FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              February 3, 2004

WINTER CHAUTAUQUA TO FEATURE CIVIL WAR

            The Winter Chautauqua returns to Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid on Feb. 13 and 14, with the theme “The Civil War: Love and War.” Ted Kachel and Suzan King make return visits to the Chautuaqua to portray William Tecumseh Sherman and Harriet Beecher Stowe, respectively, two major figures of the Civil War era.

The first event will be Kachel’s portrayal of Gen. Sherman at noon on Friday, Feb. 13, at the Museum of the Cherokee Strip.

The feature presentation in the Winter Chautauqua will be at 7 p.m., Friday in the Commons Area at Northwestern’s campus at 2929 E. Randolph. Kachel will again portray Sherman, while King will bring Stowe alive to the audience. There will be a Chocolate Reception preceding the performances from 6 to 7 p.m.

On Saturday, Feb. 14, a panel discussion and Civil War memorabilia “show and tell” will be held at the Museum of the Cherokee Strip beginning at 9:30 a.m.

All the presentations are free and the public is invited to attend. For more information, contact Dr. Bill Pennington at (580) 213-3101.

The theme of the Chautauqua is to take audiences back in time to face the issues of that era: “Should there be a war to preserve the Union?”; “How should issues of slavery and states rights be addressed?”; What impact did Uncle Tom’s Cabin have on the coming war?”; “What attitudes did people have toward slaves?”

Stowe and Sherman lend unique perspectives to those questions and many more as they present their opinions, sometimes agreeing with each other and sometimes disagreeing.

Stowe is famous for Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), a forceful indictment of slavery and one of the most powerful novels of its kind in American literature. First serialized, then published in book form, Uncle Tom’s Cabin sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States and was translated into more than 20 foreign languages. It did much to crystallize militant antislavery sentiment in the North and was an important factor in precipitating the American Civil War.

Sherman volunteered his services to the Union Army at the outbreak of war in 1861 and through the years was rewarded for his successes with increasingly high ranks. In 1864, he was made supreme commander of the armies in the West and was ordered to move against Atlanta, Ga. After capturing the city, Sherman launched his most celebrated military action, known as Sherman’s march to the sea. He led 60,000 men to Savannah, Ga., then north through the Carolinas, demolishing military resources along with houses, farms and railroads. In 1869, he was promoted to full general and given command of the entire U.S. Army.

Winter Chautauqua programs are sponsored by Northwestern Oklahoma State University with support from the Oklahoma Humanities Council (OHC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of the humanities.  Other organizations assisting with Winter Chautauqua include the Sons & Daughters of the Cherokee Strip Association, Enid Arts and Humanities Council, and the Enid Chautauqua Council. OHC joins with these local organizations to encourage the life of the mind, creating lifelong learning through reflection and discussion of literature, history, philosophy, and more.  OHC is the designated agency for the National Endowment for the Humanities in the state of Oklahoma.

-NW-

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