The 2025 Ed Kinney Speaker Series presents
An Afternoon or Evening With...
2025 Tickets on Sale January 28th
About the SeriesThe 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?
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. |
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Locations:
In- Person: Firehouse Arts Center Virtual Viewing: BigMarker Webinar Platform 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. In- Person Performances at the Firehouse Arts Center: (per- person) $25 General Admission $20 Seniors (65+) / Students (with valid ID) $15 Members No refunds For the 2025 season we will only accommodate a request to switch an in-person ticket to a virtual viewing ticket at no cost up to seven days before the live performance date. We will make exceptions for emergencies at our discretion. If you need to switch your in-person ticket to a virtual ticket during the 2 weeks before the virtual performance date, you can do so by purchasing a virtual ticket for the general admission price. A virtual Viewing on BigMarker: (per- household) Large groups such as senior centers or schools who would like to purchase for large group viewing- please contact the museum for pricing $25 General Admission $20 Seniors (65+) / Students (with valid ID) $15 Members No refunds Due to copyright, if you miss the virtual viewing for whatever reason there will be no alternative viewing times provided to you. The cost of your unused ticket can be applied to an upcoming virtual viewing program if requested or it will be considered a donation to the museum. Refunds based on unexpected technical difficulties will be considered on a case by case basis, but must be reported to the Director of Education via email ([email protected]) or phone (925)462-2766 during the 24 hour viewing window. Member Benefits!
Members of Museum on Main receive discounted ticket rates and vouchers for free tickets! Find out more about Membership Benefits. *MEMBERS WITH SERIES VOUCHERS: Please note, Member Speaker Series Vouchers 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 vouchers. Your vouchers do not guarantee tickets.
Buy Tickets!
Many of the shows in the An Afternoon or Evening with... series sell out. Tickets may be available at the event subject to availability. Cash, check, Visa and MasterCard accepted. |
Read about our virtual offering, called A VIRTUAL VIEWING. Watch a recording of the An Evening with... performances from the comfort of your home with our Virtual Viewing program. One week after the live performance, Virtual Viewing ticket holders will be emailed a link to watch the recording using an “On Demand” webinar format. Participants can watch the recording on the day of the virtual viewing at any time that is convenient for them. The link will work for 24 hours and will only permit a single viewing within that time frame. |
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Online
Tickets purchased online will be emailed to purchaser. Please present the ticket on your smartphone at the event or give your name to ticket checkers. |
By Phone
Charge tickets by phone at (925) 462-2766. Tickets purchased by phone will be emailed to purchaser. Please present the ticket on your smartphone at the event or give your name to ticket checkers.Visa and Mastercard accepted. |
In Person
Buy your tickets At Museum on Main during regular operating hours. Cash, check, Visa or Mastercard accepted. Tickets purchased in person will be emailed to purchaser. Please present the ticket on your smartphone at the event or give your name to ticket checkers.Visa and Mastercard accepted. |
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2025 Ed Kinney Speaker Series Sponsors
Community Sponsors: City of Pleasanton Civic Arts Commission Grant Program, Hyatt House Family of Donna Reed |
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2025 Ed Kinney Speaker SeriesAn Afternoon or Evening with... General George S. Patton
Thursday, February 27th, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, March 6th, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform General George S. Patton Jr. was at once an iconoclast, a visionary, a rebel, and a controversial figure. While no one individual won the war, he played a vital part in helping the United States Army win the Second World War in Europe. He epitomized the aggressive spirit vital in waging modern armored warfare. The Battle of the Bulge was in many ways Americas greatest achievement in Europe, and Patton was the man of the hour with the forces needed and the vision to use it to full advantage. Hear Patton’s point of view when James Armstead portrays the general. |
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An Afternoon or Evening with... Charlie Chaplin
Thursday, March 27th, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, April 3rd, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform When Charles Chaplin began filming The Great Dictator in 1939, Hollywood was hesitant about the project. Was it too risky to release a brazen satire of Naziism while the US was still technically neutral? By 1942, Chaplin was publicly advocating US support for Russia in a second front against Germany. J. Edgar Hoover, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and the gossip columnists were all paying attention. The once beloved “Little Fellow” now found his reputation assailed and his allegiances questioned. How would he respond? Jeremy Meier brings Chaplin to the stage. |
