History Comes to Life at Great Basin Young Chautauqua Showcase

RENO — Nevada Humanities celebrates the 26th anniversary season of Great Basin Young Chautauqua with the Great Basin Young Chautauqua Showcase.

Performances by Great Basin Young Chautauquans will be held on Thursday, June 28 and Friday, June 29, 2018, starting at 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Restless Artists’ Theatre located at 295 20th Street in Sparks. Seasoned Chautauqua performer Doug Mishler will serve as the evenings’ master of ceremonies and will share recollections of the Young Chautauqua and Chautauqua experience throughout the program.

The Great Basin Young Chautauqua Showcase will feature a series of performances by Great Basin Young Chautauqua scholars centered around the 2018 program theme “Creativity and Imagination.” Youth performances will feature historical characters that include: Carrie Nation, Randy Savage, Frida Kahlo, Mark Twain, Juliette Gordon Low, Grace Hopper, Hedy Lamarr, Madeleine L’Engle, Bob Ross, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Hugh O’Brian, Susan B. Anthony, Evel Knievel, Layne Staley, Nikola Tesla, Roald Dahl, Robin Williams, Ludwig van Beethoven, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Dat So La Lee.

The full program will take place from 6:00 – 9:00 pm on both days. Doors open at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to all. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase.

2018 marks the 26th year of Great Basin Young Chautauqua and the Young Chautauqua program in Nevada. Created and founded by Nevada Humanities in 1993, Young Chautauqua is a free, nationally recognized, award-winning program in which young people learn how to research and develop original dramatic Chautauqua presentations. Scholars, ages 8-18, select a historical figure and then spend months researching and rehearsing their characters. In 2002, Nevada Humanities received a Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Commission on the Arts and Humanities for creating and developing Young Chautauqua. Young Chautauqua has spread to other Nevada communities and has been adopted by other states for use in classrooms and communities around the nation.

“For the past 26 years, Nevada Humanities has provided quality Young Chautauqua educational opportunities for youth in northern Nevada,” said Nevada Humanities Executive Director Christina Barr. “This year's group of Great Basin Young Chautauqua scholars are carrying forward this grand tradition with exciting performances at the Showcase. We guarantee you will be impressed with their entertaining theatrical performances.”

This program is made possible with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Great Basin Young Chautauqua would not be possible without the help of our community partners who hosted public performances throughout the spring, including the Washoe County Library System, Washoe County Regional Parks, Galena Creek Visitor Center, Sundance Books and Music, Artown, and Swill Coffee & Wine.

Enrollment for the 2019 Great Basin Young Chautauqua program will open in January 2019. This program is free and open to all northern Nevada youth, ages 8 to 18. For more information about Nevada Humanities and Great Basin Young Chautauqua visit nevadahumanities.org or call 800-382-5023.

About Nevada Humanities: Nevada Humanities is one of 56 state and territorial humanities councils affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities. With offices in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada Humanities creates public programs and supports public projects statewide that define the Nevada experience and facilitate the exploration of issues that matter to Nevadans and their communities.

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