The ‘Other’ Chautauqua: Examining Race in American Performance
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Date
2015-06-15
Authors
Dietz, Zachary
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The Chautauqua movement in American history was one of informal education,
entertainment, and cultural awakening that the United States had not yet experienced on a
national scale. From permanent sites, known as independents, to the traveling brown tents
known as the circuits, Chautauqua was a public platform for showcasing artistic
expression and experience of the country’s diverse, ethnic communities, including those
of African American, Asian American, and Native American lineage. This national
cultural phenomenon, garnering labels of spectacle and grandeur, appeared during a
pivotal moment in our nation’s narrative, as the inclusion of these ethnic performers and
groups within Chautauqua programming challenged firmly held beliefs regarding race and
culture that operated within the political landscape of emancipation, exclusionary
legislation, cultural appropriation, and the immigration and migratory patterns of the
Western frontier.
Description
72 pages
Keywords
Authenticity, Chatauqua, Community, Identity, Minority, Space