Marcela Escobari and Charles Lane
...and The Wall Street Journal. He is also the author of Freedom’s Detective: The Secret Service, the Ku Klux Klan and the Man Who Masterminded America’s First War on Terror; Stay of Execution: Saving the Death Penalty from Itself; and The Day Freedom Died: The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Betrayal of Reconstruction. Lane has a master’s degree in law from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard University....
Community Update: Continuing Our Amphitheater Pilot in 2026
Last fall, I shared an update with all of you outlining both the successes and lessons learned from our first shoulder‑season concert and our initial attempt to pilot Amphitheater concessions during the Bonnie Raitt show. Today, I’m writing to share how that experience is shaping our plans for 2026. With the Board of Trustees’ approval, we will continue exploring Amphitheater concessions and shoulder‑season concerts this summer, alongside several operational improvements on and around Odland Plaza....
Alicia Olatuja: “Dear Lisa”
...of musical influences in St. Louis. Inspired by Whitney Houston, Olatuja started singing at the age of 5. She sang in the Berean Seven Day Adventist Church, listened to a wide variety of Black music including jazz, R&B and soul and was classically trained as an opera mezzo-soprano singer. After double majoring in Veterinary Medicine and Music at the University of Missouri, Olatuja moved to New York City in 2005, and later earned her Masters...
Jill McCormick Named Director of Communications at Chautauqua
Chautauqua Institution today announced the appointment of Jill McCormick to the position of Director of Communications and Special Projects. In this role, McCormick will be responsible for developing and implementing communications plans to inform the public, news media, and internal audiences of Chautauqua’s programs and operations, bringing Chautauqua’s compelling mission to life through story. She will also serve as project manager for Chautauqua Travels, a new venture that brings Chautauqua’s mission to educational group travel...
Five Fascinating Facts for Chautauqua’s 150th!
...Assembly Grouds Chautauqua c. 1877. Oliver Archive Center. 2. Chautauqua was more than a name; it was a movement. During the heat of the Chautauqua movement, “circuit chautauquas” became prevalent around the country. These traveling circuits brought lecturers to local communities, a pop-up style of entertainment that became wildly popular throughout the beginning of the 20th century. Much like the original institution, these multi-day events sported lecturers on all subjects and a variety of entertainment....
Chautauqua Travels: Stories of Slovenia
...secrets that lurk just beneath their surface. Baby Dragons of the Postojna Cave Within the dark, damp interior of the Postojna Cave dwells a pale skinned, red tufted, long tailed, four-legged, snakelike, eyeless aquatic beast — a baby dragon. Since the 17th century the people of Karst reported sightings of offspring of a ferocious dragon lurking in Postojna Cave. Better known today as olms, these “baby dragons” can be found in very few places in...
Three Taps of the Gavel closing the 150th Assembly
...I have been pouring over it ever since, looking at what life was like for our beloved Chautauqua in those days. And I assure you that it’s not because the first headline from Thursday, September 1, 1921, is titled “Mr. Bestor’s Vacation,” in which President Bestor is granted a five-month sabbatical after his seventh summer. In 1921, the “Community Library” was in the Post Office building, and Chautauqua was adding books to it. In the...
Heritage Lecture Series: Matthew A. Grant
...Dr. Matthew Grant, a Professor of Teacher Education in the Dewar College of Education and Human Services at Valdosta State University, teaches within the undergraduate and graduate Health and Physical Education and Sport Coaching Pedagogy programs. His current research line focuses on the establishment of Physical Education form 1860-1900 and the New Physical Education of the early 20th century. In a past research project, Dr. Grant investigated the competition-day routines of Olympic gold-medalist USA swimmers....
Gamelan Dharma Swara
Preview Premiere and Reception: Gamelan Dharma Swara Tuesday, May 21 Gamelan Dharma Swara is proud to present at Chautauqua the Preview World Premiere of a new Dharma Swara commission, co-created by Artist-in-Residence Gusti Komin and longtime dance teacher and choreographer Shoko Yamamuro. The traditional welcome piece to open a performance or event is reimagined. Works of this genre — typically in the female style — often focus on notions of reception and invitation alongside purification...
Chautauqua Theater Company’s Jade King Carroll Named to 2025–2026 Tony Awards Nominating Committee
...the next generation of theater artists, bridging the gap between training and professional success. CTC champions new voices in theater, serving as a national hub for commissioning, developing, and producing works by both established and emerging American playwrights. One of its major achievements includes Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles, which was originally developed at CTC and later had a celebrated run on Broadway. CTC has entered a new era of artistic excellence under the leadership of...