Welcome to the eleventh annual High Plains Chautauqua, a living history festival that recreates the traveling tent Chautauqua tradition of the early 20th century. This year’s unique blend of theatre, history and the humanities will feature portrayals of fascinating Americans who delight us, infuriate us, scare us, dare us to think big, inspire us to stand up for what we believe, challenge us to rethink our preconceptions, and make us laugh. Can we rise to their challenge? Can we learn from these extraordinary Americans? Can we chime in with them, giving voice to a new American chorus of limitless possibility?

Events are FREE of charge.
For more information call the Greeley Convention & Visitors Bureau (970) 352-3567

Monday, July 12, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Greeley Museums Walking Tour: Josephine B. Jones House and Park
Led by Betsy Kellums
Meet at Josephine B. Jones House, 2631  52nd Ave. Ct.
Focused on the life and accomplishments of Josephine Jones, this walking tour will begin at her house in Greeley and continue along the city park that bears her name. Featuring speakers Peggy Ford Waldo and Shiloh Hatcher, this tour will concentrate on the life of Josephine B. Jones, the architecture of her house, the advantages of xeriscaping in Greeley’s dry conditions, and the many contributions of Jones to the city of Greeley as teacher, volunteer, and traveler.

Friday, July 30, 6:30 pm
Film screening: Twelve Angry Men
Post-screening discussion facilitated by Ron Edgerton and Gail Rowe
Farr Branch Library, 1939  61st Ave.
In today's pluralistic society with its differing languages, interests, practices, and standards, rational and civil discourse is increasingly essential. Twelve Angry Men explores the stresses and strains as twelve jurors try to push past their differences and personal idiosyncrasies to reach accord on a verdict. In the process they begin to sense their common humanity and their shared desire for justice. 

Monday, August 2, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Greeley Museums Walking Tour: Alles Acres and Rammed Earth Houses
Led by Betsy Kellums
Meet at Bethel Baptist Church parking lot, 2307  17th Ave.
This walking tour of Alles Acres will detail the creation, growth, and architectural styles of one of Greeley’s foremost postwar residential developments. Focusing on the unique rammed earth houses in the area, this walking tour will discuss how rammed earth houses are constructed through the proper composition and compression of soil into solid walls. Several examples will be shown. Lydia Ruyle, an instructor at UNC and globally prominent artist, will speak on her father’s role in bringing rammed earth housing to Greeley. The tour will also show some of the other exceptional characteristics of the area.

8:00 am –  4:30 pm
Prairie to Peaks Historical Bus Tour
Peggy Ford Waldo
Limited to 46 passengers
Reservations required, call 970-350-9217
$25 fee covers transportation.
Participants should bring a sack lunch to enjoy in Estes Park.
This tour, led by historians Brian Werner of the Northern Colorado Water Conservation District and Peggy Ford Waldo of the Greeley Museums explores this region’s heritage from Greeley to Estes Park. Unique individuals “broke the mold” and transformed “the Great American Desert” via complex irrigation systems to create an oasis in Northern Colorado for agriculture, communities, industry, and recreation.  Participants will visit Fagerberg Farms and learn about a permanent 780-acre sub-irrigated drip system for crop production. The tour will introduce participants to irrigation pioneers and the Colorado-Big Thompson trans-mountain water diversion system enroute to Estes Park. Individuals associated with the development of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park will also be featured in this tour: Earl of Dunraven, Joel Estes, Isabella Bird, B.D. Sanborn, Enos Mills, and F.O. Stanley. There will be several guest presenters at stops along the way.   
Bus tour participants will also be invited to attend the High Plains Chautauqua kickoff reception (an invitation-only event) at the Big Tent at Aims Community College, 5401 West 20th Street, Greeley.

EVENING PROGRAMS
7:00 – 8:45 pm
Under the Big Tent, Aims Community College, 5401 W. 20th Street, Greeley

7:00 – 8:30 am
Let’s Go Birding with Audubon
Brian “Fox” Ellis as John James Audubon
Join Mr. Audubon on a unique bird watching adventure as he regales listeners with his in-depth observations of the species we happen to see along the trail. Long before Stokes and Sibley, Audubon published seven volumes of field notes, an Ornithological Biography, for all 465 species of birds that he painted. Please bring your binoculars, walking shoes and your innate curiosity about the wild world.