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An Afternoon or Evening with... Calamity Jane
Thursday, April 17th, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, April 24th, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform Perhaps no woman embodies the spirit of the Western expansion more than Martha Cannary better known as “Calamity Jane”. Calamity Jane could drive a team of mules as well as any man. Her bullwhacking skills were invaluable to several scouting expeditions, along with her skills with a rifle and a six-shooter. Calamity could also out-drink and out-cuss any man alive, keeping many a saloon keeper in business. Kim Harris will bring to life the real Calamity Jane, portraying her not only as a genuine “dime novel heroine,” but also as a real living human being, with dreams sometimes realized and sometimes lost. |
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An Afternoon or Evening with... Mae West
Thursday, May 8th, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, May 15th, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime.” Most know this invitation from Mae West, one of the most celebrated figures in American popular culture. She brought the taboo subject of sex center stage in the early 1900s. But she was more than a Hollywood sex symbol. West was a savvy businesswoman and writer. She single handedly saved Paramount Studios from bankruptcy with her Diamond Lil character – the bad woman with a heart of gold. Using well-planned innuendos, she fought the censorship of the 1930s and continued to startle and enchant audiences well into the 1970s. So, “come up and see” Karen Vuranch’s portrayal of the American legend, Mae West. |
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An Afternoon or Evening with... Mary Todd Lincoln
Thursday, June 5th, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, June 12th, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform Mary Todd Lincoln lived a life filled with triumphs and tragedies, but few people know her story today. Librarian Laura Keyes will share Mary’s story in an entertaining and educational program entitled “Mrs. Lincoln: The First “First Lady,” focusing on the life and losses of Mrs. Lincoln, set on April 14th, 1865. This program depicts an extraordinarily important time in our nation’s history from a point of view that is not often explored. Learn how Mary Lincoln influenced monumental events in her lifetime and why her story is still relevant today. |
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An Afternoon or Evening with... Lucille Ball
Thursday, August 7th, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, August 14th, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform In the 1950s, comedienne Lucille Ball captured the hearts of television audiences across the nation with her wacky hijinks and fearless enthusiasm. Off-screen, she and her real-life husband Desi Arnaz launched their own television studio. But what does it mean when a TV star’s onscreen legend clashes with her offscreen reality? Historian and actress Leslie Goddard brings Lucille to life, paying tribute to both the true comic legend and the real woman behind the myth. |
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An Afternoon or Evening with... Al Capone
Thursday, September 18th, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, September 25th, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform Capone’s brief but bloody story is a flamboyant slice of American history, as Al dominated the social & cultural narrative 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, gambling, rackets, or violent crimes. So, what are you waiting for? Visit with Doug Mishler’s Al Capone, 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. |
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An Afternoon or Evening with... Edgar Allan Poe
Thursday, October 2nd, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, October 9th, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform In The Shadow of the Raven begins as Edgar Allan Poe rises from the scene of his mysterious death and continues as he pieces together the events of his life. Using a combination of biographical information and the dramatic interpretation of Poe’s literature, Duffy Hudson provides a unique, in-depth theatrical experience of the life and works of one of America’s best-known and enigmatic personalities. |
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An Afternoon or Evening with... Bessie Smith
Thursday, November 20th, 2pm and 7pm Location- Firehouse Arts Center A Virtual Viewing Thursday, December 4th, On Demand Webinar Location- BigMarker Webinar Platform Bessie Smith referred to as the "Empress of the Blues,” became the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s. Becoming one of the highest-paid black performers of her era, she broke through the boundaries imposed by a racially segregated society. Her voice, a beacon of emotional depth, did not just shape the blues; it resonated through the very soul of American music. Influencing blues and jazz artists of the Harlem Renaissance era including Louis Armstrong. Smith's success in the music industry challenged racial barriers. Rebecca Jimerson will portray Smith. |
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 [email protected].
the Director of Education at (925) 462-2766 or [email protected].