Think you know the story of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein? Ever wonder how President Teddy Roosevelt became connected to cuddly stuffed bears? Hear those stories, and others, when Ohio Chautauqua, a touring living history fair, makes a local stop.
Under the big red-and-white striped tent at Rossford’s Veterans Memorial Park (300 Hannum Ave.), history re-enactors will appear in character to talk about his/her life and to interact with audience members. Each evening will feature a single story. Mary Shelley will explain why Frankenstein is much more than just a monster story. Teddy Roosevelt will talk about his life as an explorer and a hunter (and the first “Teddy Bear”), Dian Fossey will tell about her work with the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Shawnee Indian Chief Cornstalk will explain how his people had to learn to live with the American colonists at the time of the American Revolution. Even, Marie Curie will make a cameo to explain what she did to help save lives during World War I (bet you’ve never heard this story!).
The Chautauqua program was established by Ohio Humanities in 1999 as part of its mission to “help individuals and communities explore, share, and be inspired by the human experience.” The Rossford program will mark the second time Ohio Chautauqua has appeared there; the first was in 2013.
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Susan Marie Frontczak, who will appear as Madame Marie Curie and Mary Shelley, uses storytelling to combine her love of science and the humanities.
Familiar faces
Susan Marie Frontczak, who appears as Marie Curie and Mary Shelley, has been a history re-enactor for 15 years.
“I didn’t like history when I was a kid,” she explains, “because it was so dry. But, when I left the world of engineering to become a storyteller, I learned so much that was interesting. I found that the issues these famous people dealt with are still issues today, and human beings are still struggling to make a better world. These presentations are about history, but they are also about ‘humanness’ and I think there is something for everybody.”
Tuesday, June 28-Saturday, July 2 | 10am/youth presentations | 2pm/adult
presentations | 6:30pm/live local music | 7:30pm/evening shows
(one each night).
Daytime performances held at the library, night performances at the park.
The Rossford Public Library | 720 Dixie Hwy. | Rossford
614-461-7802 | ohiohumanities.org/ohiochataugua | Free
