The 2018 Ed Kinney Speaker Series presents 
An Evening With...

About the Series

The Ed Kinney Series is a monthly program of historical character portrayals and speakers.  Spend an evening with historic characters such as Mark Twain or Babe Ruth and hear from speakers who are experts in their fields.

Many of the speakers in the series are Chautauquans, a type of historical character performance originating in Chautauqua, New York.  The Chautauquan is in character from the moment they step onto the stage, through a Q & A portion, and finally will step out of character to answer questions that the historic character they portray could not address.

DVDs of select lectures are available for purchase at the Museum on Main Gift Shop.  Special thanks to Michael Bruner of Brogan Video for recording services. 

Who Was Ed Kinney?

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Museum on Main’s annual series is named in honor of former Pleasanton Mayor Mr. Ed Kinney.

Mr. Kinney was a resident of Pleasanton for many years and was a wonderful advocate for the city.   His involvement and service to the city inspired both the Ed Kinney Series and the Ed Kinney Community Patriot Award.  He also served as a Vice-President for the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society (Museum on Main).

Mr. Kinney is warmly remembered as the emcee of the parades in the downtown where he would broadcast from the balcony of the Pleasanton Hotel.

Location and Tickets
TICKETS ON SALE DEC. 1st

All lectures in the Ed Kinney Series take place at either :
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The Firehouse Arts Center 
4444 Railroad Avenue
Pleasanton, CA 94566
The Amador Theater  
1155 Santa Rita Road
Pleasanton, CA 94566
Member Benefits!
Members of Museum on Main receive discounted ticket rates and passes for free tickets!  Find out more about Membership Benefits.
Ticketing
Please note: All ticketing for the "An Evening With..." Series is through Museum on Main.
The Firehouse Arts Center Box Office does not handle our ticketing.

$15    General Admission
$10     Seniors (65+) / Students (with valid ID)
 $7     Members

*MEMBERS WITH LECTURE PASSES: Please note, Member lecture passes MUST be applied to your ticket order. You may call us at (925) 462-2766 or come to the Museum on Main in person to order your tickets and apply your passes. Your lecture passes do not guarantee tickets. 

Buy Tickets!
Many of the shows in the An Evening with... series sell out.  Tickets may be available at the event subject to availability.  Cash, check, Visa and MasterCard accepted.
Online 
Click Here to Purchase tickets Online
Tickets purchased online will be available for pick up at Will Call in the lobby of the venue on the evening of the event.
By Phone
Charge tickets by phone at (925) 462-2766.
Tickets purchased by phone will be available for pick up at Will Call in the lobby of the venue on the evening of the event. Visa and Mastercard accepted.
In Person
Buy your tickets At Museum on Main during regular operating hours. Cash, check, Visa or Mastercard accepted.
Ed Kinney Speaker Series Sponsors 
Corporate Sponsors:
​Chevron Corporation
Community Sponsors: 
City of Pleasanton, Cellar Door,
​Best Western Plus Pleasanton Inn

​2018 Ed Kinney Speaker Series An Afternoon with... Season Pass 
Enjoy all ten shows with this season pass!
​Please note: For the An Afternoon with... Season Pass, the performance time and venue will not always be the same.
January, February, April, May, June, August, September, and October shows will be 2:00 pm performances at the Firehouse Arts Center located at 4444 Railroad Avenue in Pleasanton.
March and July shows will be 7:00 pm performances at the Amador Theater located at 1155 Santa Rita Road in Pleasanton. ​ ​​

​An Afternoon or Evening with...
​Coretta Scott King
​At Firehouse Arts Center
Tuesday, January 16th, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, January 16th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

Coretta Scott King is known as the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. but she was a civil rights leader in her own right. She was also an author and singer, as well as an activist for equal rights for women and the LGBT community. She was instrumental in creating the King Center and preserving her husband’s legacy. Coretta Scott King will be portrayed by actress Betty Jewell Slater. 

