Willa Cather and "One of Ours"
The Castle & Cathedral District, Metropolitan Community College, and the National Willa Cather Center are excited to present the 15th annual Art & Literary Festival! The festival runs November 15-17, 2024.
The Castle & Cathedral District, in partnership with Metropolitan Community College and the National Willa Cather Center, is proud to host the 15th annual Art and Literary Festival. In 2024, we are highlighting Nebraska’s own Willa Cather with dramatic readings, lectures, and exhibitions, spanning three days, multiple venues, and two cities!
Last year marked the 150th anniversary of Willa Cather's birth. The year also marked the 100th anniversary of her Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours.
A dramatic reading of excerpts from Cather's acclaimed novel One of Ours will be presented at Joslyn Castle on Friday, November 15, and Sunday, November 17, and at the Red Cloud Opera House on Saturday, November 16. An ensemble of seven will give voice to Claude Wheeler and the array of characters he encounters on his journey from farm boy to Doughboy.
In addition to dramatic readings, our community is invited to attend scholarly lectures, an exhibition, tastings, and more over the course of the three-day festival.
The public is invited to step into Willa’s world with us, as we learn about her fascinating life, as told through her beloved American novel.
The Art and Literary Festival is presented with the support of Humanities Nebraska, the Nebraska Arts Council, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.
November 15, 16, 17 - "One of Ours" Dramatic Readings
NOTE: November 15th and 17th readings will be hosted at the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE. The November 16 performance will be held in Red Cloud, NE at the National Willa Cather Center. Tickets for the Red Cloud performance can be reserved here.
Join us for a dramatic reading of excerpts from Cather's acclaimed novel "One of Ours" by an ensemble of seven local actors, who will give voice to Claude Wheeler and the array of characters he encounters on his journey from farm boy to Doughboy.
After the dramatic readings, attendees are invited to stay after for a talk-back conversation with the cast and crew of "One of Ours."
Funding for this event was provided by Humanities Nebraska, Nebraska Arts Council, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.
November 15 - Festival Opening Reception
To fete the opening of our weekend festivities, we are excited to welcome back our friend, fashion historian Sue McLain of Yesterday's Lady. She will be presenting an interactive talk about prairie fashions during the time of Willa Cather. This free talk will kick off our Lit Fest opening reception!
Yesterday's Lady boasts a collection and knowledge of vintage clothing spanning nearly two centuries, from the early 1800's to the 1960's. Sue is a member of the Humanities Nebraska speakers bureaur and travels the state educating groups about the contributions of fashion to our shared stories.
This is a FREE engagement, that is open to the public. Doors will open at 4:45pm, and the program will begin at 5pm. Registration is not required.
After the fashion presentation, enjoy live folk music, exhibits, and the Omaha Public Library Pop Up Library Truck!
Join us at the Castle from 5pm-7pm for a free public celebration!
5pm-6pm: Prairie Fashion History presentation with Sue McLain of Yesterday's Lady
6pm-7pm: Exhibits, Music, Omaha Public Library Pop Up Truck
At 7:30pm, our ticketed dramatic readings of "One of Ours" will commence.
November 17 at 6pm: FREE Lecuture ft. Dr. Charles Johanningsmeir
Join us in the historic Joslyn Castle Music Room for a free lecture about "One of Ours" from noted Cather scholar Dr. Charles Johanningsmeier! This lecture is presented prior to the evening's ticketed dramatic reading performance.
Doors open at 5:45pm. The lecture will begin at 6pm.
About our Scholar:
Doctor Charles Johanningsmeier is Professor of English and Isaacson Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he teaches a wide range of courses on American literature and culture. His research primarily focuses on literary matters during the period between 1865 and 1940. He is the author of the books Reimagining Realism: A New Anthology of Late 19th- and Early 20th-Century American Short Fiction (Ohio University Press, 2022) and Fiction and the American Literary Marketplace: The Role of Newspaper Syndicates in America, 1860-1900 (Cambridge University Press, 1997). Most relevant for this presentation is that he has published a number of academic journal articles on Willa Cather and has delivered many presentations on Cather and her works at conferences and universities in the US and Europe. A long-time member of the Willa Cather Foundation Board of Governors, he regularly offers a graduate seminar on Cather at UNO, the highlight of which is an overnight trip to Cather’s hometown of Red Cloud to walk in her footsteps and thereby better understand her fictions.
