Saturday, July 6th Program
See the 2024 program below (subject to change). Join our mailing list for updates.
Programs will unfold under three tents and in the street. The Martin Tent will feature historical performances and music, The Deaconess Tent will present informative lectures, and the Kid-Tauqua Tent will be home to programs and all-day activities for children.
Between tent performances is Vaudeville In The Street. See live music and unusual acts in the round.
11:00 Martin Tent
A Mother’s Heart Divided
Performed by JoAnn Peterson. Guitar accompaniment by Tom Peterson.
Written and performed by JoAnn F. Peterson, A Mother’s Heart Divided is a moving story of Maisie Twigg, whose husband and son leave their remote western Virginia family farm to fight for opposing sides in the Civil War. Divided in two by battle and ideology, the state of West Virginia was born.
Being anti-slavery, Maisie’s husband, Johnny, joins the Union army, leaving their only son, Willie, to work the farm. Willie empathizes with desperate Confederate soldiers who stop at the farm to forage for food. He joins them, telling his mother he is fighting for the “real” Virginia. Maisie struggles to label her own son a traitor.
Nineteen songs, including "The Battle Cry of Freedom," "Home, Sweet Home," “The Bonnie Blue Flag,” "The Vacant Chair," "The Army Bean," and "The Union Volunteer,” are woven into the story.
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JoAnn Peterson is a professional actress, singer, and presenter with the West Virginia Humanities Council History Alive! Program. Her Amazing Women of History portrayals include adventurer and groundbreaking reporter Nellie Bly; Founding Mother Abigail Adams; child star turned diplomat Shirley Temple Black; famed Titanic survivor Margaret “The Unsinkable Molly” Brown; tragic First Lady Mary Lincoln; first female Cabinet member and the Mother of Social Security, Frances Perkins; and renowned singer and philanthropist Jenny Lind. Film credits include the title role of Astrid in A Promise to Astrid by JC Films, which featured Dean Cain of Superman fame. She portrayed Julia Pierpont in the WV PBS documentary, "West Virginia: Road to Statehood.” Peterson’s many stage credits include the role of Mother Abbess in "The Sound of Music" at West Virginia Public Theatre.
Accompanist Tom Peterson portrayed Ulysses S. Grant for the 2023 Victorian Chautauqua. He has also performed at the West Virginia Public Theatre and the Cumberland Theatre and has been in films, including playing Astrid’s husband, Dominic, in “A Promise to Astrid.” Tom was also in a barbershop quartet for over 20 years called "The Men of Accord," which sang at Red Skelton's 82nd birthday party, was in Up with People, and is retired from the Army. (Lt. Col.)
11:00 Deaconess Tent
Hemp In Garrett County
Presented by Darryl Glotfelty & Haeli Gustafson
Underwater cash crops, genetically licensed seeds, climate change, biodiversity, and soil erosion barely scratch the surface of the challenges facing 21st-century farmers. The duo, owners of Meadow Mountain Hemp and Meadow Mountain Microgreens, explores the future of agriculture and how family farms can navigate these challenges. Learn about high-value crops and the legalization of hemp that can bring resilience back into owning farmland.
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Besides launching a business with his wife, Haeli, Darryl invests much of his time toward social change. He spent three years serving the Peace Corps in Tanzania, where he met his wife and business partner, Haeli Gustafson. A brief introduction to food manufacturing was as a cheesemonger for FireFly Farms, a Garrett County goat cheese manufacturer.
By 2019, Darryl and Haeli planted Meadow Mountain Hemp's first test crop. The rigors of meeting state standards for a controlled crop encouraged the pair, who were committed to raising awareness about the benefits of hemp while dispelling fears of its relation to the plant's psychotropic sister, marijuana. Since their first harvest, Meadow Mountain Hemp has released various CBD oil products, including tinctures, topicals, edibles, pet formulas, and whole flowers.The couple’s latest venture is Meadow Mountain Micgrogreens, using the latest technologies to keep a steady supply of delicate greens and edible flowers for salads, favorite recipes, cocktails, and colorful garnishes.
