“Conversations. . .” began as a Chautauqua-style presentation back in 1997. I joined four friends and colleagues to form the National Chautauqua Tour, and we did a series called “American Humorists”--in Delaware, Florida, New Hampshire, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio, and several other states. Will took the stage alongside Mark Twain, James Thurber, Langston Hughes, and Dorothy Parker.
Because of the regional interest in the Rogers character, I also did versions of the program in the Kansas Humanities Council’s “History Alive” series and in other living history venues in Idaho, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Texas. Today, several fund-raisers and lots of humanities programs later--all in all, about four hundred in thirty different states, “Conversations. . .” remains the basic program of historical characterization that I perform as Will.
“Conversations. . .” can be adjusted to many different topics and venues--because Will was, after all, very versatile--and the presentation time can be adapted to needs of the situation. What I hope remain “fixed” in the program are these elements:
(1) an intention to use the words and ideas of Will Rogers to entertain and educate today’s audiences, and
(2) the inclusion of some opportunity to interact with the audience (through questions and conversations) both as Will and as a Rogers scholar.
If you are a program or convention planner and think that this program would suit your group or occasion, contact me by email or by phone, and we’ll try to work out an idea that will bring a smile to the faces of your audience at a fee that won’t make your budget director frown.
“Your gifted performance of our American genius . . . was a joy.”
James Whitmore
