2018 HPC Program/Music Descriptions
Blowin’ in the Wind: the ‘60s
Welcome to the 19th annual High Plains Chautauqua, a living history festival that recreates the traveling tent Chautauqua tradition of the early 20th century. This year’s festival celebrates one of the most turbulent decades in U.S. history. Our theme, “Blowin’ in the Wind: The ‘60s,” evokes memories of flower children, tie dye shirts, sit ins, and war protesters as America morphed from the more conventional 1950s into the antiestablishment cultural phenomenon of the 1960s. The program ranges from individuals who challenged the status quo in politics, social justice and literature, to those who gave voice to Americans still leading more orderly and traditional lives.
Addresses
Aims Community College, 5401 W. 20th St.
The Big Tent on Athletic Field, Ed Beaty Theater
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Farr Branch Library, 1939 61st Ave.
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Greeley History Museum, 714 8th Ave.
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Hensel-Phelps Theater at the Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave
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Monfort Children’s Clinic, 100 North 11th Ave.
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9th Street Plaza, between 8th and 9th Ave.
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Poudre Learning Center, 8313 West F St.
For a map of downtown Greeley and parking, go to www.greeleydowntown.com/parking map/
MONDAY, AUGUST 6 KICKOFF RECEPTION
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Next to the Big Tent
Aims Community College
5401 West 20th Street
By invitation only for sponsors, Chautauqua scholars, Young Chautauquans, presenters, and volunteers
Buffet sponsored by Cables Pub & Grill
Music by The Hoagies
The Hoagies perform the great music of The American Century, focusing on swing favorites from Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Louis Jordan, and the great songwriting talent Hoagy Carmichael. The combo has performed up and down the Front Range since 2004, and they are thrilled to make their third appearance at High Plains Chautauqua. Three members of the band will perform for Chautauqua – Scott Johnson leading on guitar, Bill Pontarelli shining on clarinet, and Dave Ball providing the foundation on string bass.
YOUNG CHAUTAUQUA CAMEOS
Under the Big Tent
Aims Community College
5401 West 20th Street
Monday, Aug. 6
7 p.m.
Hayden Hein as Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970)
Hayden Hein was a sophomore at Greeley Central High School this past school year. He is part of the Arts Magnet Program, Thespian Troupe 657, and the Advanced Placement Program. This is his seventh YC character in the seven years he has participated in Young Chautauqua.
Charles De Gaulle was considered the best-known French politician and military leader of the 20th century. He was the face of Free France during the Second World War and led the French Resistance against Nazi Germany. He was the Prime Minister of France in the late ‘50s though the late ‘60s.
Tuesday, Aug. 7
7 p.m.
Nagabire Hagenimana as Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
Ngabire Hagenimana is 15 years old and a student at Greeley Central High School. She was born in Tanzania, Africa and came to the United States in 2007 as a refugee.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a social activist who was assassinated in 1968. He was a minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church following a tradition started by his grandfather and continued by his father. He helped us see that African Americans were treated unfairly in the United States. He fought until his death to make life better, and his impact continues to this day.
Wednesday, Aug. 8
7 p.m.
Dante Parlin as Mr. Rogers (1928-2003)
Dante Parlin has participated in Young Chautauqua for three years. He sings with the Greeley Children’s Chorale and plays the piano and clarinet. Dante likes math and reading in school and was in the fifth grade at Chappelow Fine Arts Academy this past school year.
Fred Rogers, who advocated for children, did not like what television was producing for them. Rogers created a public television show that taught children about their feelings, their worth, and the world around them. He was known as the “Gentle Giant of TV.”
Thursday, Aug. 9
7 p.m.
Martin Lahman as John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
Martin Lahman, who was a sixth grader at Options Enrichment this past school year, develops his characters with Mr. Joe Joyner and Mrs. Tannis Bator at Chappelow Fine Arts Academy. He has previously performed in Young Chautauqua as Johnny Appleseed, President Andrew Johnson, John Wesley Powell, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein. In his free time, Martin enjoys acting and is also interested in literature, history, geography, and sports.
John F. Kennedy was arguably respected as one of the most popular presidents of the United States. A war hero and congressman, he worked to protect African-American citizens’ rights, created the Peace Corps, and captured the imagination of a new generation of Americans to whom as he said, the torch has been passed. He was assassinated in 1963.
YOUTH PROGRAMS
MONDAY, AUGUST 6
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. (Ages 5-10)
Farr Branch Library
1939 61st Ave.
