Father's Day week in June, Greenville Chautauqua creates an old-fashioned setting where everyone can spend a summer evening listening to lively entertainment and hearing a great historical speaker debate the issues of the day. A big top tent is set up out-doors in a park-like public place to create a free and open forum for families, generations and the whole community to gather together and share their heritage. Bring your picnics. There's always music and other entertainment to start off the festivities. It's lively, interactive, experiential entertainment for the whole family.

IT MAKES YOU THINK!

Chautauqua is a theatrical transformation of time, grounded in careful scholarship and disciplined format, which magically transports you into the past. It is uniquely powerful because it combines the "suspension of disbelief" of Theater with interaction between the audience and the performer. A skilled Chautauqua performer takes you out of the present and into a previous era. Yet no matter how alien, you connect with that time because you engage in discussion with a person living in that time.

ACT I: Chautauqua performer portrays an historic figure in full costume, speaking in the first-person, intriguing you to want to know more.

ACT II: The historical figure answers questions from the audience with the knowledge the character could have had at that historical time.

ACT III: Chautauqua scholar steps out of character to answer questions that even the historical figure could ¬¬or would not have answered truthfully.

THE SCHOLAR/PERFORMER

It takes an extraordinary person to succeed on the Chautauqua stage: part scholar, part actor, and gifted in research and performance skills. Most Chautauqua performers have advanced degrees, extensive performance experience, and have been fascinated by their characters for years. They must have of mastery of all materials by and about the character and be able to cite specific references. At the same time, they must be theatrically convincing in their character roles.

A Chautauqua program is unscripted and spontaneous. Scholars present the essence of characters' writings suggesting that there is more. The character's own words and language style predominate. Most importantly the material must be thought-provoking and stimulate the audience to question, to interact and to thirst for more. It's not Chautauqua performance unless the question period is the most dramatic and exhilarating part .

Sponsors & Partners: The Woodlands at Furman, Metropolitan Arts Council, BMW Manufacturing, The Graham Foundation, The Open Book, Furman University, Greenville Technical College, Greenville County Library System, Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville News, Greenville Parks & Recreation