Tulsa Chautauqua June 3 - 7, 2025

Have you ever wanted to sit under a big tent on the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum's beautiful grounds and enjoy a free evening listening to Al Capone? Or what about singer Bessie Smith or actress Mae West? This year, Tulsa Chautauqua brings these characters and more to life in several fun, casual events starting June 3 through June 7. There are two workshops daily inside the Historical Society classroom at noon and 5:30 p.m. The evening performance under the tent begins at 7 p.m.

Anything Goes: America in the Roaring Twenties explores the cultural significance of five characters who impacted the 1920s. We will explore this time in history through the lives of:

Tuesday, June 3:

Al Capone, at once a gangster with an infamous career, but also a non-political public figure and astute businessman who captured and capitalized on the post WWI Prohibition Era to satisfy the seemingly insatiable thirst for bootleg spirits, wild living, and decadence.

Wednesday, June 4:

Zitkala-Ša, perhaps today a lesser-known name, but as a writer, composer, educator, and political activist for Native American rights, she is considered one of the most influential activists of the 20th century.

Thursday, June 5:

Zane Grey, a best-selling novelist who shaped the way European colonization and settlement of the American West was imagined and idealized in the first two-thirds of the 20th century.

Friday, June 6:

Bessie Smith, a well-known African American blues singer in the Jazz Age who freely expressed her views through music.

Saturday, June 7:

Mae West, an enduring name in the entertainment world, was an accomplished playwright, producer, and actress, but also a complex woman who perfected the utilization of well-worded innuendos to overcome prejudice and censorship as she addressed social issues.

Also check out other Arts events in Tulsa, Music events in Tulsa, Theatre events in Tulsa.