Legendary Children’s Stories from the mid-20th Century
Susan Marie Frontczak
Hear several great American Children’s Literature Classics that came out in the 1960s, such as Dr. Seuss’ Sneetches, Jane Yolen’s Caldecott Award-winning The Emperor and the Kite, and Seslye Joslin’s What Do You Do, Dear? Kids (and adults) are welcome to bring your favorite stuffed animal for this midday hour of bedtime stories.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 7
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Ages 5-10)
Poudre Leaning Center
8313 W F St.
Stinky, Quiet, Coarse and Beautiful: Exploring Nature with Our Senses
Leslie Goddard
Rachel Carson loved being outdoors and discovered that her own senses were the best tools for learning about nature. So let’s learn the skills any naturalist needs to explore and observe nature. First, we’ll read a story about Rachel Carson. Then, we'll head outside to use our noses and hands to discover what we can learn through smell and touch. We’ll take a listening walk to discover what we can hear. Finally, we'll look up close at some creepy-crawly critters (bugs inside plastic) and learn some amazing facts about insects. You’ll head home with lots of great ideas for exploring the world of nature all around you.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. (Ages 8-10)
Monfort Children’s Clinic Community Room
100 North 11th Ave.
To Make Gentle the Life of this World: Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy
Jeremy Meier
Martin Luther King spoke of acceptance and equality. He spoke of peace. Robert Kennedy ran for president on those ideals. In this workshop, we’ll talk about these concepts—acceptance, equality and peace—and evaluate how they can be used in life. Participants will learn about the lives of MLK and RFK and how their goals for society impact us today.
MONDAY, AUGUST 6 - EVENING PROGRAMS
7:00 - 9:15 p.m. Under the Big Tent
Aims Community College
5401 W. 20th Street
7:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Young Chautauqua cameo
Hayden Hein as CHARLES DE GAULLE (1890-1970)
7:15 p.m.
WALTER CRONKITE (1916-2009)
by Larry Bounds
Sponsored by Roche Constructors, Inc.
8:20 p.m.
MAYA ANGELOU (1928-2014)
by Becky Stone
Sponsored by High Plains Library District
TUESDAY, AUGUST 7 - ADULT PROGRAMS
Ed Beaty Theater, Aims Community College
5401 W. 20th St.
8:00 - 9:15 a.m.
Coffee & Conversation with Chautauquans Larry Bounds, Becky Stone, and Young Chautauquan Hayden Hein
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Hooked on Humor Workshop
Susan Marie Frontczak
Have you ever wanted to try writing humor? Or deliver it live? How does one go about injecting humor into a written or spoken story? E. B. White wrote, “Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies.” Oh dear, that sounds dangerous. If you dare, bring along a pen, paper, and a whimsical attitude to join Susan Marie in examining examples, eliciting pointers, and braving exercises that bring humor to oral or written stories. No amphibians were harmed in the creation of this workshop. Warning: smiles, chuckles, or laughter may ensue.
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Black Culture through Maya’s Eyes
Becky Stone
Dr. Angelou hosted a television series that she was commission to write for KQED Public Television in Northern California in 1968. It was a 10-episode series entitled: Blacks, Blues, Black! KQED chose Angelou for the show because she was becoming an important voice in the civil rights movement and she, an Africa-American, had actually lived in Africa – Egypt, Nigeria, and Ghana. They valued what they considered to be her unique perspective. Becky will present the distinctly African characteristics of African-American culture as described in the show. We will explore music, dance, social customs, and children’s games through presentation, discussion, and participation.
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
How Did Sixties Movies Get So Cool?
David Caldwell
The 1960s took moviegoers From Spartacus to Space Odyssey; from Mary Poppins to Rosemary’s Baby and from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to dinner at Alice’s Restaurant. Almost every genre of film experienced a revolution, and these changes still mark our language and visual culture. With characters as delightfully naughty as Bonnie and Clyde, Butch and Sundance, Cool Hand Luke and Mrs. Robinson, Sixties movies continue to seduce us. Join film expert David Caldwell for clips and conversation that explore the origins, manifestations and repercussions of Sixties Cool.
Dr. David Caldwell teaches at the University of Northern Colorado, where he is the co-founder of the interdisciplinary Film Studies program, as well as an instructor of German language, culture, literature and film.. His jaunts to film festivals take him to Berlin, Germany and to Telluride, Colorado, but each November he stays close to home as one of the organizers of Greeley’s own Go West Film Fest, a local celebration of Western movies.
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Cronkite and the Ethics of Journalism
Larry Bounds
Every reporter must make ethical decisions about what is news and how that news is to be covered. This illustrated presentation delves into a variety of ethical concerns faced by Walter Cronkite in the Sixties. Issues include the Fairness Doctrine for broadcasters, attempts by candidates to break agreed upon rules in order to seize political advantage, threats and political pressure applied by multiple presidencies to alter public information, and choices about the images that will and will not be permitted to be aired in America’s living rooms.
