History comes alive this summer as Ohio Chautauqua returns to Geauga County June 6 – 10, with big-tent performances each evening in Burton’s Century Village. Live music starts at 6:30 p.m. Actor performances at 7:30 p.m. These shows are free and are open to all ages.
Building on the 19th-century tradition established on the shores of New York’s Chautauqua Lake, Ohio Chautauqua is a five-day event that combines living history performances, music, education, and audience participation into a one-of-a-kind cultural event the entire community will enjoy. This season’s theme is “The Natural World” with historical characters who spent their lives immersed in nature, using it as a source of creativity, discovery and spiritualism, including:
• Dian Fossey, zoologist and author of Gorillas in the Mist
• Theodore Roosevelt, reformist president and outdoorsman
• Mary Shelley, gothic novelist
• Chief Cornstalk, Native American leader of the Shawnee nation
• French physicist and chemist, Marie Curie
In addition to being a sponsor, GCPL is excited to host the daytime workshop presented by Theodore Roosevelt Wed., June 7, 10 a.m. at the Middlefield Branch. “We are thrilled to be a part of Ohio Chautauqua once again, and believe it is an entertaining and informative opportunity for members of Geauga County and the northeast Ohio community to immerse themselves in history and culture,” says GCPL director Ed Worso. “As a library system, we encourage this kind of immersion in our buildings every day, so, naturally, we leap at any opportunities like Ohio Chautauqua. These characters transform their stories from the past to the present, and, then future, as children’s participation is encouraged to help to instill a life-long love of history and learning.” Geauga County last hosted Ohio Chautauqua in 2012.
