Engage with Winter Chautauqua: Talks & Performances

Justice in America

What does that mean? What does that look like?

In 2027, the Greenville Chautauqua, along with you, will explore both the nature of justice and the nature of injustice in America. From its earliest days, the people of our great nation sought to set right the wrongs they observed. But they also turned their eyes away from and refused to consider many wrongs that Americans today would never tolerate.

Each generation in American history produced citizens who saw the ignored but omnipresent wrongs and chose to speak out and act out so the injustices could be set right. Patriots arose to break away from the shackles of British control, especially taxation without representation. Religious leaders spoke out and acted out to expose the sin of slavery and abolish the profound moral evil. In addition to these injustices, was it fair that women were treated as chattel by their fathers, their husbands and the laws of the land?

In our exploration of American Justice we will begin our journey in February with a surprising, perhaps unexpected individual:

Al Capone. Was he a gangster or a businessman and champion of the downtrodden? Was he a murderer or a misunderstood opportunist? Capone will plead his case, sharing his view of American justice from his own unique perspective. You are invited to be there, to hear his words and to question him yourself. That interaction is the very special thing that makes Chautauqua the compelling theater that it is!

Al Capone portrayed by Doug Mishler

The King of Crime: The Strange Career of Alphonse Capone

It is hard to find anyone who hasn’t heard of Al Capone. Today, nearly 100 years after his demise, he remains a fixture in American culture. He is seen by some as the perfect self-made man due to his skewed rags-to-riches story. He is a near mythical character whose mystique is profound and his deeds legendary--even when they are violent crimes. Amazingly, this notoriety was achieved by a man whose actual career lasted less than a decade!

Capone’s brief but bloody story is a dramatic chapter in American history, with Al dominating the social and cultural life of Chicago and the nation during Prohibition. Capone always maintained that he was not really a criminal; he was just a businessman who supplied the booze Americans wanted. He did not mention the girls, the gambling or the rackets. He portrayed himself as a type of Robin Hood, working hard to better his family and his community.

Meeting Al was always a complex undertaking. He could be charming one moment, but in an instant fly into a murderous rage. He was mercurial yet coolly intelligent; benevolent yet violent; a good husband and devoted father yet a cold-blooded killer. To say Al was complex is to barely touch the surface.

So, what are you waiting for? This is your opportunity to visit with Al and learn all about his career in old Chicago during the roaring 1920s. You can also ask any question you would like—if you dare.

___

Dr. Doug A. Mishler

Since 1993 when he accidentally became P. T. Barnum, Doug has toured the country bringing “history to life” with a rogue’s gallery of characters. He recently added Big Al Capone and has just launched Thomas Paine! Doug’s diverse characters include Nikita Khrushchev, Theodore Roosevelt, Ernie Pyle and even Pablo Picasso. In Doug’s more than 800 presentations, he has portrayed Henry Ford, Jackson Pollock and, recently, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Chuck Yeager, Gene Roddenberry and Earl Warren. Yes, you are correct; Doug hears voices. But only 34 of them are actual historical characters. The others we don’t talk about. He is also the founder & Managing Artistic Director of Restless Artists’ Theatre in Reno and taught American Cultural history for more than 23 years. And no, he does not have a real job!

Winter Chautauqua

Justice in America

What does that mean? What does that look like?

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