Buncombe County Chautauqua 2016: American Adventures

June 20-23 at 7pm Nightly

American Adventures will be held June 20-23 in Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech in Asheville.  This year’s Buncombe County Chautauqua will present some wildly courageous and adventurous characters.  The Save Our Buncombe Chautauqua Committee presents Chautauqua 2016 with support from several friends of the library groups, community organizations and local businesses in Buncombe County and many interested individuals.

Monday, June 20 – Mark Twain

Music by Don Pedi

Samuel Clemens carefully cultivated an additional public persona.  He named him “Mark Twain,” and it was as Mark Twain that he had the greatest adventures of his life.

Mark Twain, portrayed by George Frein. George Frein is Mr. Chautauqua in Buncombe County and has appeared here for sixteen years as many historical characters, Mark Twain being the most requested.  Mr. Frein comes to us from Fort Worth, TX.

Tuesday, June 21 – Amelia Earhart

Music by The Magills

Thrust into fame in 1928 after becoming the first woman to cross the Atlantic by airplane, she used her celebrity to encourage other women to fly.  Constantly pushing at boundaries, she journeyed far beyond expectations.

Leslie Goddard is Amelia Earhart and a well-known Chautauquan and a repeat presenter at the Buncombe Chautauqua.  She holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University is a former museum director and is from Chicago, IL. 

Wednesday, June 22 – Matthew Henson

Music by Zoe and Cloyd

On April 6, 1909, Robert Peary, Matthew Henson, and four Eskimos, arrived at the North Pole.  Only Peary received the credit for the discovery.  This is a story of courageous men persevering against nature and journeying into the unknown. 

Matthew Henson is portrayed by Keith Henley.  Keith Henley is a professional actor, historical interpreter, playwright, director and choreographer and is from Camden, NJ. 

Thursday, June 23 – Wernher von Braun

Music by Cary Fridley

As a child in Germany, von Braun attached fireworks to his little red wagon.  In his twenties he headed Germany’s rocket development program.  By age sixty, working for the United States, he had landed a dozen men on the moon and brought them back.

Wernher von Braun is portrayed by Larry Bounds.  Larry Bounds is also a repeat performer, having appeared as Harry Houdini, Einstein, and Walt Disney in previous seasons and is from Greer, SC. 

The Chautauqua format will be familiar to those who have attended in the past.  Each evening, a nationally acclaimed historical interpreter dressed in costume will bring the character to life through a first person monolog.  The audience will then have a chance to question the character, delving more deeply into the issues that have been raised.  The replies will be historically authentic, based on research using letters, diaries, journals, and published writings.  Finally, the interpreter will step out of character to discuss the subject and answer questions from a critical, modern perspective.

Please plan to join us each evening in our indoor venue, Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech. A musical program will begin each evening at 7pm preceding the speaker presentation:

Admission is $5 per night, tickets may be purchased at the door and ample free parking is available.

For more information, call Ed Sheary, 828-231-9273.