The 2017 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 Lecture Passes for entry to their choice of lectures as well as discounts beyond their passes.  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, individual presentation passes received with your membership MUST be exchanged for a ticket to your selected event.  You may call us at (925) 462-2766 to set your tickets aside or come to the Museum on Main in person.  Keep in mind, some events may sell out and there will may be no tickets available at the door to exchange for your passes.

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, Republic Urban Properties
Community Sponsors: 
City of Pleasanton, Cellar Door,
​Best Western Plus Pleasanton Inn

SOLD OUT
​An Evening with Booker T. Washington
Tuesday, January 17th, 7pm

Although born into slavery, Booker T. Washington, lived much of his life in a post-Civil War America where advancing racial equality was a precarious endeavor. Washington became the major African-American spokesman in the eyes of white America because he publicly supported a more segregated approach to race relations. However, he secretly propagated the cause of racial equality by financing court cases and writing pamphlets under a pseudonym.  He was a guest of American Presidents and even Queen Victoria and is most well known as a proponent of equal access to education and African-American economic independence.  Booker T. Washington will be portrayed by scholar and Chautauquan James Armstead. 

SOLD OUT
An Evening with Harriet Tubman
Tuesday, February 14th, 7pm

Harriet Tubman is a name synonymous with courage, freedom, the underground railroad, and soon the 20-dollar bill. In her life, she escaped slavery and returned to the south to escort hundreds of slaves to freedom.  She became one of the leaders of the abolitionist movement and attended many anti-slavery meetings. During the Civil War, she worked as a cook, nurse, and spy for the Union. She was also an armed scout and the first woman to lead an armed expedition during the Combahee River Raid. The American Hero, Harriet Tubman, will be portrayed by actress Betty Jewell Slater. 

SOLD OUT
​An Evening with Bernardo de Galvez
Tuesday, March 21st, 7pm

Finally taking his place among the European heroes of the American Revolution is Governor General Bernardo de Galvez. He was the Spanish born aristocratic Governor to Spain's territories in the new world, who became the American patriot who fed and clothed the ragged army dying in Valley Forge and the warrior who drove the British from the western and southern borders in the Mississippi Valley. The story of Bernardo de Galvez's life is shared by actor and scholar Bruce Buonauro. 

SOLD OUT
​An Evening with Hugh Liang
Tuesday, April 11th, 7pm

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and subsequent fire destroyed nearly all of Chinatown.  Unknown numbers of the 14,000 Chinatown residents were killed in the fire and the rest were displaced from their homes.  Huey Liang survived the fire and wrote about it in his journal. His recounting of the earthquake is one of the only surviving records of the quake’s impact on Chinatown. Hugh Liang is portrayed by renowned story teller, musician, and historian William “Charlie” Chin.. 

An Evening with Louisa May Alcott
Tuesday, May 9th, 2pm- Tickets Available 
Tuesday, May 9th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

Louisa May Alcott is a beloved American author and self-declared woman’s rights advocate. She devoted her life to supporting her entire family and repaying family debts amassed over decades. She worked several jobs to support her family including teacher, nurse, domestic worker, and writer. She started writing as a young woman, influenced by the education she got from her father and family friends such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Her most famous work, Little Women, is an autobiographical work based on her memories of her childhood.  Actress Miriam Reed will be portraying Louisa May Alcott in a solo-play within a play entitled Living Little Women.  

SOLD OUT
​An Evening with Huey Long
Tuesday, June 13th, 7pm

Senator Huey P. Long was a populist demagogue from Louisiana. In 1935 he was on track to become the nation’s first “dictator” when he was assassinated. Long promised to get government away from the corporate fat cats and give it back to the people and thus, was both loved and despised. Today the nation would be a much different place had he become president during the Depression. The “Kingfish” Huey Long will be portrayed by Chautauqua scholar, journalist, historian, and author Frank X. Mullen. 

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​An Evening with George Washington
​At AMADOR THEATER
Tuesday, July 11th, 7pm

Everyone can name the first President of the United States, but how well do they know the military general, plantation owner, and founding father? Washington was a complex man who believed in ethical practices and refused to seek a third term in presidential office for the benefit of a democratic government. Educator and historical impressionist Peter Small will bring the "Father of our Country" to life to separate the man from the legend and fact from myth all the way from the cherry tree to the crossing of the Delaware River. 
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​An Evening with John D. Rockefeller
At AMADOR THEATER
Tuesday, August 8th, 7pm

A man with wealth beyond imagination, John D. Rockefeller’s reputation and legacy is intermixed with a negative perception of big business, big oil, and American greed. His companies altered the lives of ordinary people, often for the better, by creating more efficient and cheap products to improve Americans’ everyday lives. However, as the founder of Standard Oil, he made gasoline cheap and available helping America transition into the automobile era and a dependency on oil. Beyond a business man, Rockefeller was one of the first American philanthropists giving almost all his wealth away to charities and foundations. This enigmatic man will be portrayed by Chautauqua scholar, actor, and professor Doug Mishler. 
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SOLD OUT
An Evening with Winston Churchill
​At AMADOR THEATER
Tuesday, September 19th, 7pm
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Before becoming the cigar toting British Prime Minister who became famous during WWII, Winston Churchill thought he could provide a victory in WWI. In 1915, the little-known Battle of Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire became one of the worst defeats in modern military history. Churchill took all of the blame for the defeat but always said, “Don’t imagine I am running away from the Dardanelles. I glory in it.” After defeat, he fought at the front lines in France and eventually became Minister of Munitions and Secretary of State for Air and War. In 1919 he attended peace talks in Paris. A WWI Winston Churchill will be portrayed by professor and Chautauqua scholar Kevin Radaker. 

An Evening with Buffalo Bill Cody 
​At FIREHOUSE THEATER
Tuesday, October 10th, 2pm- Tickets Available
Tuesday, October 10th, 7pm- SOLD OUT

Viewed as one of the quintessential American showman, Buffalo Bill Cody had a larger than life character. He was a pony express rider, soldier, American scout, bison hunter, and Medal of Honor winner. He is most known for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, a large company of performers that toured the United States, Great Britain, and Europe putting on shows that highlighted the American West, cowboys, and the Indian Wars. This colorful figure will be portrayed by professor and Chautauquan Brian Kral.  
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An Afternoon with Audie Murphy
​At FIREHOUSE THEATER
Tuesday, November 14th, 2pm- Tickets Available 
​America’s most decorated WWII combat soldier and Hollywood star Audie Murphy is coming to Pleasanton’s Firehouse Arts Center on November 14th at 2pm. Award winning actor Duffy Hudson will portray the war hero in his one-man show about Murphy’s life.
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.