8:45 – 10:00 am
Coffee & Conversation with Chautauquans

ADULT PROGRAMS:
Poudre Learning Center,
8313 West F. Street, Greeley

10:00 - 10:10 am
Welcome, Background and Overview:
Thelma Bear Edgerton
Facilitation and Introduction of Scholars:
Tannis Bator

10:10 - 10:45 am
East Memorial Elementary
• Citlalli Loma as Pocahontas
• Sirlay Loma as Anne Sullivan
• Blanca Ochoa as Elizabeth Cady Stanton
• Alfredo Ochoa as Roberte Clemente
• Erika Luna as Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Lowe
• Jolyna Hernandez as Madam C.J. Walker

10:45 am- 12:00 pm
Chappelow Fine Arts Magnet, Elementary
• Nicholas Sevier as Thomas Edison
• Rikki Smith as Helen Keller
• Madelyn Wampler as Amelia Earhart
• Ilse Montes as Michael Jackson
• Hannah Kiburz as Annie Oakley
• Ethan Potthoff as George Washington
• Aspen Flores as Clara Barton
• Elias VanLoo as Roald Dahl
• Selena Lujan as Martin Luther King
• Adrienne Gathje as Bessie Coleman

12:00 - 12:45 pm
Chappelow Fine Arts Magnet, Middle School
• Brenna C. Cron as Nellie Bly
• Tamara Smalley as Alma Marie Rose
• Matti Newman as Alice Paul
• Zach Stevens as Harry Houdini

12:45 - 1:00 pm
Ann K. Heiman Elementary
• Nashrah Mohdreza as Laura Bridgman
• James Hermance as Jim Henson

1:00 - 1:15 pm
Maplewood Middle School
• Roxanne Jaramillo as Margaret Tobin (Molly) Brown

1:15 - 1:30 pm
Monfort Elementary
• Zoe Norden as Wu Zetian
• Hayden Casdorph as Albert Einstein

1:30 - 1:45 pm
Jackson Elementary
• Sydney Rakowski as Amelia Earhart
• Alexis Bradfield as Inez Milholland

1:45 - 2:00 pm
Cameron Elementary
• Luis Torres as Wilbur Wright
• Ethan Esparza-Escobar as Orville Wright
• Jeremiah Hintz as Louis Braille
• Nick Garcia as Henry Ford

2:00 - 2:10 pm
Shawsheen Elementary
• Ashleigh Darbin as Ben Nighthorse Campbell
• Hannah Thomas as Aunt Clara Brown

2:10 - 2:25 pm
Franklin Middle School
• Dante Quezada as PFC Jack Lucas

2:25 - 2:40 pm
Scott Elementary
• Gabriela Ortiz as Molly Brown
• Ethan Eberhard as Albert Einstein
• Emily Kingsford as Amelia Earhart

2:40 - 2:45 pm
Madison Elementary
• Brittany Rodello as Amelia Earhart

2:45 - 2:55 pm
West High School
• Jessica Rakke as Anne Bonny

2:55 - 3:15 pm
Estes Park Elementary
• Theodore Dumont as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Ashley Bobowski as Annie Oakley

3:15 - 3:25 pm
Bear Creek Elementary, Boulder
• Henry Graf as Chief Ouray

ADULT PROGRAMS:
Ed Beaty Hall Black Box Theatre
Aims Community College,
5401 W. 20th Street, Greeley

1:00 – 2:00 pm
Of All the Nerve – Outrageous Women
Annette Baldwin
... If you love stories of those who dare to shock and offend the status quo by their nonconforming ideas and behavior, then you’ll want to join us as Annette Baldwin reveals her “short list of weird women.” Some of these disobedient ladies might have even changed the course of history to the good. Please feel free to bring and share the name and misdemeanor of your most admired outrageous woman.

2:15 – 3:15 pm
From Broadway to Hollywood and Beyond
Charles Everett Pace
... This workshop examines the stage and screen career of Langston Hughes. Although Hughes was a very effective presenter of his own poetry, he was also inspired by the experience of seeing others perform his words as well. Realizing that his ideas could reach a larger more general audience than would ever read his words, Hughes embarked on a very distinguished career writing for the stage. In comedy, drama, and opera Hughes gave life to the interior world of ordinary (and not so ordinary) African-American urban culture. Pace will show how stage characters such as Jesse B. Semple effectively made the transition from the world of print to that of the stage, and how America enthusiastically responded to the world Hughes revealed.

8:00 – 9:15 am
Coffee & Conversation with Chautauquans
Borders Books & Café
2863 35th Avenue, Greeley

9:30 – 10:30 am
Bird Is the Word: Journaling, Poetry, Non-fiction Writing and Ornithology
Brian “Fox” Ellis 
... A poet’s eye and gift for language is very similar to the detailed observation and ability to communicate complex ideas required of field ecologists. In this participatory workshop you will learn some tips for effective journaling. You will learn to use haiku to focus your eye and ear. You will learn to use poetry to write clearer, more exciting essays and turn your field notes into publishable articles. Come to celebrate the voices of nature and find your voice in the natural world. Bring a notebook and pen and be prepared to be creative.

