The Darling, The Daring, and the Decadent

The 1920’s in America was a decade of unprecedented growth: buildings in major cities climbed toward the sky, interest in airplanes and air travel exploded with a $25,000 race to fly across the Atlantic. Staged performances became epic productions employing hundreds of performers. The movies created exotic escapes from reality and larger than life Stars.  Tabloids hit the newsstands and our fascination with public figures ignited. The Eighteenth  Amendment prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages—a debacle of unprecedented proportions—and the  Nineteenth granted women the right to vote— finally! The Chautauqua Movement continued to enthrall viewers with great characters from history, new ideas, and issues of public concern.  Join the Grand Valley History Players for an evening of Chautauqua* with visits from  ‣ Annette Kellerman, The Mermaid Queen ‣ Harry Houdini  ‣ Mae West  Listen as they regale you with their stories then enjoy the opportunity to ask questions of these icons. There will also be time to ask the performers about their research, observations and what compelled them to choose their characters.

*What is Chautauqua?

Various traveling shows and local assemblies flourished in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and provided popular education combined with entertainment in the form of lectures, concerts, and plays, and that were modeled after activities at the Chautauqua Institution of western New York.

The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture to the whole community.