Past Events

Animal Engine Theatre Company presents an original play, Henrietta Solway, commissioned by the National Willa Cather Center, that combines the short fiction and serialized novels of Willa Cather into one epic story. When a tomboy growing up in a small Midwestern town is befriended by a glamorous opera singer with tales of art and culture in the big city, her restless passion is given purpose and the direction of her life is forever changed.

Join us for an evening with writer Ladette Randolph as she discusses her novel Private Way. Set in 2015, protagonist Vivi Marx winds up off the grid in Nebraska in order to escape professional and personal turmoil, and as a result seeks solace from Willa Cather's novels. Register for the event here to enjoy a conversation about contemporary Nebraska fiction, Willa Cather, and pie.

Joseph Hall is back for another, hip swiveling tribute to the one and only Elvis Presley!

Help us kick off the 2023 Author Series with critically-acclaimed novelist Oscar Hokeah! Calling for a Blanket Dance tells the story of Ever Geimausaddle and his struggle to carve a place for himself in an increasingly precarious community. Hokeah's debut novel has been described as a "stunning" example of "honest storytelling," and it has been longlisted for the prestigious Carnegie Medal.

The Red Cloud Opera House is celebrating 20 years of top notch performances by bringing back fan favorites! Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience is the nation’s most innovative and unique show utilizing the works of the Beatles. This amazing band, anchored by brothers Billy, Matthew and Ryan McGuigan perform as themselves and leave the song choices completely in the hands of the audience. Join us for a chance to hear your favorite Beatles songs!

With special thanks to our sponsors for this event, Gary and Bev Meyer.

Material Pulses: Seven Viewpoints presents seventeen works by seven fiber artists representing the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Curated by internationally renowned artist and teacher Nancy Crow, Material Pulses contributes to the dialogue of contemporary textile arts. Says Crow, “Material Pulses is the culmination of my mission to bring back the majesty, strength, and energy of textile works, particularly large quilts.”

Paramount hits the Red Cloud Opera House stage playing high energy '80s anthems from Journey, REO Speedwagon, Def Leppard, Poison, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, and much more!

Learn all about the interplay of sentimentalism and modernism in Willa Cather's work! Menlo College professor Lisa Mendelman will examine Cather's depiction of the modern woman's identity in the early twentieth century via Thea Kronberg in The Song of the Lark, as well as how the sentimental aesthetic operates between individuals and art.

Settle in for a fascinating author talk with Joe Starita about his book, A Warrior of the People: How Susan La Fleshe Overcame Racial and Gender Inequality to Become America's First Indian Doctor, which chronicles the life of Native American doctor Susan La Flesche Picotte. From her hospital in Walthill, Nebraska, La Flesche Picotte treated patients suffering from devastating illnesses such as smallpox and influenza and provided vital care to those whose access to healthcare was stymied by racism and poverty.

Fronted by Mato Nanji, Indigenous plays a gritty, soulful, and rocking blues sound influenced by the likes of B. B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.