HYBRID: Celebrate Local History: Two authors, one event!
Join local authors Nancy Dunis and Jen Avila-Langford on Wednesday, September 14 at 5:30pm for a presentation of their recently published books History Soup & Lakewood Theatre Company. This event will take place at the Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street and online. Stream it at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_FyYAdBhiQ3iVHMtETEUQ/live
History Soup by Nancy Dunis:
History Soup will take you down memory lane, give you a feel for Oswego’s colorful history, introduce you to some of Oswego’s early pioneers, and inspire you to discover/rediscover your historical connections to the community and to your ancestors.
Some of the folks you’ll meet: Bickner Brothers (and sisters)–they started Oswego’s first local orchestra; Lucy Pollard–she married a taxidermist; the Grand Dame was she in 1893 - Oswego/Lakewood School; On the Waterfront – early history of waterskiing and waterski shows on the lake. This is just a smattering of the places you’ll go and the people you’ll meet.
Have some fun with the book: peruse the chapter titled Oswego Fun Facts and Firsts. Here’s where you can test your LO restaurant trivia IQ and peruse Lucia Bliss’ List of Firsts–with my discoveries added. Maybe you’re curious about how some of Oswego’s streets/places got their names. You’ll find a listing in the book. There’s something for everyone.
Lakewood Theatre Company by Jen Avila-Langford:
In 1952, a small group gathered at the home of Dorothy Peetz in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and thought it would be fun for the community to have a little theater. They began to organize what was then known as the Oswego Players. What started as a little theater that traveled from pillar to post with costumes, props, and flats became the Lakewood Theatre Company at Lakewood Center for the Arts. The nonprofit theater attracts 40,000 patrons annually. Lakewood Center for the Arts, home of the city’s annual Festival of the Arts, coordinates a large multi-exhibit arts education event to inspire and awe 25,000 visitors every year. Generations of people have made the Lakewood Center for the Arts a part of their daily lives through volunteerism or by attending classes, everything from ancestry to Zumba. Young actors that performed on Lakewood Theatre Company’s stage later returned to direct their own productions.
Jen Avila-Langford created visual presentations for the Lakewood Theatre Company. In an attempt to make the workshops more engaging, she delved into Lakewood’s archives and local history. Photographs, never before published, of the theater founders, the original playwrights, and the classics are brought to light from 70 years of archives. The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.
Contact Alicia Yokoyama, Reference Librarian, at ayokoyama@lakeoswego.city if you have questions.
