'Memory Lane' theme brings lively variety to Chautauqua workshops

Favorite Chautauqua scholars are returning to town with Ashland’s favorite historical characters from years past.

The July 16-20 event is billed as Ashland Chautauqua’s 25th year Silver Celebration: A Trip Down Memory Lane.

Chautauqua scholars are known for their evening performances at Brookside Park. They also offer free daytime workshops for youth and for adults.

The returning characters to be portrayed are Julia Child, cooking teacher and TV personality; Joe Louis, boxing champion whose career and life story illustrated the nation’s racial tensions; Ethel Waters, singer and actress who also faced racial barriers; John Dillinger, bank robber renowned for his brazen criminality; and Amelia Earhart, early aviation pioneer famous for being lost in flight.

The workshops provide information and insights about the characters or illuminate the context of their time in history.

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First on the week’s schedule is a multigenerational workshop titled “Stories of Courage” about realizing dreams and reaching goals, led by scholar Hasan Davis, who will portray Louis on Wednesday evening. The location of the workshop is Mill Run Place in Ashland; the date is 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 16.

At 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, scholar Elsa Wolff will lead an adult workshop titled “The Final Flight into Mystery” at the Ashland Public Library. The workshop will provide information about Earhart’s attempt to fly around the world in 1937 and the theories about her mysterious disappearance. Earhart will be the final evening performance, finishing the “Trip Down Memory Lane” Saturday evening.

On the Wednesday, July 17, workshop schedule is “Name That Tune: Sing-along with the Oldies” led by scholar Ilene Evans, who will portray jazz singer and actress Waters on Thursday evening. Location is the Golden Center at the Loudonville Public Library, time is 10 a.m.

At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, scholar Jeremy Meier will lead a very youth workshop titled “Kick the Can and Feed the Chickens,” featuring popular children’s games in the 1930s. Meier will portray Dillinger on Friday evening.

Thursday, July 18, will feature three workshops, all in Ashland. Scholar Hasan Davis will present an adult workshop titled “We Were Standing Right There,” stories of African descendants at pivotal moments in American history, at 11 a.m. at the Ashland County Council on Aging. At 2:30 p.m. scholar Jeremy Meier’s adult workshop at the Ashland Public Library is described by its title, “Featured Felons and the Golden Age of Cinema.” Another adult workshop will be held at 4 p.m. at the Ashland County Senior Citizen Center. Scholar Karen Vuranch will present a workshop titled “Food as Fellowship.” She portrays cooking instructor Child on Tuesday evening.

Youth workshop titled 'Growing Up in the 1920s'

This year’s annual youth workshop at the Myers Memorial Bandshell will feature scholar Ilene Evans with her activity-oriented “Growing Up in the 1920s” at 11 a.m. Friday, July 19. At 1 p.m. scholar Elsa Wolff will appear in a youth workshop as The Guitar Lady, who wows audiences of all ages with a high-energy session of “Singing & Storytelling.” Scholar Karen Vuranch finishes the week of workshops with a youth workshop titled “Stories of Food and Fun” at the Ashland Public Library.

Finally, there will be Coffee with the Scholars at 9 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. While not technically workshops, they offer a chance to meet the scholars and the planning committee members for a free-wheeling discussion of behind-the-scenes Chautauqua. The sessions are held in the Community Room of the Ashland Board of Realtors on Main Street.

Workshops and Coffee with the Scholars sessions are sensory-friendly and held in accessible locations with convenient parking. Evening performances are at 8 p.m. in the Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell. A music act begins each evening at 7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

For more information about Ashland Chautauqua and the complete schedule of events, visit ashlandchautauqua.org.