Vienna, W.Va., resident E.J. Linnell assumed the massive red-and-white-striped tent he saw being put up on the Marietta College campus Monday had something to do with the camp his older siblings were attending at the college.
It looked "like a big square," the 4-year-old said as he watched workers from Galion Canvas Products place stakes to anchor the tent.
While it wasn't a part of an educational camp, the tent will stand there for educational purposes this week, providing shelter for living history presentations as part of Ohio Chautauqua 2012.
Article Photos
Scott Goldsmith, supervisor with Galion Canvas Products, and laborer Zac Gibbs work in a downpour Monday to erect the tent that will house the main Ohio Chautauqua events on the campus of Marietta College.
EVAN
BEVINS
The Marietta
Times
A point of interest for passersby like Linnell, the placement of the tent represents the approaching culmination of months of planning for folks like Laurie McKain, director of auxiliary services for Marietta College and chairwoman of the local Chautauqua committee.
"We're real excited," she said. "(It was) all this anticipation, and now it's finally here," she said.
A proposal letter for Marietta to play host to a Chautauqua stop was submitted by the college and Campus Martius Museum last summer, and it was learned the city had been selected last fall.
Fact Box
Chautauqua schedule
Today
10:30 a.m. - Youth Workshop, "Becoming Johnny" (Campus Martius Museum, 601 Second St.)
2 p.m. - Adult Workshop, "Three perspectives on the Battle of Lake Erie" (Campus Martius Museum)
6:45 p.m. - Music (Main tent, Marietta College)
7:30 p.m. - Margaret Blennerhassett (Main tent, Marietta College)
Wednesday
10:30 a.m. - Youth Workshop, "Inspired by Margaret Blennerhassett" (O'Neill Center, 333 Fourth St.)
2 p.m. Adult Workshop, "John and Johnny: Past, present and future" (O'Neill Center)
6:45 p.m. - Music (Main tent, Marietta College)
7:30 p.m. - York, Lewis and Clark expedition member (Main tent, Marietta College)
Thursday
10:30 a.m. - Youth Workshop, "Telling a tall tale" (Betsey Mills Club, 300 Fourth St.)
2 p.m. - Adult Workshop, "The American Indian perspective" (Betsey Mills Club)
6:45 p.m. - Music (Main tent, Marietta College)
7:30 p.m. - Oliver Hazard Perry (Main tent, Marietta College)
Friday
10:30 a.m. - Youth Workshop, "A Star Spangled Banner" (Valley Gem, 601 Front St.)
2 p.m. - Adult Workshop, "Women on America's western frontier" (Valley Gem)
6:45 p.m. - Music (Main tent, Marietta College)
7:30 p.m. - Chief Logan (Main tent, Marietta College)
Saturday
10:30 a.m. - Youth Workshop, "Adopted by Indians" (Ohio River Museum, 601 Front St.)
2 p.m. - Adult Workshop, "York, William Clark, Slavery and American history" (Ohio River Museum)
6:45 p.m. - Music (Main tent, Marietta College)
7:30 p.m. - Johnny Appleseed (Main tent, Marietta College)
"We've been working on it since then," McKain said.
After the Galion workers set up the tent and stage Monday, volunteers had to put out chairs and trash bins and get concessions in place. An orientation meeting was held in the evening with members of the local steering committee and the scholars who will be doing the live history presentations to "make sure that we're on the same page and that we're ready to rock and roll," said Fran Tiburzio, Chautauqua coordinator and director of public relations for the Ohio Humanities Council, which puts on the event.
This will be Tiburzio's 14th Chautauqua, and she admitted she was both excited and nervous as the start of the first leg of the five-city tour approached.
"Until everything starts, there's always the chance something can go wrong," she said.
There was at least one hiccup Monday, with scholar Marvin Jefferson's flight getting delayed, Tiburzio said.
There is also the potential for mishaps during the event itself, but Tiburzio has learned from past experience to be prepared. For example, one year, a fuse blew in the sound system and nobody had a new one to replace it.
"Now I have extra fuses, extra batteries," Tiburzio laughed. "I have an extra sound system."
But while possible pitfalls had to be anticipated, they weren't dampening the enthusiasm of Tiburzio or some of the scholar/performers making their way to the Pioneer City Monday.
Milton, W.Va., resident Dan Cutler has been performing in living history productions for a dozen years, but said he still looks forward to starting this latest Ohio Chautauqua journey.
"It's like a great adventure for everybody concerned, especially us," said Cutler, who will perform as Native American Chief Logan on Friday night.
Cutler said interacting with local residents and historians provides the scholars with opportunities to broaden their knowledge beyond what is generally available in published sources.
While Cutler has made past visits to Marietta, Jeremy Meier is coming here for the first time. The Sylvania resident will debut his performance of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Thursday, but plans to be out and about before then, attending workshops presented by his fellow scholars and the featured performances in the evening.
"It's really exciting to go to a new community, be able to learn a little bit of the history of the area," he said.
In addition to spending time with his Chautauqua peers, Meier said he looks forward to talking with local residents.
"You can't miss me; I'm the guy with the mutton sideburns," he said.
