Thursday, May 26, 2011
Oklahoma Chautauqua brings “Hollywood’s Golden Age” to OSU-Tulsa
TULSA (May 26, 2011) – The Oklahoma Chautauqua is your chance to time travel to another era and meet some of history’s most illustrious characters. This year’s event will explore the ups and downs of Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s with “It’s All Make Believe: Hollywood’s Golden Age” June7-11 at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.
Performances will take place Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. under the tent. Appearing in costume, scholars recount stories in the character's own words and in the language of their time. A question-and-answer session with the scholar both in and out of character will follow each performance.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Oklahoma Chautauqua, a program presented by the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa.
Scholars performing in this year’s living history program will portray D.W. Griffith, a pioneer of American film; Lovella Parsons, a well-known Hollywood gossip columnist; Paul Robeson, an internationally renowned state and film actor; W.C. Fields, a comedian, actor and juggler; and Walt Disney, an innovator in filmmaking, animation and amusement park design and one of the best-known producers in the world.
Daily workshops will take place Tuesday through Saturday at noon and 5:30 p.m. in OSU-Tulsa’s Conference Center, North Hall 150. Local musicians will provide entertainment each night at 6:30 p.m. prior to the evening performances.
All workshops and performances are free and open to the public and guests are encouraged to bring a picnic or purchase refreshments on site.
The first chautauqua was held in the 1870s at New York’s Lake Chautauqua, originally a camp for Sunday school teachers. In the early 20th century, chautauqua was a tent show traveling along a circuit in the Midwestern United States that presented a stage for contemporary culture, political oratory and discussion of modern social issues. The modern chautauqua movement began during the American bicentennial, as a tent revival for humanities and as an entertaining means to provoke discussion of American history.
Funding for the Tulsa Chautauqua is provided in part by a grant from the Oklahoma Humanities Council. Major support for this program is provided by the following: OSU-Tulsa, the Mervin Bovaird Foundation, the Judith and Jean Pape Adams Charitable Foundation, Williams and the Downtown DoubleTree Hotel.
OSU-Tulsa is located in downtown Tulsa at 700 North Greenwood Ave., near I-244 and Detroit Avenue. For a detailed schedule of events or more information, visit www.okchautauqua.org.