While the scope of the Sixties does not include cable news reporting and the fake news accusations so prevalent today, Bounds will be prepared to address these possible ethical topics from audience questioning as well, since Cronkite did address these issues publicly and privately just prior to his death.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 7 - EVENING PROGRAMS
5:45-9:15 p.m.
Under the Big Tent
Aims Community College
5401 W. 20th Street
5:45 - 6:40 p.m.
George Gray & the Elvis Experience Band
George Gray and the Elvis Experience Band have been performing Elvis tribute concerts since the early 2000s, showcasing the amazing hits that made Elvis a legend.
7:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Young Chautauqua cameo
Nagabire Hagenimana as MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (1929-1968)
7:15 p.m.
GEORGE WALLACE (1919-1998)
by Doug A. Mishler
8:20 p.m.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY (1925- 1968)
by Jeremy Meier
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8 - ADULT PROGRAMS
Ed Beaty Theater, Aims Community College
5401 W. 20th St.
8:00 - 9:15 a.m.
Coffee & Conversation with Chautauquans Doug A. Mishler, Jeremy Meier, and Young Chautauquan Nagabire Hagenimana
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Silent Spring: The Power of a Book
Leslie Goddard
Silent Spring is considered one of the most influential books in American history. It has never been out of print and has sold more than two million copies. This illustrated lecture will trace the reception and impact of Silent Spring, exploring the question of what made this book so remarkably effective. See some of the cartoons created in the wake of the book, learn how the U.S. government responded to its explosive claims, and follow the early successes of the new environmental movement, from the Clean Air and Water Acts to the establishment of Earth Day. Learn how Silent Spring not only ignited the modern environmental movement but why its legacy endures to this day.
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Kennedy Men: Father and Sons
Jeremy Meier
Joseph Kennedy would have a son for the presidency. Or was it a president for a son? In this workshop, we’ll discuss the Kennedy legacy as Joe Sr. envisioned it. We’ll discuss what had made eldest son Joe Jr. an idealized fit for the Kennedy legacy, how JFK’s misgivings about politics made it difficult for him to embrace his father’s expectations, and why by 1968 Bobby had become the best fit for his father’s lofty ambitions. Joseph Kennedy Sr. outlived these three sons; what is the impact of Legacy?
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Cronkite and Vietnam
Larry Bounds
Walter Cronkite experienced the Vietnam War first-hand and brought that experience into America’s homes through the CBS Evening News. In a rare break with his policy of objective journalism, he would decide to voice his editorial opinion of the war as an inevitable stalemate during the Tet Offensive of 1968.
This illustrated presentation includes video clips of Cronkite reporting from the war zone as well as an overview of his earlier and extensive experiences as a war correspondent. Bounds will explain the arc of the development of his position on the war which, like much of America itself, changed from support to trepidation.
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
The Chaotic 1960s and George Wallace
Doug A. Mishler
The 1960s were one of the most chaotic times in American history. Basic American values appeared to be questioned or attacked by a variety of cultural forces from women to blacks and homosexuals, from Native Americans to students and even the elderly. To this chorus of challenges came even harsher voices in the Weathermen and Black Panthers. And on top of it all was the crisis of the war in Vietnam. American society was challenged in a way it had never been before and in response came a voice from Alabama, George Wallace.
In this workshop we will explore the many crises of the 1960s and how George Wallace responded to them from threatening to run over “hippies” with his car to building schools for blacks. Wallace was a complex man in a very complex time and exploring his story tells us a lot about American values in that time of crisis.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8
YOUNG CHAUTAUQUA PRESENTATIONS
Under the Big Tent
Aims Community College
5401 W. 20th St.
9:00 a.m. - noon, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
ALL AGES
High Plains Chautauqua is proud to present our Young Chautauqua scholars. These students have spent months reading, researching, and presenting their characters to different audiences. Young Chautauqua is a Colorado Humanities program that has been developed and supported by Greeley-Evans School District 6. Since the program began 18 years ago, approximately 13, 846 local students have participated, either as audience members or by researching and presenting a character.
This school year, 399 students participated in 22 school programs. Teachers at each participating school worked with Young Chautauqua scholars. In addition, a Colorado Humanities-trained coach, “Dr. Research” (Professor Emeritus of history) and local coaches worked with students and teachers to teach the Young Chautauqua model of learning history and to refine presentation skills of those who chose to present a character. Today’s portrayals are a sampling of the talented students who researched and developed a wide and interesting array of historic characters.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8 - EVENING PROGRAMS
5:45 - 9:15 p.m.
Under the Big Tent
Aims Community College
5401 W. 20th St.
5:45 - 6:40 p.m.
