The is a unique blend of history, theater, and the humanities. It鈥檚 part of a long-running tradition that President Theodore Roosevelt once called 鈥榯he most American thing in America.鈥�
In Greeley, the Young Chautauqua program actively works with young people to find the next generation of performers to carry on the tradition. Greeley Central High School junior Tillie Newman got into the program six years ago; this year she'll portray Mary Harris "Mother" Jones on the adult stage.
皇冠网址's Erin O'Toole spoke with Newman about how she got involved in Chautauqua, and what makes it so exciting for her.
ERIN: So -- in this era of video games and social media鈥� Chautauqua is probably NOT the first thing that comes to mind as a teen activity. How did you get into it?
TILLIE: I鈥檝e been doing Chautauqua since the 5th grade. I was in the GT program (gifted and talented) and we were given an opportunity to do an independent study. We were given a list of options, and one of them was a performance. I had been in concerts and stuff in elementary school, and I like to perform, so I thought that would be really fun.
So I dressed up as Marie Antoinette, and I gave a first-person description of her life. My GT teacher then found out about Chautauqua 鈥� it was basically the same thing 鈥� and she signed me up for it.
ERIN: This year you鈥檙e portraying Mary Harris 鈥� probably . What draws you to a particular character?
TILLIE: In the past my characters have been like Alice Paul, who was a woman suffragist, and she was really militant, and she fought-- her actions ultimately gained women the right to vote. Another was Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who was another labor activist, another unionist, but she was really feisty.
So I guess one of the aspects of a character that would draw me to them is their personality 鈥� you know, they鈥檝e got to be a spitfire or else I won鈥檛 be able to get into it. I think that鈥檚 the most important thing with a Chautauqua character, you have to be interested in them, 鈥榗ause if you鈥檙e not, you鈥檙e not going to have fun鈥� and then it鈥檚 gonna kind of suck. (laughs)
ERIN: Part of the whole Chautauqua thing is that people who go learn about these characters, but I鈥檓 curious if portraying Mary Harris has taught you anything.
TILLIE: Definitely. She鈥檚 unlike any of the other characters I鈥檝e researched. When reading her biography I was really surprised to learn that a lot of the events in her life, she actually lied about. Even something like her birthday 鈥� she said she was seven years older than she really was.
ERIN: Really? Why did she do that?
TILLIE: One of the many reasons that she lied about her life was because she went through a lot of struggles. She was born in Ireland, and she grew up during the Potato Famine. When she came to America, she had a husband and a family 鈥� for a while. She lived in Tennessee during the Civil War, and ended up losing her entire family 鈥� her husband and all four children 鈥� to the yellow fever epidemic that completely destroyed their town.
She had to bury them and leave them behind, and go to Chicago to continue a dressmaking business that she had had up there a few years before. She ended up losing her entire business in the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. It was then that she joined the Knights of Labor and became a part of the labor movement.
ERIN: One of my favorite parts 鈥� because it鈥檚 so unique to Chautauqua - is when the audience gets to ask questions of the performers, who then answer in character. It鈥檚 unscripted 鈥� you have no idea what people are going to ask you. I鈥檓 wondering how you prepare for that?
TILLIE: There really is no way to prepare 鈥� you don鈥檛 know what people are going to ask鈥�
ERIN: Do you have friends and family just 鈥� hit you with questions beforehand?
TILLIE: Yeah, usually鈥擨鈥檝e got friends and family that鈥檒l drill me on questions. It鈥檚 kind of nice because I come from a long line of history teachers, and so they ask really hard ones. So I鈥檓 all prepared and excited for those, and then I get the ones, like, 鈥渨ere you ever married?鈥� And I can answer that really well. (laughs)
ERIN: Too easily! Thank you, Tillie鈥�
The High Plains Chautauqua begins Tuesday evening and runs through Friday, Aug. 10 under the Chautauqua tent on the AIMS Community College campus in Greeley. This year鈥檚 theme celebrates 鈥楥ourage and Conviction in America.鈥�
You can see Tillie Newman鈥檚 portrayal of Mother Jones Friday evening.
Want to read more on Mary Harris? Here's a , which is named after her.