12:30 Martin Tent
2ND PERFORMANCE SUNDAY AT 6:00
Henry Stimson, Secretary of War for Roosevelt [1867-1950]
Portrayed by Bowie Grant
Henry Lewis Stimson was an American statesman, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. Over his long career, he emerged as a leading figure in U.S. foreign policy by serving in Republican and Democratic administrations. He served as Secretary of War (1911–1913) under President William Howard Taft, Secretary of State (1929–1933) under President Herbert Hoover, and again as Secretary of War (1940–1945) under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, overseeing American military efforts during World War II.
As Secretary of War for President Roosevelt and Truman, Stimson addressed thorny issues such as the development and use of the atomic bomb, the internment of Japanese American citizens on the US West Coast, and the integration of the US Army. All this while being the principal architect of the US Army’s fight to victory in World War II, along with General George Marshall. Because of his considered policies and discipline, Henry Stimson became known as the archetypal “Wise Man” and progenitor of a generation of proteges who influenced American foreign policy for decades after his death in 1950.
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Bowie Grant is a history enthusiast rather than a scholar, meaning that he views history in broad sweeps of related events. He feels that history is a tapestry best viewed from a distance at first and only then in detail so that people, places, and events are always seen in the context of the larger panorama of coterminous events.
Many chapters ago, Bowie embarked on a journey that led him to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in chemistry, followed by an MBA. His career has been a testament to his versatility, spanning marketing and sales management, as well as product development. Currently, he enjoys a semi-retired life, managing international sales for his company remotely and teaching business courses online for Bethel University. Originally from Oakland, MD, Bowie now resides in Indianapolis, close to one of his daughters and her family, including his grandchildren. His other daughter in New Orleans and son in Los Angeles, both history enthusiasts, keep his perspective on history fresh.
Although Grant has been in stage dramas in high school, college, and community theater in events ranging from musicals to Shakespeare, this is his first time performing in a Chautauqua presentation. He’s looking forward to sharing his character, Henry Stimson, with the guests and fellow participants in this year’s Victorian Chautauqua.
12:30 Deaconess Tent
2ND PERFORMANCE SUNDAY AT 4:30
The Impact of Reconstruction in the Border States and Above the Mason Dixon Line
Presented by Dr. Stephen A. Goldman
Psychiatrist Stephen A. Goldman offers a pioneering look into how Union veterans’ obligation to their country did not end when they returned home, but had only begun. Instrumental to saving the Union and destroying slavery, they were bound together by a shared ideological commitment to what the Civil War had set in motion. Irrevocably changed by all they had seen, done, endured, and accomplished, Northern servicemen knew that the nation’s “unfinished work” promised to be as bitter, divisive, and perilous as its armed struggle had been.
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Stephen A. Goldman, M.D. is a psychiatrist with decades of experience in academic and clinical medicine and public health. Having treated and worked with combat veterans, he has deeply studied the Civil War, Reconstruction, race, and the impact of war itself. The only physician to serve on the Abraham Lincoln Institute Board of Directors, his thought-provoking findings have been welcomed on television, radio, podcasts, and other venues.
2:00 Deaconess Tent
Birds of Garrett –The Species You’re Especially Likely to See or Hear
Presented by Kevin Dodge
Believe it or not, over 300 species of birds have been observed in Garrett County – some commonly and others only rarely; some in the winter, some during migration, some during the summer, and some year-round. Kevin Dodge will introduce some of the more frequently seen and heard species we can encounter in the forests, fields, lakes, and wetlands of our home turf.
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Kevin is the Program Director for the Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology Program at Garrett College. In the community, he is a member of the Savage River State Forest Citizens Advisory Board, the Youghiogheny River Watershed Association, and the Allegheny Highlands Conservancy. He is a frequent local consultant to The Nature Conservancy, regularly leading hikes and conducting campfire programs for state parks and forests.
Over the past two decades, Kevin's work has expanded his classroom to the outside world, with a renewed emphasis on experiences built upon field trips to parts of the mid-Atlantic/Central Appalachian region. While his past research focused on habitat use by wood-warblers in Isle Royale National Park and the impact of gypsy moth-induced habitat change on forest birds in eastern West Virginia, Kevin and his students have studied the breeding biology, habitat use, and fall migration of northern saw-whet owls since 1991.