An Afternoon or Evening with... 
Eugene O'Neill and Carlotta Monterey
​At Firehouse Arts Center
Tuesday, February 13th, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, February 13th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

America's only Nobel Prize winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill, chose to live in Danville at the height of his writing career. Isolated from the world and within the walls of the Tao House, O'Neill wrote his final and most memorable plays; The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten. He is credited as one of America’s greatest playwrights, who brought realism and the American vernacular to the stage. Brian Kral and his wife Dale will be portraying the famous couple. 

​An Evening with Florence Nightingale
​At Amador Theater
Tuesday, March 27th, 7pm- Tickets Available

Known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” Florence Nightingale was a Victorian era cultural icon. She was a social reformer, statistician, and most notably the founder of modern nursing. Florence Nightingale will be portrayed by actress, author, and nurse Candy Campbell.   

​An Afternoon or Evening with... 
Benedict Arnold
​At Firehouse Arts Center
Tuesday, April 17th, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, April 17th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

In the United States, the name of Benedict Arnold is synonymous with “traitor.” However, his story is about more than betrayal. Benedict Arnold lived a long and complicated life, full of potential greatness and unrealized expectations. Benedict Arnold will be portrayed at the end of his life by author, historian, and Chautauqua Frank X. Mullen. 

An Afternoon or Evening with...
Susan B. Anthony
​At Firehouse Arts Center
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, May 22nd, 7pm- SOLD OUT

​Susan B. Anthony was a champion of the Women’s Rights Movement and a women’s right to vote. She prophesied “an era of single women” who would not allow themselves to be ruled by a husband. But as a young woman, Anthony was interested in pretty dresses, parties, and being courted. Hear from Anthony as she turns from these concerns and joins Elizabeth Cady Stanton in questioning the conventions of womanhood. Susan B. Anthony will be portrayed by actress Miriam Reed.  

​An Afternoon or Evening with...
Henry David Thoreau
​​At Firehouse Arts Center
Tuesday, June 12th, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, June 12th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

Henry David Thoreau was an apostle of wilderness, Transcendentalist leader, social critic, and political dissenter. His civil disobedience influenced Martin Luther King and Gandhi, while his writings, most notably his book Walden, inspired naturalists like John Muir.  Thoreau’s provocative and eloquent words will be brought to life by Chautauqua scholar Kevin Radaker. 

​An Evening with... Three Presidents 
​At Amador Theater
Tuesday, July 10th, 7pm- Tickets Available

Listen to three of America’s great Presidents interact as they never could in life. Hear the voice of our beloved 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, the forgotten voice of our 20th President, James A. Garfield, and the outspoken voice of our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt. The three Presidents will reminisce about their lives, discuss their presidencies, and share their opinions on government. Robert Broski will portray Abraham Lincoln, Bruce Buonauro will portray James Garfield, and Peter Small will portray Theodore Roosevelt.   

​An Afternoon or Evening with...
General John J. Pershing 
At Firehouse Arts Center
Tuesday, August 14th, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, August 14th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

John J. Pershing served as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force during WWI. His long and storied career spans the bridge between the frontier Army of the 19th century and the global power of the 20th. General Pershing will be portrayed by the talented Chautauqua Doug Mishler.  

An Afternoon or Evening with... Benjamin Franklin
​At Firehouse Arts Center
Tuesday, September 25th, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, September 25th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

As an iconic figure in US history, Benjamin Franklin has had a lasting effect not only on the politics of our country but also on our American culture. He was a statesman, author, publisher, inventor, scientist, and humorist. Actor Phil Soinski will bring this eccentric and extraordinary man to life. 

An Afternoon or Evening with...
Houdini  
​​At Firehouse Arts Center
Tuesday, October 16th, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, October 16th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

Back by popular demand is actor Duffy Hudson as famed illusionist and magic mastermind, Harry Houdini.  Houdini was a Hungarian-American born illusionist and stunt performer and is best known for his sensational escape acts, including handcuffs, ropes slung from skyscrapers, and a straitjacket under water. Actor Duffy Hudson will bring to life the personal side of Houdini, including his ventures into film and aviation.
For more information on the Ed Kinney Series or speakers taking part in the series, contact
the Director of Education at (925) 462-2766 or education@museumonmain.org.