Chautauqua Institution today announced The Roe Green Foundation has made a transformational $4.5 million commitment to advance the completion of the new Roe Green Theater Center, a state-of-the-art, centralized facility for Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC). This gift, which consists of a $3 million outright contribution and a $1.5 million matching challenge gift, comes after a long history of supporting theater arts at Chautauqua, including the New Play Workshop series. The new Roe Green Theater Center will complement Chautauqua’s beloved Bratton Theater, adding a black box/flexible space, rehearsal studios, offices for CTC leadership and other support spaces to ensure that CTC...
At its May quarterly meeting, the Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees approved a resolution to achieve a net zero carbon impact goal by the year 2050. The resolution empowers staff to develop a climate action plan for the Institution that: (1) achieves net-zero carbon emissions for Institution operations by no later than 2050; (2) ensures compliance with all applicable federal and state climate laws and policies; (3) sets annual benchmarks that progressively reduce the Institution’s greenhouse gas emissions; (4) funds measures to achieve these benchmarks through sustainable annual budgets; (5) advances measures to improve the long-term climate resilience of the...
2024 marks the third full season of programming for the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. While not as momentous as the Institution’s 150th anniversary, I think you will find much to love in our diverse exploration of nature, sustainability, environment and climate change. We kick off the season with the fourth annual Chautauqua Lake Water Quality Conference, Saturday, June 22 at the Chautauqua Golf Club. There you will learn from researchers at The Jefferson Project and State University of New York about the work of the Institution and our partners to address harmful algae blooms and ensure a healthful future for...
Each Receives $100,000 Grant to Further Democracy Work Chautauqua Institution proudly introduces Melody Barnes and David French as the inaugural recipients of the Chautauqua Perry Fellowship in Democracy. Barnes is the executive director of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia; French is a widely read opinion columnist at The New York Times. Both will be able to use the distinction and funding afforded by the Perry Fellowship to further democracy-focused personal and professional projects of their choice, in addition to their roles with their home institutions and shared projects with Chautauqua Institution. This announcement comes just...
Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), the resident theater company of Chautauqua Institution, today announced its New Play Workshops for the 2024 season. CTC’s audience will have the chance to experience plays at every stage of development, showcasing the work of the country’s most exciting playwrights. From a first new play reading to a staged workshop, a revival of a New Play Workshop, and a commissioned world premiere, the audience will be a part of the process as CTC deepens its long-standing commitment to new work. CTC will present readings of three new play workshops: C.A. Johnson’s Tell Me You’re Dying (the...
Juneteenth celebrations are happening all over the U. S. Our staff and patrons located in Chautauqua County are encouraged to attend local celebrations. Jamestown Juneteenth Events • June 14–16, 2024 Dunkirk 2024 Juneteenth Celebrations Dunkirk’s 28th Annual Juneteenth Celebration is scheduled for Saturday, June 15 from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 16 from noon to 6 p.m. at Memorial Park, Lake Shore Drive West, Dunkirk, NY, 14048. It will feature music, food, African dancing, poetry slam, cornhole tournament, kids’ tent and Gospel. Juneteenth Resources National Juneteenth Resources We are grateful to the National Museum of African American History and...
“How many of you know the story of Hansel and Gretel?” asks Joel Clemons as Older Hansel at the start of each “Hansel and Gretel vs. the Witch” performance. Familiar with this beloved folktale, a sea of student hands from grades PreK-6 shoot up in excitement. Opera in the Schools, a collaboration between Chautauqua Arts Education and Chautauqua Opera Company, brings opera into elementary classrooms around Chautauqua County. This year, 11 schools participated, reaching approximately 3,500 students. The program dazzled young audiences with a lively 45-minute adaptation of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, masterfully reimagined by Joshua Borths. The Chautauqua...
You may have seen signs around Chautauqua Lake that say “KEEP THE LAKE A LAKE! — Object to WETLAND regulation for Chautauqua Lake.” These signs are about the upcoming wetland regulation changes in New York State, effective January 2025 and 2028. While regulations affecting property use can be concerning, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has indicated that these new changes will likely have minimal impact on property owners around Chautauqua Lake, including Chautauqua Institution. In October 2022, Chautauqua Institution’s Vice President of Campus Planning and Operations John Shedd and Director of NYSDEC Region 9 Julie Barrett...
Celebrated Author Will Give Public Reading at Chautauqua Institution on Aug. 19 Chautauqua Institution today proudly announces The Reformatory: A Novel (Saga Press) by Tananarive Due as the 2024 winner of The Chautauqua Prize. Awarded annually since 2012, the Prize celebrates a book of fiction or literary/narrative nonfiction that provides a richly rewarding reading experience and honors the author for a significant contribution to the literary arts. As author of this year’s winning book, Due receives $7,500, and will be presented with the Prize during a celebratory event and public reading at 5 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 19, in Chautauqua’s...
The New York company has revealed creative teams for their upcoming summer season. New York’s Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC) has announced the lineup and creative teams for its upcoming season, which coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Chautauqau Institution. Directed by Arya Shahi, Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles will open the season, with previews beginning July 5 before a July 9 opening night. The production will run through July 21. The creative team will include scenic designer Brittany Vasta, costume designer Afsaneh Aayani, lighting designer Anshuman Bhatia, sound designer Ben Truppin-Brown, with original compositions by Jane Lui.