2:00 Martin Tent
2ND PERFORMANCE SUNDAY AT 3:00
Halley’s Hot Gumbo Swingtet
Presented by Halley Shoenburg & Ensemble
HALLEY'S HOT GUMBO SWINGTET performs traditional New Orleans jazz and Swing styles from Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and Benny Goodman. This group has performed at Moulin Rouge and Great Gatsby parties, dances at Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom and for the Potomac River Jazz Club. The band has six musicians, including vocalists, horn, and rhythm sections. Their Victorian Chautauqua performances will highlight tunes from the 1910s and 1920s which are now public domain, such as “Royal Garden Blues” and “Clarinet Marmalade,” and will showcase Halley’s original Caribbean rhythm tune, “Melting Pot Gumbo.”
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For decades, jazz artist Halley Shoenberg has been a dynamic presence in the greater Washington, DC, area. In addition to leading her exciting ensembles, she is hotly in demand performing and recording on saxophone and clarinet with other top-shelf groups in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Halley has led concerts at the African American Civil War Memorial, Black Rock Center for the Arts, Blues Alley, Jazz at Wesley, Martin Luther King Library, National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Potomac River Jazz Club, and Strathmore. She has performed with other groups at Carlyle Club, Embassy of France, Jazz at Westminster, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and many Smithsonian museums, and for huge crowds of swing dancers at Glen Echo, Kennedy Center, Mobtown Ballroom, and for Potomac River Jazz Club events.
3:30 Martin Tent
2ND PERFORMANCE SUNDAY AT 1:30
Zora Neale Hurston [1891-1960]
Portrayed by Diane Macklin
Zora Neale Hurston was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on hoodoo. The most popular of her four novels is Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937. She also wrote over 50 short stories, plays, and essays. Addressing contemporary issues in the black community defined her as a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Her short satires, drawing from the African-American experience and racial division, were published in anthologies such as The New Negro and Fire!! Diane Macklin will bring this dynamic woman to the Victorian Chautauqua stage for a memorable performance.
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Diane Macklin is an acclaimed storyteller who captivates audiences with her dancing hands, lyrical voice, and high energy. Her engaging style is charming and delightful. She is also a certified educator, actor, historian, and lecturer trained in conflict resolution and as a multicultural mediator. She has performed, led workshops, and conducted residencies nationally. As an American storyteller in the African “griotic” tradition, Diane inspires hope, peace, and justice through world folktales and creative personal narratives.
5:00 Martin Tent
2ND PERFORMANCE SUNDAY AT 12:00
General George Marshall [1880-1959]
Portrayed by Bill Grant
George Catlett Marshall Jr., GCB, was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, then served as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense under Truman. Bill Grant will offer a remarkable portrayal of the General in his fourth Victorian Chautauqua appearance.
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Outside of his interests in history, theater, and music, Bill has spent his professional life in banking, serving the shareholders of First United Corporation and the diversified Board of Directors of First United Bank & Trust. During that time, he worked with over four hundred associates at the Bank to serve the communities and community-oriented businesses in Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. He helped manage $1.3 billion in assets while building close ties to the communities he served.
Bill is a graduate of Southern Garrett High School. Following graduation, he pursued a collection of degrees, including a B.A. in History from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a Juris Doctorate in Law from Duquesne University School of Law. He became a certified financial planner and earned a degree from the American Bankers Association Northwestern Graduate Trust School and the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. He is presently a Member Relations Consultant for the American Bankers Association.
3:30 Deaconess Tent
A History of The Mountain Chautauqua
Presented by George Cowgill
A mountain lake, boating, hotels, a bowling alley, a boardwalk, and vacation rental houses (But no drinking or dancing!). This presentation will take you back to the original ‘Mountain Chautauqua’ in Mountain Lake Park, Maryland. A slide show will focus on human interest stories and first-person recollections of the people who created the Chautauqua experience in Mountain Lake Park. Many rare photographs and a virtual tour of the original resort will be presented. Cowgill will also be on hand to sign copies of his book, Another Visit To The Mountaintop, which encapsulates the first thirty years of Mountain Lake Park between 1881 and 1921.
