Works by celebrated documentary filmmaker and librettist Kimberly Reed take center stage for three days at Chautauqua, starting with As One Community Day, Sunday, Aug. 5.

The Aug. 5 half-day program starts at 12:30 p.m. with a free presentation of Reed’s acclaimed autobiographical documentary Prodigal Sons at Chautauqua Cinema, located at 25 Wythe Ave. on Chautauqua’s grounds.

Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Best Documentary Jury Prize at NewFest, and Special Jury Prizes for Fearless Filmmaking at the Florida Film Festival and Bravery in Storytelling at the Nashville Film Festival, Prodigal Sons is a raw and provocative examination of one family’s struggle to come to terms with its past and present.

Reed will be present for a talk-back after the film.

As One Community Day also includes an opportunity to watch a rehearsal of the opera As One for which Reed served as co-librettist. A panel presentation, poetry experience and reception round out the day’s program. 

All As One Community Day events are free and entrance to the grounds is always free at Chautauqua on Sundays. Vouchers for free parking for the day will be provided for all As One Community Day participants. For additional information about As One Community Day, visit the event website at asone.chq.org. 

Reed’s latest documentary film, Dark Money, will be screened at Chautauqua Cinema twice on Monday, at 12:15 and 5:15 p.m., with talkbacks following both screenings. Screenings are made possible in part through a co-sponsorship with WNED-TV in Buffalo.

The chamber opera, As One, will receive its Chautauqua debut on Tuesday, August 7 at 4:00 p.m. The production features film projections created by Kimberly Reed.

The full schedule of events follows:

Sunday, August 5: As One Community Day
Schedule of Events

• 12:30–2 p.m. | Prodigal Sons – Film Presentation, Chautauqua Cinema
  Prodigal Sons is an autobiographical documentary by filmmaker Kimberly Reed (co-librettist of the opera As One). Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Best Documentary Jury Prize at NewFest, and Special Jury Prizes for Fearless Filmmaking at the Florida Film Festival and Bravery in Storytelling at the Nashville Film Festival, Prodigal Sons is a raw and provocative examination of one family’s struggle to come to terms with its past and present. Learn more about this powerful film at prodigalsonsfilm.com
• 2–2:30 p.m. | Talkback with filmmaker Kimberly Reed following the film, Chautauqua Cinema
• 2:30–2:45 p.m. | Break and Travel Time
• 2:45–3:30 p.m. | As One Rehearsal Viewing, Norton Hall
  View a sneak peek of the opera As One, as the cast rehearses for their August 7 performance
• 3:30–5 p.m. | Panel Discussion: What Binds Us? Achieving Understanding Across Difference, Hurlbut Church Sanctuary
  Moderated by Rev. Gene Robinson, Vice President for Religion and Senior Pastor, Chautauqua Institution
  Panelists (To Date):
  • Mark Campbell, librettist/lyricist; co-librettist, As One
  • Kimberly Reed, filmmaker; co-librettist, As One
  • Darren Canady, associate professor of English, University of Kansas; Chautauqua Literary Arts Writer-in-Residence
  • Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich, author, The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir (2018 Chautauqua Prize winner)
• 5–6 p.m. | Creating Shared Meaning Through Poetry, Poetry Maker Space, Colonnade
  Explore the libretto of As One and create your own poetry through the Traveling Stanzas interactive exhibit.
• 6:30 p.m. | LGBTQ & Friends Gathering, Athenaeum Hotel Porch (Cash Bar)
  An informal gathering with Chautauquans. Great for networking and launching new friendships.

Monday, August 6: Screenings of the film Dark Money, directed by Kimberly Reed, Co-Presented by Buffalo’s WNED-TV

• 12:15 p.m. Dark Money, Chautauqua Cinema ($11/adults; $7.50 children 12 and under)
  followed by talk-back with Kimberly Reed
• 5:15 p.m. Dark Money, Chautauqua Cinema ($11/adults; $7.50 children 12 and under)
  followed by talk-back with Kimberly Reed

Those without an existing Chautauqua gate pass may secure a $1 cinema pass at the Main Gate Ticket Office to access the grounds for the purposes of attending the film. The $1 fee will be deducted from the cost of the movie pass at the Chautauqua Cinema. Parking is $9.

Tuesday, August 7: As One Opera Performance, Norton Hall, 4 p.m.

As One is one of the most performed new operas in the country, and its exciting arrival at Chautauqua Opera reunites the original cast and ensemble of the 2014 premiere. Accompanied by the Fry Street Quartet, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and baritone Kelly Markgraf again share the part of the transgender protagonist Hannah in the opera’s sixteen vignettes that chronicle her journey toward self-acceptance with empathy and humor.

Music and Concept by Laura Kaminsky
Libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed
Film by Kimberly Reed
Directed by Matt Gray
Conducted by Steven Osgood
Featuring Sasha Cooke, Kelly Markgraf, and the Fry Street Quartet.

Tickets ($25) available at chqtickets.com. Ticket permits access to the Chautauqua grounds from 12 to 8 p.m.; parking is $9. Learn more about the opera at asoneopera.com.