“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...
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New Wetland Regulations Likely to Have Little Impact on Chautauqua Institution
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...
Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory: A Novel Wins 2024 Chautauqua Prize
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...
Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), the resident theater company of Chautauqua Institution, today announced the introduction of Sensory-Friendly Performances and the return of pilot programs Pick Your Price (PYP) and Live Audio Descriptions (LAD) for the 2024 season. CTC is committed to fostering inclusivity and promoting the power of storytelling to all audiences. “As we shared in our open letter regarding CTC’s commitments to racial and social justice through the lens of IDEA, CTC is actively building the future of the American theater. In doing so, we aim to create space for culturally specific storytelling that leads to dialogue, understanding and...
Chautauqua Theater Company Announces Mainstage Creative Teams
Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), the resident theater company of Chautauqua Institution, today announced the creative teams for its 2024 mainstage season. In celebration of Chautauqua’s 150th anniversary, CTC is set to showcase a season that reflects the depth and richness of its legacy. The lineup includes three mainstage productions: Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles, Lynn Nottage’s Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine, and Kate Hamill’s The Light and The Dark (the life and times of Artemisia Gentileschi), CTC’s first commissioned world premiere under Producing Artistic Director Jade King Carroll’s leadership. “I am thrilled to invite such an incredible group of brilliant...
PLAYBILL: Candis C. Jones, Arya Shahi, and More Join Chautauqua Theater Company’s 2024 Season
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.
Chautauqua Institution is pleased to announce seven exceptional books as the 2024 finalists for The Chautauqua Prize, now in its 13th year: In another year of a record-breaking number of submissions from publishers, agents and authors, these seven books represent the variety and vitality of The Chautauqua Prize. Awarded annually since 2012, the Prize draws upon Chautauqua Institution’s considerable literary legacy to celebrate a book that provides a richly rewarding reading experience and to honor the author for a significant contribution to the literary arts. The winning book will be selected from these finalists and announced by early June. ...
In late March, when Chautauqua still feels locked in the cold embrace of winter, a sign of springtime renewal appears in the sky above us. Having traveled thousands of miles from their wintering grounds in Central or South America, mating pairs of Osprey have returned to Chautauqua Lake. Their appearance is even more remarkable considering that Osprey were nearly wiped out by the devastating effects of DDT. It was only in 2021 that a pair successfully nested and raised a chick near the shores of Chautauqua Lake. As of spring 2024, multiple nesting pairs are now in the region. Osprey...
Chautauqua Institution is delighted to announce “Right Before the Fall” by Olivia Jung as the winner of the 2024 Chautauqua Janus Prize
In another record-breaking year for submissions, Jung’s “Right Before the Fall” was selected by guest judge, Jimin Han, among twelve finalists. “What a pleasure to read these twelve finalists’ work for the Janus Prize. The range of experimentation was exciting to see,” said Han. “Thanks to the committee who narrowed the group down to these finalists. I’m sure it was very challenging. Gratitude to all who nominated writers and to those who submitted their work.” The 2024 prize recipient, Olivia Jung, will receive the $5,000 prize, plus a $2,000 travel and lodging stipend. She will give a public lecture and...
In a record-setting year for applications, 19 artists have been chosen for the director training program. The Drama League has revealed 19 artists selected to participate in its 2024 Directors Project after a record-breaking year of 1,800 applications. The chosen directors will work with a number of programs in the next year to hone their craft and further their place in the industry. This year’s participants will be Zoë Adams, Arin Arbus, Britt Berke, Rosalind Bevan, Desdemona Chiang, Jaime Castaneda, Emma Denson, Stefan Dezil, Morgan Green, Devin E. Haqq, Sarah Hughes, Karl Michael Iglesias, Lauren Keating, Irvin Mason, Jr., Jess McLeod, Martavius Parrish, Danny Sharron, Colm Summers, and Dina...