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Week Eight at Chautauqua helps to provide support for veterans

CHAUTAUQUA – Chautauqua Institution is proud to announce a special donation drive alongside its program lineup for Week Eight of its 2016 season, a week on veterans and war. For every purchase of a day, morning or afternoon pass, the Institution has pledged to donate $1 to the Chautauqua County Veterans Endowment Fund to provide financial assistance to local veterans. Renowned guests featured at Chautauqua this week include retired four-star general of the U.S. Army David H. Petraeus, executive producer and host of PBS’s “Coming Back with Wes Moore” Wes Moore, author Phil Klay, director of the VA’s Center for Women Veterans Kayla Williams and more.

The morning lecture series will take place at 10:45 a.m. Monday through Friday in the Amphitheater. The Week Eight theme, “War and Its Warriors: Contemporary Voices,” examines how war relates to the human condition from a multitude of different perspectives.

The Interfaith Lecture Series, at 2 p.m. weekdays in the Hall of Philosophy, has the theme “The Ethical Realities of War.” In an era of seemingly endless war, speakers will consider the true human costs of war, religious zealotry, and how to heal wounded souls and work towards a vision of global peace.

The Rev. Amy K. Butler, senior minister at The Riverside Church in New York City, will serve as ecumenical guest chaplain for the week. She previously served for 11 years as senior pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and as associate pastor at St. Charles Baptist Church in New Orleans.

Monday

Morning: Phil Klay is author of “Redeployment,” a collection of short stories about soldiers that won The National Book Award and The Chautauqua Prize, among other honors.

Afternoon: The Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock is founder and co-director of the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School, where she is an internationally recognized expert on the emerging study of moral injury and recovery.

Tuesday

Morning: Kayla Williams is director of the Center for Women Veterans and a former sergeant and Arabic linguist in a Military Intelligence company of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

Afternoon: Jonathan Shay was a staff psychiatrist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Boston for 20 years, where he exclusively treated combat veterans with severe psychological injuries.

Wednesday

Morning: Wes Moore is executive producer and host of PBS’s “Coming Back with Wes Moore,” a documentary series featuring veterans as they attempt to reintegrate into society.

Afternoon: Pamela Lightsey is associate dean for Community Life & Lifelong Learning at Boston University School of Theology. She is the only out African-American queer lesbian ordained as an elder in full connection in the United Methodist Church.

Thursday

Morning: Gen. (Ret.) David H. Petraeus is one of the most prominent combat commanders in American history, having led campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan and served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2011 to 2012. A retired four-star general, Petraeus’ military career spanned 37 years and culminated in six straight commands, five of which were in combat. He is widely credited with reducing the level of violence in Iraq with his leadership during the “Surge” and with halting the Taliban’s momentum in Afghanistan. His numerous honors and decorations include four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, three Army Distinguished Service Medals, and the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, among many others. Moore will join him in conversation.

Afternoon: Shareda Hosein is a retired lieutenant colonel who has served in the U.S. Army Reserves for 35 years.

Friday

Morning: Bryan Doerries is founder of Theater of War, a project that presents readings of ancient Greek plays to service members, veterans, caregivers and families to help initiate conversations about war and healing.

Afternoon: Paul K. Chappell is author of the “Road to Peace” series, a book series about ending war and waging peace.

Additional Lectures

3:30 p.m. Wednesday: Diane Ackerman speaks on her book, CLSC selection and New York Times best-seller “The Zookeeper’s Wife.” The book details the true story of the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo who, during the Holocaust, managed to save more than 300 people from the Nazis by hiding them in empty animal cages. Ackerman is the author of numerous works of nonfiction, poetry and children’s books, including her memoir “One Hundred Names for Love,” which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She was the host of the PBS series “A Natural History of the Senses,” inspired by her book of the same name, and has been featured in The New York Times, National Geographic, Smithsonian and other publications.

3:30 p.m. Thursday: Stanley Lombardo speaks on his translation of Homer’s Iliad, a CLSC selection. His adaptation of the text presents the Greek epic poem’s account of the Trojan War in a streamlined fashion, lending to a vivid, lively rendition of one of the world’s greatest stories of men and war. Lombardo is a former professor of classics at the University of Kansas and has also translated the Odyssey and the Aeneid.

Amphitheater Entertainment

Aside from the daily lectures, Week Eight features a variety of evening entertainment programs at the Amphitheater each night.

On Saturday, Chautauqua welcomes two virtuoso musicians as Grammy winners Chris Botti and Joshua Bell both perform alongside the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Botti has previously collaborated with Paul Simon, Sting and Yo-Yo Ma, among other musicians. Bell has been hailed by The Boston Herald as “the greatest American violinist active today.” Tickets for the show are $60 with preferred seating sold out.

At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Chautauqua School of Dance Student Gala will feature dance students under Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s direction in the Amphitheater. Admission to the grounds is free on Sundays.

On Monday, the School of Music’s Festival Orchestra returns to the Amphitheater stage at 8:15 p.m. with Timothy Muffitt and Louis Lohraseb conducting. The repertoire includes pieces by Richard Wagner and Dmitri Shostakovich. As part of a series of Community Appreciation Nights, tickets are $20.

At 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, the CSO presents “An Evening in Spain” with conductor Rossen Milanov, guitarist Jason Vieaux and mezzo-soprano Amanda Lynn Bottoms. As part of a series of Community Appreciation Nights, tickets are $20.

On Wednesday, singer-songwriter Paul Thorn comes to Chautauqua to perform. The Tupelo, Mississippi-raised former prizefighter and son of a preacher brings his rootsy style and four-piece band to Chautauqua for a feel-good evening of fun. Tickets are $42.

The CSO returns on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. with guest conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl and violinist Nicolas Dautricourt for a repertoire of pieces by Felix Mendelssohn. Tickets for the show are $42.

On Friday, Chautauqua welcomes “The Purple Xperience: A Concert Celebration of the Life and Inspiration of Prince,” a tribute to the iconic rock star led by former Prince and the Revolution band member Dr. Fink. The show begins at 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $42, and Chautauqua County residents can receive a special offer by calling the Chautauqua Institution Ticket Office.

Alternative Entertainment

Chautauqua Theater Company’s production of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” opens on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Bratton Theater. Love, power, gender roles and companionship reach unbridled new heights in this spin on the classic battle of the sexes, featuring male actors in the women’s roles and vice versa. Additional shows are slated for 2:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday, 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, 2:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday, 4 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.n. Friday. Tickets for the show are $35.

Chautauqua Region Youth Ballet returns to the Institution on Tuesday. A part of the Chautauqua community for over 20 years, CRYB has maintained a reputation for excellence in both its teaching studios and on stage in its performances. Come join these talented local youth as they show young audience members the best part about staying on their toes. Admission to the performance at Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall is free.

Day tickets are available for purchase at the Main Gate Welcome Center Ticket Office on the day of your visit. Morning tickets grant visitors access to the grounds from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $24. Afternoon tickets grant access from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. for $16. Combined morning/afternoon passes allow access from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and cost $40. Evening passes grant access from 4 p.m. to midnight with the cost varying based on the evening entertainment. For tickets and information, visit chqtickets.com or call 716-357-6250.

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