1:00 – 2:00 pm
Everybody’s Doin’ It Now: An Audio-visual Tour of the Ragtime Dance Culture
Susan Marie Frontczak
... Take a tour of the dance craze that swept across America in the nineteen-teens through photographs, magazine illustrations, sheet music covers, audio recordings, lyrics sung by the presenter, and video dance clips. Accompanied by amusing anecdotes that reveal the spirit of breaking away from the former generation’s restrictions to define a new generational identity – a pattern American generations have repeated since. Additional aspects of breaking the mold will be illustrated: the transition from a rural-based to an urban-centric society, transitions in women’s fashion that favor movement over restriction, and the development of uniquely American music, ever since admired and emulated around the world. 

2:15 – 3:15 pm
John Muir Among the Animals
Lee Stetson as John Muir
... Muir's nearly disastrous "interview" with a Yosemite bear, his face-to-fang encounter with a rattlesnake, and hilarious stories of tending sheep – those "hoofed locusts" destroying the lovely meadows of the Yosemite High Country – are among the many stories in this very popular presentation. Also included is Muir's boyhood remembrance of the passenger pigeons, which dazzled him with their flocks of many millions filling the sky for days at a time. In stark contrast, in Muir's old age he is made aware of the single remaining pigeon named Martha, held captive at the Cincinnati Zoo. The basic themes here revolve around animal rights and the problem of extinction, but are largely served up with Muir's irrepressible humor. And Muir's deep understanding and love for the animal kingdom were never more evident or educational than his telling of his frightening adventure with a dog named Stickeen. This quaint little adventuresome animal, with whom Muir gets lost in a storm on an Alaskan glacier, provides us with one of the greatest dog stories of all time.

YOUTH PROGRAM:
Jesus Rodarte Cultural Center
920 A Street

8:00 – 9:15 am
Coffee & Conversation with Chautauquans
Borders Books & Café
2863 35th Avenue, Greeley

ADULT PROGRAMS:
Greeley Senior Activities Center Dining Room
1010 6th Street, Greeley
* except as noted

YOUTH PROGRAMS (Ages 6 - 12)
Family FunPlex, 1501  65th Avenue

9:30 – 10:30 am
Green Building: LEED and the Future
Josie Plaut
... Come and explore the world of green building! What is it? What are the benefits? How much does it cost? And what’s beyond green? This interactive and visual presentation will cover an overview of the current state of green building and ideas about where the movement is going. 
... Plaut is Director of Projects for the Institute for the Built Environment (IBE) at Colorado State University. IBE is an interdisciplinary institute that engages faculty, students, and industry partners in healthy and sustainable projects, education, and research. Josie works to facilitate and coordinate green building projects across Colorado and Southern Wyoming and is an experienced instructor, lecturer and workshop facilitator.

1:00 – 2:00 pm
* Kress Cinema and Lounge
Hollywood Hits the High Note
David Caldwell
... Film expert David Caldwell offers an enjoyable look-and-listen demonstration of the many ways American movies have broken the mold over the years. As the originator of the outdoor studio and the pioneer of sound technology, Hollywood staked a claim to innovation from the earliest days of the US film industry, and has been breaking the mold ever since. Learn how Hollywood broke the “sound barrier” with a singer in a talkie and continues to hit new high notes. Hollywood acting, lighting, photography, special effects, editing, storytelling, and marketing – even the popcorn tossing audiences of American movie houses – set the standards for cinema. Film clips and audience interaction will show how today’s moviemakers expand upon the Hollywood heritage.
... Dr. David Caldwell helped start the Film Studies program at the University of Northern Colorado and has been a sponsor of the university’s International Film Series. He has taught at the university since 1983 and is currently Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

2:30 – 3:30 pm
Nevelson – the Work
Annette Baldwin
... Louise Nevelson’s independent spirit and powerful sense of self informed the work that would earn her a variety of titles in her lifetime, including “Sculpture’s Queen Bee” and “one of America’s most imaginative and original sculptors on the American scene.” Annette Baldwin will take you into the world of Nevelson’s monumental and vigorous sculpture through a PowerPoint presentation. We’ll investigate the themes, techniques, and emotions behind her massive, monochromatic collages, plus make a quick trip to two of America’s sculpture gardens.

