‘Chautauqua: An American Narrative’: A history of ideas, sharing and engagement

george cooper

The title still-frame from the documentary “Chautauqua: An American Narrative” (at right) shows people gathered along the Clark Brick Walk, on the edge of the Hall of Philosophy, in full-color summer — a sight familiar to Chautauquans and one that embodies the Institution’s history from the first Assembly.

As part of the Oliver Archives Heritage Lecture Series, the film will be shown at 3:30 p.m. today in the Hall of Christ. David Rotterman, the film’s executive producer, and Jon Schmitz, Chautauqua archivist and historian, will provide an introduction to the film and respond to questions from the audience.

Rotterman works for WNED-TV, the PBS affiliate for the Buffalo, N.Y., and Toronto area. The station develops documentaries for a national television audience, often to publicize the area’s treasures.

“We wanted to make a program for a national television audience, one that in most cases hadn’t been to Chautauqua,” Rotterman said. “The word ‘Chautauqua’ might sound recognizable to a national audience, but most people outside of the region don’t know much about it.”

The film first aired on PBS in January 2011, having been shot on the grounds during the 2010 Season with a core crew of about 10. Rotterman said the film was challenging to compose.

“The challenge is to take something so diverse as Chautauqua, and take that very big story and fold it into 56 minutes,” Rotterman said. “There are a lot of decisions about what to include and not include.”

When choosing which highlights to feature in the film, Rotterman said that the Institution’s history was important, as well as how it continues to be a place where people can engage one another and share ideas.

WNED produces many programs of local importance and national interest. Just last Friday, PBS premiered a documentary on the Shaw Festival, the Niagara-on-the-Lake theater festival that produces the works of George Bernard Shaw and Shavian playwrights. The Buffalo/Toronto station is also at work on a documentary featuring Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who has designed many parks and parkways in Buffalo, Point Chautauqua, N.Y., and many other locations throughout the U.S. The Olmsted documentary will air early next year.