the john muir exhibit - bibliographic_resources - john_muir_bibliography - live presentations
Live Presentations and Enactments
See also: Live Presentations for
more details about these and other presenters portraying or presenting John
Muir.
Lawrence Downing presents "John Muir and the United States National Park
System".
Lecture
A long-time Sierra Club Director and former President of the Club, Larry Downing
presented a Lecture for the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in Glasgow and
Edinburgh, Scotland,
in October of 1992,
and has been active in promoting Muir internationally.
Contact: Larry Downing,
2400 Crest Lane Southwest,
Rochester MN 55902. e-mail: lawrence.downing@sierraclub.org.
G. Thomson Fraser's play "Giants
in the Wilderness" is
based on the lives, letters, and writings of John Muir, Gifford Pinchot,
and Charles Sprague Sargent. The play focuses on how these three naturalists
had divergent
opinions on the best way to save America's forests. It was first produced
by the Mont Wachusett Community College Drama Circle in May 1998 and subsequently
toured as part of the Centennial Celebration of the Massachusetts State
Forest and Park System. It is now available in published form in the book
EcoTheater
for the Global Village: Giants in the Wildernes by G. Thomson
Fraser. For more info, see: http://ecotheaterfortheglobalvillage.com/
Frank Helling presents
"The Scootcher of a Lifetime -- A visit with John Muir".
Live Dramatic Performances.
Frank Helling brings Muir to life,
as he tells the story of his life,
with variations suitable for schools,
universities,
or environmental and civic groups.
Contact:
Frank E. Helling,
4028 N. Wilson, Fresno CA 93704.
Telephone: (209) 224-6857
or (209) 645-1122.
E-mail: pag25@csufresno.edu
Barbara Lechelt presents "John Muir" Live narrated Slide Program.
Barbara Lechelt illustrates Muir's life with outstanding slides from Dunbar
Scotland,
Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, California's foothills and high Sierra,
Muir's Martinez home,
and Alaska glaciers and mountains.
Contact:
Barbara Lechelt,
76 Angela Ave.,
San Anselmo CA 94960.
Stephen Most's play “Forces of Nature” is a
play commissioned by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association celebrating
Gifford Pinchot and John Muir. The plot of the play follows
Pinchot and Muir as they exchange views on conservation and speak with
President Roosevelt about conserving land. The conflict
between conserving natural resources for human use and preserving nature
from human interference came to a head over the issue of whether to dam
the Hetch Hetchy Valley to provide power and light for San Francisco. The
play premiered on November
9, 2007 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, CT,
as a staged reading directed by Michael Wilson, in which James Naughton
played John Muir, John Benjamin Hickey played Gifford Pinchot, and Brian
Denneny was Theodore Roosevelt. It has been performed since then elsewhere
in New England. For example, on May 1, 2010, it was performed at Holcomb
Farm in Granby, CT. According to press reports quoting Holcomb Farm Learning
Center Executive Director Jim Lofink, on May 1, 2010, the play was performed
in a historic hayloft, with a potluck dinner held beforehand. A projection
system broadcast historical images behind the performers to help set the
scenes. “It
put that all in a context in this wonderful 3000 square foot open historical
structure,” said
Lofink. “The
ambiance was much aligned with the context.” Playwright Stephen Most
is an author, playwright, and documentary scriptwriter, including writing
the script for "The Greatest Good," a history of the U.S. Forest Service.
He is currently writing a film about Aldo Leopold.
Gerald Pelrine presents "The Tale of Stickeen"
Wisconsin actor, singer, and puppeteer Gerald Pelrine presents a dramatic presentation of the classic story
of "Stickeen" - the "wee dog" who survived a nearly-disastrous adventure on an Alaskan glacier with John Muir. Click on title link for photo and description. Contact: Gerald Pelrine,
302 South Highland Road, Sister Bay, Wisconsin 54234, Tel: 920-854-1898, email:
gpelrine@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Pomeroy presents "John Muir in Southern California".
Informal Lecture with Slides.
Elizabeth Pomeroy discusses John Muir's friendship and activities
in the Southland from his first visit in 1877
to his death in Los Angeles in 1914,
including his ties with Charles Lummis,
T.F. Lukens,
A.C. Vroman,
John Burroughs,
and others.
Contact: Elizabeth Pomeroy,
2111 E. Mountain St.,
Pasadena, CA 91104.
