Orators bring feeling of unity

As important as the Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo music and arts festivals have become to the entertainment scene, they have nothing on the Chautauqua circuit of the early 20th century.

Chautauqua (pronounced sha-TAW-kwa) was a tremendously popular adult education movement in the United States that featured speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers and other specialists of the day. Former President Theodore Roosevelt once said that Chautauqua is “the most American thing in America.”

That piece of Americana returns to eastern Nebraska next week.

The Kansas-Nebraska Chautauqua comes to Plattsmouth for a five-day run at Rhylander Park, starting Wednesday. The park is southeast of downtown at 615 Lincoln Ave.

Most Chautauqua circuits ended in the 1940s, but people in Nebraska and Kansas began enjoying a smaller version of the great event in 1984.

The Humanities Councils of both states sponsor a Chautauqua in four towns each year. The other Nebraska host town this year is Broken Bow; performances today and Sunday at the Custer County fairgrounds wrap up that five-day stop.

It’s only appropriate that Chautauqua continues to flourish in Nebraska because one of the state’s greatest orators, William Jennings Bryan, spent many years on the circuit honing his considerable skills.

The popularity of the Chautauqua movement often is attributed to the geographic isolation of the farming and ranching communities of the Midwest. Families gained a sense of community as they spent several days soaking up speeches, plays and new forms of music.

This year’s event revives five of the brightest stars of the 1930s, brought to life by accomplished impersonators. The theme is “Bright Dreams, Hard Times: America in the Thirties.”

Each night, one of the five — humorist Will Rogers, President Franklin Roosevelt, Louisiana Gov. Huey Long, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and African-American writer and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston — will be the featured speaker.

The all-star cast will speak on topics from the 1930s and answer questions from the audience as they think their character would. Workshops for adults and children are held during the day. Both the performances and workshops are free.

The Will Rogers character, performed by Doug Watson, will appear Thursday night and serve as moderator for each evening’s performance.

Watson, an English professor who is retired from Oklahoma Baptist University, said audiences often are astounded by the similarities between the America of the 1930s and 2009.

“You can look to the economy for starters,” Watson said. “When I give one of my favorite Will Rogers quotes, people are surprised how much it applies to what’s going on now.”

The Rogers quote: “I see where Congress passed a $2 billion bill to relieve bankers’ mistakes and loan to new industries.

“You can always count on us helping those who have lost part of their fortune, but our whole history records nary a case where the loan was for the man who had absolutely nothing.”

Watson also has appeared as authors Nathaniel Hawthorne and Stephen Crane. But after 700 performances as Rogers, he said he is happiest in that role.

“He was a real genius who could always make people laugh,” Watson said. “He managed to have an impact on more people and help them get through the hard times.”

The question-and-answer period near the end of each performance is Watson’s favorite part of the show.

“What I hope for is a conversation with the audience, answering as Will would do,” Watson said. “You don’t know what questions are coming, which is always fun, and if things go right the conversations are very entertaining.”

Watson said he sees a continuing place for Chautauqua in the summer entertainment scene, though audiences have declined since he began performing 16 years ago.

“It’s really hard to attract young people because of the competition from modern media,” he said. “But I don’t think that we have any less need for the feeling of community that you get with Chautauqua.”

Contact the writer:

444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com