Chautauqua 2013 at Montgomery College Celebrates “Turning Points in History,” July 10–12
Rachel Carson, Amelia Earhart and Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson will come alive this summer at Montgomery College’s 14th annual Chautauqua celebration at the Germantown Campus from July 10–12. Actors/scholars will portray the historical figures, bringing to life this year’s theme of “Turning Points in History,” at the three-night, family-friendly event. The performances are sponsored by the Maryland Humanities Council.
Performances begin at 7 p.m. at the newly-renovated Globe Hall, located in the High Technology and Science Center, 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown, Md. All performances are free and open to the public.
Each Chautauqua program begins with a short performance by a local musician. Next, an actor/scholar takes the stage to portray a historical figure. The actors/scholars modify their clothing, hair and speech to give audiences the illusion that they are listening to the actual historical figure during their time.
The 2013 program schedule, with biographies on the historical figures, is as follows:
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 7 p.m. - Opening musical performance by Andrew McKnight An Evening with Rachel Carson, performed by Kate Campbell Stevenson Rachel Carson (1907–1964) has been called the “mother of the environmental movement.” A writer, scientist and ecologist, Carson received a master’s degree in marine biology at Johns Hopkins University, taught zoology at the University of Maryland and contributed articles to the Baltimore Sun. She worked at the US Fish and Wildlife Service and in 1951, published the bestseller, “The Sea Around Us.” Her controversial book, “Silent Spring,” alerted the public to the dangers of pesticides. Carson died of cancer in Silver Spring and is buried in Rockville.
Thursday, July 11, 2013 7 p.m. - Opening musical performance by Ellen Cherry An Evening with Amelia Earhart, performed by Mary Ann JungAmelia Earhart (1897–1937) was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person to solo the Pacific, but she was much more than a courageous aviatrix. She was also a nurse’s aide, social worker, truck driver, writer, editor, and the first “celebrity” to create a line of clothing that included practical outfits for active and working women. Along with her friend, Eleanor Roosevelt, she championed women’s rights and was an inspiration for women to pursue nontraditional roles.
Friday, July 12, 2013 7 p.m. - Opening musical performance by Loralyn Coles An Evening with Jackie Robinson, performed by Gregory Gibson Kenney Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson (1919–1972) ended 60 years of baseball segregation with his 1947 Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year and in 1949 received the league’s Most Valuable Player award. After his baseball career, Robinson worked in business and helped to establish the Freedom National Bank in Harlem. He was an activist for social change and served on the board of the NAACP. In 1962, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
For more information on the Montgomery College Chautauqua, call 240-567-7746 or visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/chautauqua.
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Montgomery College is a public, open admissions community college with campuses in Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring, plus workforce development/continuing education centers and off-site programs throughout Montgomery County, Md. The College serves nearly 60,000 students a year, through both credit and noncredit programs, in more than 130 areas of study.
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