ADULT PROGRAMS:
Ed Beaty Hall Black Box Theatre,
Aims Community College, 5401 W. 20th Street

(No Youth Programs on Saturday)

9:30 – 10:30 am
Father of Rocky Mountain National Park
John Stansfield as Enos Mills
... Enos Mills (1870-1922) lived a remarkable mountain life. From childhood on, his bond with mountains and wilderness, especially the Estes Park area, inspired him to overcome personal hardship to become a successful speaker, writer, naturalist, businessman, and driving force behind the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park.
... Storyteller, outdoorsman, and award-winning author, John Stansfield presents one-man performances reenacting key moments in the lives of remarkable Coloradans. His biography John Denver: Man for the World was named finalist for the 2009 Colorado Authors League Award for Young Adult and Children’s Non-fiction. Stansfield is also author of Writers of the American West: Multicultural Learning Encounters and Enos Mills: Rocky Mountain Naturalist.   

10:45 – 11:45 am
The Spirit of John Muir
Lee Stetson as John Muir
... This presentation is a fun romp through some of the very best of Muir's grand, thrilling adventures in his beloved western wilderness. "The Perilous Night on Mount Shasta" with Muir freezing in the midst of a howling blizzard while simultaneously being boiled and blistered in hot springs, his astonishing ride down a Yosemite Valley canyon wall on a snow avalanche, and climbing the 500-foot wall of the winter ice cone beneath the Yosemite Falls are only a few of the amazing true adventures. They also include Muir's encounters with a mighty Yosemite earthquake, dangerous Alaskan ice crevasses, snow blindness, and much more – all liberally salted with Muir's wilderness philosophy. This show's theme revolves around the health and invigoration one acquires when one fully and joyfully engages wildness.

1:00 – 2:00 pm
The Adult Dr. Seuss
George Frein
... This program will feature the less well known ideas, art, and writing of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss. The materials to be presented are all of a piece with his best-known books for kids. These works too are filled with his “out of the box” way of seeing and representing the world. The program will consist of an illustrated talk followed by a discussion in which participants will review and then evaluate Geisel’s visual and literary voice to catch the techniques he used to break the mold he was given and the mold the public expected.

2:15 – 3:15 pm
“Everybody’s Doin’ It Now”
– Ragtime Dance Lesson
Instruction by Susan Marie Frontczak
... Everybody’s doin’ it, and you can too! Start with music by Irving Berlin, James Reese Europe, and others that is so infectious you’ve got to start moving. Dancing the One Step is no more than walking with a bit of fun thrown in. We'll also give you a taste of the Tango, which gives you a chance to strut your style. All ages welcome, no partner required. Commentary will describe how the new music and dance styles broke the mold from the previous generation’s style and still create an infectious pastime today.

5:30 – 7 pm  Featured Food Vendor: JB’s Famous Fried Chicken

6:00 – 6:50 pm
Vintage Dance Revue: Rollicking Ragtime, Rebellious Twenties and Elegant Thirties
by Watch Your Step!
Watch Your Step! amuses and informs through the presentation of vintage dances, some of which – like the Foxtrot – evolved into the ballroom dances we know today. Harking back to the dance craze that overtook America in the 1910s, our ragtime suite ranges from the silly animal dances to refined waltzes and the exotic maxixes and tangos of South America. A jaunty toddle, the scandalous Black Bottom and the wild Charleston represent the Roaring Twenties. And moving into the Great Depression and Hollywood’s heyday, the smooth Foxtrot and gliding Boston waltz epitomize the era’s elegance, while the Big Apple and the Collegiate Shag swing madly toward the Forties.

7:00 – 9:00 pm

LANGSTON HUGES (1902-1967)
by Charles Everett Pace

EDGAR ALLAN POE (1809-1849)
by Brian Ellis

For evenings at Aims, you may purchase food on site or bring your own picnic to enjoy while listening to the musical prelude.  Food vendors are donating a percentage of their sales to HPC, so you can enjoy a picnic supper and support HPC at the same time.

Addresses

Aims Community College (The Big Tent on Athletic Field, Ed Beaty Hall): 5401 W. 20th St.  
Bethel Baptist Church: 2307  17th Ave.
Borders Books & Cafe: 2863  35th Ave.                       
Farr Branch Library: 1939  61st Ave.
Family FunPlex: 1501 65th Ave.
Greeley Senior Activities Center: 1010  6th St.
Jesus Rodarte Cultural Center: 920 A St.
Josephine B. Jones House: 2631  52nd Ave. Ct
Kress Cinema and Lounge: 817  8th Ave.
Monfort Children’s Clinic: 100 North 11th Ave.
Poudre Learning Center: 8313 West F St.

For a map of downtown Greeley and parking, go to www.greeleydowntown.com