When Steve Hale was preparing his final presentation to earn his certification as an interpretive guide for national parks and museums, he decided to forgo the usual PowerPoint presentation for a more engaging option—a Chautauqua performance.
“It presented the most challenging and unique way to bring history to life,” Hale said in an email interview. (He was out of the country and could not easily chat via phone.) In that debut performance, he played John “Snowshoe” Thompson, who hauled mail sacks of up to 100 pounds through the Sierra Nevada, navigating sometimes deep snow on his hand-carved, oak skis.
Over the past 18 years, Hale has performed at national parks, statute dedications, historical societies, schools and dinner theaters. He has worked with prominent Chautauquans including McAvoy Layne, the consummate reenactor of Mark Twain…