LECTURES & IDEAS / THEATER

Chautauqua: Living History

Voices From World War II

Friday & Saturday, September 29-30, 2023 // 7:30pm

The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Theater, History, and Storytelling: Chautauqua is an oral storytelling tradition that brings history to life through interactive theater and compelling discussion aimed at stimulating critical thinking and increasing appreciation for complex histories.

This year, we present Voices from World War II, starring General George Patton, favorite leader of the European troops (but often not politically correct) and Ernie Pyle, famous war correspondent who reported from the troops in the trenches.

Ernie Pyle will be presented by scholar Doug Mishler. Doug Mishler is an independent scholar who has taught at the University of Nevada and Western Washington University. He is the author of a history of the Ringling Brothers Circus and has consulted on several public television and Chautauqua programs, regularly appearing in Maryland and Colorado. He has studied and presented as P. T. Barnum, Theodore Roosevelt, William Lloyd Garrison, Henry Ford, Jefferson Davis, George Wallace, Upton Sinclair, and Major General Robert Ross. In addition to Ernie Pyle, he also portrays Billy Sunday, William Clark, Andrew Carnegie, Edward R. Murrow, Thomas Hart Benton, and Nikita Khrushchev. Mishler has a Ph.D. in American cultural history from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Ernie Pyle was an in-the-trenches correspondent who reported on the actual conditions and trials of the GI’s living under terrible conditions as opposed to the uplifting propaganda put out by the government.

General George Patton will be presented by Tim Beasely. General Patton was a swash-buckling leader on the European Front and was known for his personal regard for the troops under his command. He was always seen with high top black boots, an infantry helmet and two silver pistols strapped to his hips. He had the capability of surpassing General Eisenhower in the European command but because of his offensive political rhetoric, he was ultimately relegated to lower posts and finally died in a car crash at the end of the war.

Tim Beasley, from Norfolk VA,  has performed for over 30 years as an authentic and truly accurate General Patton, speaking for many formal military bases and patriotic events. His very believable impersonation of “Old Blood and Guts” as a motivational speaking special guest is a highly recognized leadership icon, combining powerful positive thinking with American pride.

Each speaker will present a speech “in character,” followed by an “in character” lively discussion with the audience. They will then appear as themselves, answering questions from the audience about World War II and these historical figures from a more contemporary perspective.