqua performances are free and open to the public.
“Young Chautauquans ages 8-18 spend months researching and preparing their characters,” said Jenkinson. “This is a wonderful opportunity for audiences to see the accomplishments of young scholars in our community.”
Refreshments
Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Picnics and drinks, including wine and other alcoholic beverages, are permitted in the Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheatre, however no glass is allowed in the amphitheatre; all liquids must be transferred into unbreakable containers.
Community events
While Chautauqua’s evening performances generally attract the “buzz,” events take place throughout the community during the entire five-day schedule, including Young Chautauqua performances, Coffee with the Chautauquans and programs in community libraries. All events and schedules will be announced on the Nevada Humanities website as information becomes available.
For more information about Nevada Humanities, call (775) 784-6587 or 1-800-382-5023, or visit http://www.nevadahumanities.org
Nevada Humanities supports projects that broaden perspectives and encourage intellectual curiosity. Nevada Humanities is interested in preserving Nevada’s history and heritage, and is also interested in activities that bring together people from different backgrounds for conversations and discussions about issues that matter to them and to their communities.