May 20, 2005
'The Most American Thing in America: Circuit Chautauqua as Performance'
Once upon a time in small-town America, summer meant Chautauqua. Before radio, before talking pictures, rural folk counted on finding wholesome and edifying entertainment when the "big brown tent" arrived.
Itinerant Chautauqua had a stationary start in 1874 when a group of Methodists grew uncomfortable with the flamboyant emotion of camp-meeting revivalism. They proposed an alternative: a summer assembly for Sunday-school teachers. The first gathering was held by Lake Chautauqua in New
This is an article for subscribers only. You may access this article by purchasing a:
Digital or Print Subscription
Web Pass
Already have an account? Log In Now.
-
Notes From Academe
-
The Chronicle Review
-
Administration