Telephone: (818) 791-7660. E-mail: EWPomeroy@aol.com
Nancy Robichaud's musical play, "The Wild Adventures of John
Muir" premiered
June 5, 2010 in an outdoor theater at Big Creek Meadow Ranch in Groveland
California, as part of the "John Muir Festival" celebrating the
dedication of the new John
Muir Highway in Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties in California near Yosemite.
Written and Directed by Nancy Robichaud, Music by Ann Schafer, Produced
by Yosemite Playhouse. In the premiere, playing John Muir was Luke Sullivan,
Teddy Roosevelt was portrayed by Kris Corey, and Michael Rhodes played
Chase, a young boy who discovers how to complete his homework assignment,
a report about John Muir. A Tenaya Elementary School chorus assisted with
songs and dancing to add to the production.
Donnell Rubay - Author of Stickeen: John Muir and the Brave Little Dog
Donnell Rubay gives school presentations about the life and work of John Muir, as well as explaining the writing and publishing of a picture book.
Contact: Donnell Rubay,
175 West H Street,
Benicia, CA 94510,
Tel: 707-746-6193
Dr. Richard E. Shore presents "John Muir: A Thousand-Mile Journey."
Live Dramatic Performances.
Dr. Shore brings Muir to life again by recounting his adventurous life,
and then segueing into how Muir might feel about today's environmental problems,
from global warming to deforestation.
Not a merely a historical presentation,
this is a hard-biting environmental polemic,
enjoyable for young and old alike. Click on title link for photo and description.
Contact:
Dr. Richard Shore,
795 Whippoorwill Rd, Battletown KY 40104.
Telephone: (502) 496-4187.
E-mail: dickshore@earthlink.net
Lee Stetson Presents "An Evening with a Tramp." Live Dramatic Performances.
Lee Stetson performs in Yosemite during the summer,
and travels around the United States and the world
during the winter with his outstanding presentations.
Click on title link for photo and description.
Contact:
Lee Stetson's Wild Productions
,
Box 93,
Midpines, CA 95345
Telephone: (209) 742-7838.
e-mail: leestetson@sierratel.com
Ginger Wadsworth - Author of "John Muir, Wilderness Protector
Ginger Wadsworth gives school presentations from K through 8th grade. In addition to John Muir, she has written children's biographies of Rachel Carson, John Burroughs, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Susan Butcher, plus books on Giant Sequoia, Desert Discoveries, Tigers, and other natural science topics. Contact:
Ginger Wadsworth, 2 Fleetwood Court, Orinda, CA 94563, Phone: (925) 254-8077, Fax: (925) 254-8069, E-mail: plumepal@aol.com, Website:
www.gingerwadsworth.com
Graham White - Scotland's foremost exponent of John Muir. Available for a variety of talks about John Muir, and most crucially, his importance as inspiration for the global need for environmental protection.
Willow Theatre's Mountain Days: The
John Muir Musical. This play presents the entire exciting life
story of John Muir in a Broadway-style musical, which
played for several seasons after its premiere in October, 2000 in Concord and
Martinez, California. The musical is based on a concept by director Richard Elliott,
of the Willows Theatre Company of Concord, California. With an original score
by award-winning composer Craig Bohmler and lyrics by Tony-nominated playwright
Mary Bracken Phillips, Mountain Days boasted a cast of 80 performers, 28 symphony
musicians and a 50 person chorus.
Harold Wood - Webmaster & Coordinator of Sierra Club John Muir Education
Team - Available as a public speaker on John Muir generally, including
illustrated presentations about John Muir. Featured preentations include: "John
Muir's Continuing Inspiration," "John
Muir Around the World," "John Muir and the Animal Kingdom," and "John
Muir in India." He is also available for workshops to discuss the John Muir
in education (including the John Muir
Study Guide and History Day), John Muir
in general, or other Muir-related topics such as the California
State Quarter.
Contact: harold.wood@sierraclub.org .
Other presenters about John Muir include
Erik Brynildson
,
Fountain Lake Farm,
Rt. 1, Box 59,
Montello, WI 53949;
Chris Dempsey
(contact Kings Canyon National Park);
Ron Limbaugh
(former Director of John Muir Center, University of the Pacific)
Ed Nelson
presents "John Muir" in live performances geared for classrooms in southern California. For information, contact: Ed Nelson, Telephone: (909) 799-7407;
and
Steve Pauly
(contact John Muir National Historic Site.) or e-mail: s_pauly@yahoo.com
See also Audiocassettes section of Bibliography
and John Muir Tribute CD for more lecturers on John Muir.
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