91̽��

Pack your curiosity and  warm up your singalong voice: the Red Dot Players are inviting audiences to step back exactly a century for Chautauqua 1925, an old-time musical revue written and directed by retired 91̽�� Education Technology Coordinator, Mike Minions.

Performances will light up the 91̽�� Theatre in Kelowna from October 23–26.

Part history lesson, part front-porch jam session, Chautauqua 1925 recreates the magic of the travelling chautauquas that [4] criss-crossed North America in the early 20th century. Expect humour, wholesome advice, and toe-tapping[6]  favourites like You Are My Sunshine, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, and Man of Constant Sorrow. In other words: songs you know by heart, even if you didn’t know you knew them.

“I first came across many of these songs on a 1972 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album,” said director Mike Minions, then aged 14. “Some others are from the original Carter Family recordings, and some were used in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
 

But this isn’t just a nostalgic nod to the past. Chautauqua 1925 is a reminder of how music and community gatherings have always helped people connect, reflect, and celebrate —something just as true today as it was a hundred years ago.

Minions’ research found that the actual Dominion Chautauqua circuit (based out of Calgary) toured over 400 towns in Western Canada between 1917 and 1935. It included three days of lectures, workshops and meetings, with nightly wholesome family entertainment, “We’re just doing the entertainment part,” said Minions. 
 

The cast brings together 91̽�� students, alumni, employees and community members, creating a production that’s as collaborative as the chautauquas themselves.

It’s always interesting putting a show like this together,” shared Minions. “I bring along a few ideas but it’s the cast of characters that make the lyrics come to life. And the strong band does a great job supporting each song in a way that suits it best.”

Performance Details
Thursday, October 23 at 7 p.m.
Friday, October 24 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 25 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 26 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $15, available at