Chief John Logan to perform tonight at Ohio Chautauqua
COSHOCTON — Dan Cutler, from Milton, WV, will take the Chautauqua stage tonight portraying Iroquois leader Chief John Logan.
Cutler has been a first-person interpreter since 1998. “The histories of the Ohio Valley and the Native Americans who lived and were displaced from there are far more interesting to me than most of the things finding merit in textbooks,” said Cutler. “That’s why I do what I do and my hope is that I might be able to illuminate that history for Chautauqua audiences.”
Cutler has two characters he portrays—Chief Logan and Cornstalk Warrior. “My favorite is whichever one I am performing at the time,” he said. “It is a challenge to keep them different from one another, as they were Chiefs from the same era and in many of the same locations, but since they were individuals with different backgrounds, attitudes and personalities it comes easier as research develops them.”
Cutler’s interest has always been focused on a particular era, rather than developing a character to fit the time period of whatever program he’s involved. “It is almost co-incidental that my characters fit the criteria of such a dynamic organization as Ohio Chautauqua,” he said. “Although both Logan and Cornstalk have been popular in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, the bulk of interest in these characters is in West Virginia where I have been a ‘History Alive ‘ presenter since 2000, and have been honored to be a part of Ohio Chautauqua in 2002, 2003, 2006, 2012 and this year.”
Cutler says that Chief Logan is an interesting balance between ‘good’ and ‘bad’. “That challenge is to make even the ‘bad’ Logan relative to the audience,” he explained. “Preparation for Ohio Chautauqua involves three parts—1) research particulars, 2) research incidentals, and 3) develop a ‘script’ which not only reflects the character and times but is interesting enough to keep the audience excited. In the performance and the workshops I endeavor to ‘see the light bulbs come on’, that the audience might have a better understanding of the real history and pride of their home country.”
“I’m excited to be able to spend a week in Coshocton absorbing local history and traditions which pique my interests in particular,” added Cutler. “This will be my first extended visit to the area.”
Chief John Logan will take the stage under the Ohio Chautauqua tent located at the Coshocton County Fairgrounds, tonight at 7:30 p.m. Prior to his performance, there will be musical entertainment by Michael Searching Bear playing Native American Flute at 6:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
Today’s youth workshop, sponsored by the Coshocton Public Library, will be at the Presbyterian Church featuring Marvin Jefferson entitled, ‘Telling a Tall Tale’. The adult workshop, which will be at COTC at 2 p.m., will feature Jeremy Meier on Three Perspectives on the Battle of Lake Erie.
Sponsors and contributors to the Ohio Chautauqua in Coshocton include The Coshocton Foundation, Montgomery Foundation, Simpson Family Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Coshocton, Kraft Foods, Given Dawson Funeral Home, Tom Leech, Raven’s Glenn Winery, Coshocton Village Inn & Suites, Central Ohio Technical College, Coshocton Presbyterian Church, Coshocton Public Library, Coshocton County Beacon, Annin & Co., and Frontier Power.
There is no charge to attend the evening performances or the daytime workshops. For more information about The Ohio Humanities Council and Ohio Chautauqua visit www.OhioHumanities.org. For more information about Ohio Chautauqua in Coshocton, contact the Coshocton Visitors Bureau at (740) 622-4877, 1-800-338-4724 or www.VisitCoshocton.com.
Category: Arts & Entertainment
