by Tim Troglen
Reporter
Hudson -- Ever wonder what it would be like to spend a few hours with Orson Welles, Eleanor Roosevelt or W.C. Fields?
The wait could be over.
Residents will get a chance in July to see those historical figures and others when the Ohio Humanities Council and Hudson Community Education and Recreation bring the Ohio Chautauqua experience to Hudson.
Ohio Chautauqua, an educational program in which scholars bring first-person portrayals of historic figures to outdoor venues across Ohio, will be in Hudson July 6 through 10. The program is free and open to the public.
"It's so unique," said Grant Aungst, HCER director. "[And] it offers us something we have never had before."
Aungst said the historical figures will not be portrayed by actors.
"These people who play these characters are scholars themselves," Aungst said. "They are not actors -- they are people who have studied these folks for years."
On the day of each performance, two workshops, one for adults and one for children, will be at the Hudson Library and Historical Society.
Hudson is one of four sites in Ohio picked for the program, which will concentrate on the period of the 1930s, according to Fran Tiburzio, director of public relations for the Ohio Humanities Council and Ohio Chautauqua coordinator.
Hudson was picked when the community "knocked my socks off" during a visit last year, Tiburzio said.
"I was especially impressed by the library and all the people I met," she said. "They seemed so committed to history and education, and I hope it will be the best site we go to this summer."
The performances will be in an "old-fashioned" tent, which can hold up to 500 people. It will be set up outside of Hudson High School for nightly performances.
Tiburzio said "chautauqua" is derived from an American Indian word and means "educational gathering." She said the programs, which began in the 1800s, were a way for people to get news through traveling performances.
"One out of four Americans at the turn of the century [1900] attended a chautauqua in their hometown," Tiburzio said.
However, as automobiles and other forms of entertainment became more popular, the traveling shows slowed, eventually stopping in the 1920s. Ohio Chautauqua was revived about 12 years ago.
"The modern revival of chautauqua is a way for those of us today to step back in time and really appreciate history in a new way," she said.
The evening events will include music, performances and question and answer sessions with the scholars.
A different character will take the stage each night.
"If you come each of the five nights, you will see five different performances," Aungst said.
Aungst said he encourages families to bring lawn chairs and a picnic lunch while enjoying the event.
"The fun part of it is you get to learn so much and do it with friends and family," Aungst said.
He said the program will also fit in with the historic feel that Hudsonites pride themselves on.
"Hudson was a pivotal center of politics, government and life in the 1930s," Aungst said. This is the time we were kind of forming who were and who we are now."
Aungst said HCER is working with organizations to secure funding for the event, but said he is "open to anybody's thoughts on that."
Aungst said he would like for Hudson to become a "semi-permanent home" for the event, with regularly scheduled appearances every few years.
"It's a program we have never had here in Hudson and an opportunity for education in a fun and exciting environment where kids can learn, adults can learn and seniors can learn at no cost," he said.
For more information on the program visit the Ohio Humanities Council at www.ohiohumanities.org or call HCER at 330-653-1210.
E-mail: ttroglen@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3146