History To Spring Alive At Nic With ‘Journeys Through Time’

Curt Nelson needs his generalissimo uniform. Without it, his portrayal of South American liberator Simon Bolivar is a bit droll, a little underplayed, critics say.

Curt, an easygoing physics and astronomy instructor at North Idaho College, isn’t offended. He’s a student today. Before he performs Bolivar for hundreds of people in April, he wants to improve, sharpen, polish.

“That’s why I’m here,” he says, tipping his head at the NIC lecture hall where renowned humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson stands at the podium.

Clay’s students are preparing for North Idaho College’s upcoming “Journeys Through Time” series. The popular springtime lecture series is performed Chautauqua-style in which scholars portray famous and/or historical characters.

This year’s series will examine the past 1,000 years through 40 historical movers and shakers, including Henry Ford, Isaac Newton, Scott Joplin and Thomas Jefferson.

A Chautauqua portrayal is scholarly acting. Performers research their characters so thoroughly that they feel they understand their motivations, fears and emotions. That intimate knowledge helps them present characters audiences can chat with and pepper with questions.

NIC art teacher Allie Vogt couldn’t pass up the opportunity to dig a little deeper into one of her favorite artists, Georgia O’Keeffe. She’ll portray O’Keeffe at the April 5-9 series this year in her first attempt at Chautauqua.

Allie’s collection of books and periodicals on the artist is a foot high.

“I expect to reach a new level of understanding of her,” she says. “But I’m a little apprehensive of the performance.”

Clay, who performed Thomas Jefferson for President Clinton, warns his students that a character done properly can attract animosity. Audiences sometimes forget that Chautauquans aren’t the people they portray.

When he appeared as Jefferson before an audience in Nebraska once, a black woman familiar with the third president’s racist philosophies unleashed a lifetime of rage on him, he tells his students.

They’re momentarily speechless, and Clay smiles almost paternally. He wants to ease, not enlarge, their worries by preparing them for everything.

“You read, write, wear a cheesy costume and you’re done,” he says cheerily. “The audience here is very generous. No scholar has ever been embarrassed.”

Whew.

Ink spots

Ahem. Coeur d’Alene’s nearly-free clinic has not renamed itself after the 10-cent piece. Lake City Health Care is now the Dirne Community Health Clinic.

A note on the name change was included in last Sunday’s column, but a stubborn glob of ink hitched the R and N in Dirne (dir-knee) into an M. Without founder and supporter Lidwina Dirne, this model clinic for the working poor might not exist. So stop by at 1111 Ironwood Dr. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., or Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to noon, and thank Lidwina. She deserves it.

Watchable art

Coeur d’Alene’s Steve Gibbs knows people watch people, so he’s wisely promoting local artists by putting them, not just their works, on display.

A dozen of the area’s talented artists will draw, paint and sculpt from two live models in Coeur d’Alene’s Plaza Shops, 1-4 p.m., Saturday.

Go see Terry Lee’s wonderfully big paintings of wildlife or former soap opera star Steven Shortridge applying the oils to canvas.

Take the kids and tickle their creative side. It’s free. Steve will repeat the event Feb. 6.