The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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  • Ann Ritchie is serving her fifth year on the Enid Chautauqua board. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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April 24, 2010

Hooked on history

Ritchie loves her role in planning local Chautauqua

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — Ann Ritchie is hooked on Chautauqua.

Serving her fifth year on the Enid Chautauqua board, she became involved after she saw her first performance in Enid. A teacher, Ritchie is looking for ways to make lessons more interesting. When those portraying the Chautauqua characters talk to the audience as if they were living in the same time period, Ritchie observed what she believes is a great way to teach.

“The characters talk to you as if they were there. You learn how they made the decisions they did. It’s a fun presentation, and it let’s you in the side door,” she said.

This year Chautauqua will focus on the Civil War period and feature Clara Barton, Maj. Martin Delaney, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and William Seward.

Those characters will be portrayed by five actors, who are scholars in their subjects. Most of the Chautauqua performers are university professors who have the time to travel the Chautauqua circuit each summer, she said. They receive expenses and a stipend at each location.

Ritchie is in her second term as part of the Chautauqua board. After completing her first term she realized she was among a group of “can do” people who made working with them a positive experience. The board is busy and becomes involved in all aspects of Chautauqua.

“Chautauqua stimulates learning. Our group started Chautauqua in schools where we bring scholars in to talk to all the schools in the county who want them,” she said.

There also is a Chautauqua presentation contest for students who must research a character and present it to a panel that judges them on the presentation. The students must dress in costume, and she said many of them effect an accent they think resembles the character and any gestures they may have had. They work with their school English departments.

“The last time we had 15 or 16 trying out for student Chautauqua that were really good. I’m glad I didn’t have to make the decision. The panel rates them,” she said.

Ritchie also is a member of Enid Symphony Auxiliary, which raises money for Enid Symphony. She also was appointed recently to Enid Library Board.

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