Event Archives

Explore the intersections between Willa Cather’s life and literature in this special presentation by Ashley Olson, executive director of Nebraska’s National Willa Cather Center. In her discussion about the life and history of Willa Cather, Olsen will detail how the writer’s early years in Frederick County, Virginia, and formative years in Nebraska influenced the novels Sapphira and the Slave Girl and My Ántonia.

MSV members: $5; all others: $10. Please register by October 20.

Kaatsbaan and the National Willa Cather Center host this sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most singular and treasured American writers of the 20th century. Cather’s groundbreaking fiction (O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, One of Ours, Death Comes for the Archbishop) set a new standard in American literature.

UNL Opera presents Tyler Goodrich White’s O Pioneers! based on Willa Cather’s 1913 novel--her first masterpiece and one of the most compelling tales of the Great Plains.  Presented in connection with the 2023 Cather Sesquicentennial, the production features student and alumni singers of UNL Opera, the UNL Chamber Singers, and a sextet of live musicians.  Conducted by the composer, this production's stage direction is by William Shomos. 

Discussion #4: Death Comes for the Archbishop

As part of National Willa Cather Center's efforts to commemorate acclaimed novelist Willa Cather’s 150th year, we are pleased to conclude a special virtual event series with acclaimed writer and biographer Benjamin Taylor! Join us in honoring Cather’s prolific writing career and contributions to American letters by attending this special study focusing on a selection of Cather's most famous and beloved novels.

Discussion #4: Death Comes for the Archbishop

As part of National Willa Cather Center's efforts to commemorate acclaimed novelist Willa Cather’s 150th year, we are pleased to conclude a special virtual event series with acclaimed writer and biographer Benjamin Taylor! Join us in honoring Cather’s prolific writing career and contributions to American letters by attending this special study focusing on a selection of Cather's most famous and beloved novels.

Join us for a free lecture at Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE when we'll explore the contentious relationship between Nebraska's own Willa Cather and Ernest Hemingway. With Tracy Tucker, Director of Collections and Curation at the National Willa Cather Center.

 

Old Time Autumn 2023 Weekend events (see flyer)

Two days of free activities and events in Brownville, NE in a celebration of Willa Cather, including:

• Sunday, October 15 at 1:30 pm – National Willa Cather Center executive director Ashley Olson will present “Willa Cather’s Nebraska: How Life Inspired Fiction,” at the Brownville Town Hall • Free admission!

Help us welcome Tracy Daugherty as he discusses his book 148 Charles Street. This novel explores the friendship between Willa Cather and Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant. Two different writers with distinct styles. Cather was the novelist while Sergeant was the muckraking journalist. Their friendship becomes tested after Cather fictionalizes a war that Sergeant covered. This is a story of how friendship endures through disagreements and misunderstandings. 

Enjoy a moderated conversation with artist Littleton Alston, whose bronze sculpture of Willa Cather—a twin of Alston’s sculpture recently installed in the U.S. Capitol—will be installed on the Museum of the Shenandoah trails in October.

THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT! 

Special thanks to our sponsors Arneson Family Farms, Tru-Built Construction, Dennis and Sally Hansen, First National Bank of Omaha, KHAS Radio, and Republican Valley Arts Council for their support!

Programming at the National Willa Cather's Red Cloud Opera House is made possible with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.