Pete Seeger: A Musical Portrait
Dan Blegen
Pete Seeger was one of the 20th century’s most influential voices. He inspired audiences for six decades with traditional ballads and songs of social justice. And he got people singing! Colorado author and performer Dan Blegen presents Seeger’s life and music in Pete Seeger: A Musical Portrait. Blegen tells Seeger’s life story and sings dozen of his best-loved songs, including Turn, Turn, Turn; If I Had a Hammer; Where Have All the Flowers Gone?; and We Shall Overcome.
7:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Young Chautauqua Cameo
Dante Parlin as MR. ROGERS (1928-2003)
7:15 p.m.
PAULI MURRAY (1910–1985)
by Becky Stone
8:20 p.m.
RACHEL CARSON (1907-1964)
by Leslie Goddard
Sponsored by the Richard and Mary Family Foundation
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 ADULT PROGRAMS
Ed Beaty Theater, Aims Community College
5401 W. 20th St.
8:00 - 9:15 a.m.
Coffee & Conversation with Chautauquans Becky Stone, Leslie Goddard, and Young Chautauquan Dante Parlin
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
The Early Cold War: Myths, Realities, & Foolishness at Armageddon
Doug A. Mishler
We will examine the flamboyant rhetoric, misunderstandings, and lies that were produced during the early Cold War, as well as the hysteria that they produced within the American people. We will uncover some truths both profound and even a bit wacky about what Khrushchev called the “deadly embrace.” Find out why both sides thought the other was the evil one, and maybe both were correct?
10:45 - 11:45 am
Tales of Empowerment for Women
Becky Stone
Folk tales help us learn the values of our society. There is a wealth of stories from many cultures that teach about the wisdom, power, and the heart of women. Becky will bring some stories and songs about our strength, cleverness, and courage that come from England, Wales, Africa, Appalachia and the Jewish culture. The women of these stories may not meet modern Feminist standards, but they provide a legacy on which modern women stand.
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Unexpected Prisoner
Robert Wideman
When Lieutenant Robert Wideman’s plane crashed on a bombing run in the Vietnam War, he feared falling into enemy hands. Although he endured the kind of pain that makes people question humanity, physical torture was not his biggest problem. During six years as a prisoner of war, he saw the truth behind Jean-Paul Sartre’s words: “Hell is other people.” Wideman will discuss a POW’s struggle with the enemy and with the Vietnamese interrogators.
Robert Wideman flew 134 missions for the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and spent six years as a prisoner of war. He earned a master’s degree in finance from the Naval Postgraduate School. After retiring from the Navy, he graduated from the University of Florida College of Law. He practiced law in Florida and Mississippi and became a flight instructor. Wideman now lives in Fort Collins near his two sons and six grandchildren.
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Vaclav Havel
Portrayed by Brian Kral
Vaclav Havel was a leading dissident writer in Czechoslovakia’s attempt to liberalize Communism in the ‘60s, which became known as the Prague Spring. His works were banned during Russia’s Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Havel’s opposition to the Communist aggression and censorship in his country made him a constant target for Secret Police surveillance and persecution, and led to several stints in prison, the longest of which was four years. Havel’s Civic Forum party had a major role in the 1989 Velvet Revolution that toppled Communism in Czechoslovakia. Havel was elected as Czechoslovakia’s last president (1989-92) and served as the Czech Republic’s first president (1993-2003). He considered his greatest achievement to be the dismantling of the Warsaw Pact and the expansion of NATO to include Eastern European countries.
Of Czech heritage himself, director, playwright and theatre educator Brian Kral feels a strong personal connection to Havel and his fellow dissidents. Kral is familiar to Chautauqua audiences in Nevada, where he has portrayed Captain Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, American playwright Eugene O’Neill, Yugoslavian dictator Marshal Tito, Buffalo Bill Cody, Howard Hughes, film director Sam Peckinpah, and Colorado Springs-native Frank Waters, a leading voice for Native American culture. Kral now lives in Monument, Colorado.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 - EVENING PROGRAMS
6:00 - 9:15 p.m.
Under the Big Tent
Aims Community College
5401 W. 20th St.
6:00 - 6:45 p.m.
The Music of the ‘60s: A Sing-along
Becky Stone
Becky will give a bit of background for each song in the evening’s set before we sing it accompanied by Becky on her guitar. We’ll sing folk songs, spirituals, freedom songs, folk-rock songs, and some Top 40 Songs – everything from Blowin’ in the Wind to Motown. This will be a stroll down memory lane for some of us and an exploration of cultural history for others. Best of all, we get to sing!
7:00 - 7:15 p.m.
Young Chautauqua Cameo
Martin Lahman as JOHN F. KENNEDY (1917-1963)
7:15 p.m.
NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV (1894-1971) )
by Doug A. Mishler
8:20 p.m.
ERMA BOMBECK (1927-1996)
by Susan Marie Frontczak
Sponsored by the Richard and Mary Family Foundation