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George Cowgill spent his formative years in Deer Park, Maryland. He is an engineer and inventor, having been awarded more than 40 U.S. Patents. Mr. Cowgill earned a Master of Science in Information Technology from Towson University in 2011. He is a lifelong history buff and a writer of local history. He and his wife live in, you guessed it, Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.
5:00 Deaconess Tent
2ND PERFORMANCE SUNDAY AT 1:30
Playing Card History
Presented by Lee Asher
All the way from Canada, Lee Asher will share his passion for playing cards. Through a lifetime of research and performing as a magician, Lee will reveal the unique art that adorns playing cards, how they infiltrated average households, why specific designs were popular, and how games and sleight of hand evolved with printing technologies. Once prohibited in Mountain Lake Park, playing cards were perceived as the Devil's work, leading to games of chance or used for conjuring. Lee will dispel those fears and leave his audience wanting to learn more.
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Canadian resident Lee Asher is a highly regarded close-up magician noted for originating new card tricks and hypnotic sleight-of-hand moves. He is considered an expert in playing cards and is a magic consultant for film and stage performers. As a collector, he is primarily known for his work with 52 Plus Joker, the American Playing Card Collectors Club, of which he serves as the youngest-ever President. Lee is also actively involved in publishing the club's magazine, Card Culture.
Mark Horowitz, was a semi-professional magician who learned magic as a boy from Al Flosso and Lou Tannen in New York City in the 1960s. He led to Lee's fascination with magic and inspired him to pursue a degree in hospitality and casino administration. During his years as a student at the University of Nevada/Las Vegas, Lee would often sneak into casinos like the Golden Nugget and watch magician Michael Skinner, who would later influence his magic. He had a job doing magic demonstrations at the Magic Mansion, and he later worked at Caesars Magical Empire in Caesars Palace to perform card magic under the character title "Cardius Sharkus," working with world-famous magicians, including Earl Nelson, Jeff McBride, Chappy Brazil, Joey Burton, Daryl, Michael Ammar, Jonathan Pendragon.
Lee is widely known for his passion for Jerry's Nugget playing cards and is considered instrumental in popularizing the original decks. In 2019 he spearheaded a very successful project to recreate them, with a Kickstarter project raising almost half a million dollars with the help of over 4,000 backers. In collaboration with several other magicians, he was also involved in the successful project for crowdfunding the Conjuror Community deck of playing cards, which raised $142,543 with 1694 backers.
6:00 Beard & Mustache, Hat, and Fan Competitions
Hosted by Anthony Wroten
Enjoy some friendly, Victorian competition in three categories. Men can sign up to show of their facial hair, women can don elaborately decorated hats, and anyone can showoff a fan creation.
Join the merriment of the Beard & Mustache Contest and the Women’s Hat Competition. Two consecutive competitions will select the winners of the judge’s choice for facial hair and women’s headdress. A new fan category is open to anyone.
This marks the forth season of the Beard & Mustache Contest. Only one contestant will win the grand prize and will walk away with the Hairyman Champion cup while 2nd and 3rd place runners-up will take home an engraved souvenir mug. Judges determine the winners through a series of questions and audience input. It’s a fun and hilarious event enjoyed by the entire family.
The Women’s Hat Competition will see its second year. Contestants are encouraged to use their creativity to come up with a winning design for the judges. During the Victorian era, women placed great importance and pride in their headgear. Contestants are encouraged to be inventive while echoing the turn of the last century with their designs. Trophies and prices will be awarded to the lucky winners.
This marks the first year for the fan competition. Fans were a common cooling device during the Victorian Era. They were also a symbol of personal style made from all kinds of materials from wood to ivory, and elaborately decorated in great detail. Everyone is encouraged to enter to win the judges favor.
Contestants should sign up on the day of the event at the signup station by 5:30 and be at the Martin Tent by 5:45 to compete. Good luck!