900 Hungerford Drive, Suite 200, Rockville, MD 20850
 

Date: June 18, 2002 (02-32)
Contact: Dave Willingham, 240-567-7970; Pager: 301-930-0972
               Steve Simon, 240-567-7952

 Social Reformers of the 20^th Century Live Again in
Montgomery College’s Fourth Chautauqua, July 9-12
Germantown Campus to Showcase Portrayals of Teddy Roosevelt, 
Emma Goldman, Among others

Audiences will experience the life and times of social reformers who changed America, during the fourth annual Montgomery College Chautauqua, July 9-12. This old-time education/entertainment mode will come alive again in a series of four evening programs on Montgomery College’s Germantown Campus. 

In performances geared for audiences of all ages, humanities scholar-performers will portray civil rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett and social critic Emma Goldman, as well as Theodore Roosevelt, the “trust-busting” 26^th president of the United States, and the “Sage of Baltimore,” H.L. Mencken. 

The Chautauqua theme this year is “America on a Soapbox,” bringing audiences insight into the social and political ferment of the country around such issues as monopolies, women’s right to vote, and racial and economic justice.  Each “guest lecturer” will be preceded by a musical performance.

            The College’s Chautauquas revive a turn-of-the-century adult education movement that brought entertainers and lecturers to small communities around the country to enlighten and entertain. The movement took its name from the town of Chautauqua in upstate New York, where summer camp religious education was first transformed into eight-week adult courses in the humanities and sciences.

            The 2002 Montgomery College Chautauqua is sponsored in association with the Maryland Humanities Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Maryland Division of Historical and Cultural Programs, Columbia Gas of Maryland, Lockheed Martin, Choice Hotels International, and Aegon.  

The Chautauqua’s schedule of events is as follows:

• Tuesday, July 9--Ida B. Wells-Barnett, portrayed by Brucella Jordan
  7 p.m.--Ragtime piano performed by Elyssa Dobbs
  7:30 p.m.--An evening with Ida B. Wells-Barnett

• Wednesday, July 10--Emma Goldman, portrayed by Sally Ann Drucker
  7 p.m.--Topical music and songs by Mary Sue Twohy
  7:30 p.m.--An evening with Emma Goldman
  (At 2 p.m. on July 11^th, Ms. Drucker as Emma Goldman will visit and lecture at the Asbury Methodist Village, Community Center Building, 210 Russell Ave, Gaithersburg)

• Thursday, July 11--Theodore Roosevelt, portrayed Doug Mishler
  7  p.m.--Topical music and songs, performed by Mary Sue Twohy
  7:30  p.m.--An evening with Theodore Roosevelt

• Friday, July 12--H. L. Mencken, portrayed by Chuck Chalberg
  7 p.m.--Barbershop harmonies performed by Mercury
  7:30 p.m.--An evening with H.L. Mencken

All evening performances will be held under a tent on the Germantown campus of Montgomery College, 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown, just east of I-270 off Route 118.  The site is accessible for persons with disabilities.

To request sign language interpretation, call the Maryland Humanities Council at 410-771-0652.  For more information on the Montgomery College Chautuaqua, call 240-567-7746.

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