Changes at the Dietrich. Changes, changes. Something I’m not that good at. A few new board members coming on and we are so delighted to have them! They have all given so much to the Dietrich before they even came on the board that we know they will be wonderfully active members, bringing their enthusiasm and expertise to the Dietrich to make it even better! Coming on the Board are Diane Salsman who has volunteered for us for years – everything from selling tickets to making popcorn! Jennifer Jenkins Douthett was in Our Town, helped with it enormously and is going to take on the directing of The Grapes of Wrath in the winter. Jessie Reppy Keker is a class act who helps Margie with the gallery displays. We are so happy she is joining us and bringing all that artistic talent with her. Finally, our dear Gloria Fassett, fund-raiser extraordinaire, whose calm demeanor and lovely nature make being around her a great pleasure. She brings to the board a world of wisdom and culture and kindness and we are very, very pleased to have her join us.

Of course, as with any board, people come and people go. They move on and even when you want to throw yourself at their feet and hang on and say – “No! Don’t leave us!” they remind you that they have a life outside of our narrow purview. Still, it’s hard, sometimes, to say goodbye and when Jerry Weber handed in his resignation it felt like a body blow.

So let me say thank you to Jerry in the most public way I know. Thank you for your personal interest in the expansion, for your endless work with the architect and the builders. For your patience explaining all you were doing for the theater. For your can-do spirit and your sense of humor and your infinite hard work. We could never repay you for what you have done and we can never fully express our gratitude. You did the impossible, really, by bringing in the project on time and under budget, something just about unheard of these days. The expansion might have happened without you, but it wouldn’t have been done as quickly or as well. Quite frankly I doubt it would have been brought in under budget. So, thank you, thank you, thank you.

	Fall 2009 Film Festival Friday, September 18 through Thursday, October 1 Enjoy fourteen days of fifteen foreign, independent, and art films. Matinee tickets (before 6 pm): $7. Evening tickets (after 6 pm): $8. Visit www.dietrichtheater.com for movie times and synopses. Little Red Riding Hood - Live Theatre! At the Dietrich Theater Saturday, October 10 at 1:00 pm. Tickets: $5 each Gamut Theatre Group of Harrisburg will take the Dietrich Theater stage to perform the children's tale "Little Red Riding Hood". During this performance, help Little Red stay on the right path and watch out for the Big Bad Wolf. This classic will keep you laughing all the way to Grandma's house. Call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500 for tickets.
www.DietrichTheater.com Thursday, September 10, 2009
At The Dietrich by Hildy Morgan Oh my, oh my. I walked outside with Miss Thatcher this morning (she’s the rat terrier from Las Vegas) and it was dry and crisp and so September that I just stood on the lawn breathing the clear South Auburn air and feeling the warmth of the sun lift my heart which had, for no known reason, felt a little heavy. It’s so odd now, where I live. The fields, the cattle, the lovely farms remain the same, but gas wells are springing up all over. At night, looking out my dining room window, we see the lights from the drilling tower just a few fields over. It’s the oddest thing. As if we’ve traveled forward in time. As if this is a science fiction movie we’re seeing because how can the quiet and gentle ways of my little village be mixed up with the energy needs of the future? I wonder if that’s how my parents felt when the real estate moguls from Philadelphia discovered the Poconos when I was a teen. Life was never the same after that. And although I understand our energy needs and am a believer that natural gas will help our country and I see no destruction from them that can’t be easily fixed, still, everything is changing and I hope South Auburn will be able to stay God’s country, in spite of it all. Changes at the Dietrich. Changes, changes. Something I’m not that good at. A few new board members coming on and we are so delighted to have them! They have all given so much to the Dietrich before they even came on the board that we know they will be wonderfully active members, bringing their enthusiasm and expertise to the Dietrich to make it even better! Coming on the Board are Diane Salsman who has volunteered for us for years – everything from selling tickets to making popcorn! Jennifer Jenkins Douthett was in Our Town, helped with it enormously and is going to take on the directing of The Grapes of Wrath in the winter. Jessie Reppy Keker is a class act who helps Margie with the gallery displays. We are so happy she is joining us and bringing all that artistic talent with her. Finally, our dear Gloria Fassett, fund-raiser extraordinaire, whose calm demeanor and lovely nature make being around her a great pleasure. She brings to the board a world of wisdom and culture and kindness and we are very, very pleased to have her join us. Of course, as with any board, people come and people go. They move on and even when you want to throw yourself at their feet and hang on and say – “No! Don’t leave us!” they remind you that they have a life outside of our narrow purview. Still, it’s hard, sometimes, to say goodbye and when Jerry Weber handed in his resignation it felt like a body blow. So let me say thank you to Jerry in the most public way I know. Thank you for your personal interest in the expansion, for your endless work with the architect and the builders. For your patience explaining all you were doing for the theater. For your can-do spirit and your sense of humor and your infinite hard work. We could never repay you for what you have done and we can never fully express our gratitude. You did the impossible, really, by bringing in the project on time and under budget, something just about unheard of these days. The expansion might have happened without you, but it wouldn’t have been done as quickly or as well. Quite frankly I doubt it would have been brought in under budget. So, thank you, thank you, thank you. Pick up those gala tix soon. We’re down to twenty tickets which means sell-out! 996-1500. Times a wastin’. See you at the Dietrich.	Now Showing www.dietrichtheater.com/movie or (570)836-1022 for times ALL ABOUT STEVE September 4, 2009 - September 24, 2009 The TIME TRAVELER's WIFE September 4, 2009 - September 17, 2009 Inglourious Basterds August 21, 2009 - September 17, 2009 Halloween 2 August 28, 2009 - September 10, 2009 Coming Soon www.dietrichtheater.com/preview or (570)836-1022 for times FALL FILM FESTIVAL MOVIE SYNOPSES September 18, 2009 - October 1, 2009 DISTRICT 9 September 11, 2009 - September 17, 2009 FALL FILM FESTIVAL MOVIE SCHEDULE September 18, 2009 - October 1, 2009 Events www.dietrichtheater.com/event or (570)996-1500 to reserve Fall 2009 Film Festival September 18, 2009 - October 1, 2009 Airing of the Quilts Exhibit October 1, 2009 - November 13, 2009 "Reasons for Quilting" Lecture October 3, 2009 Riches to Rags - La Voce Concert October 4, 2009 Little Red Riding Hood - Live Performance October 10, 2009 Daniel J. Flood Lecture October 14, 2009 Sweeny & Steveskey Guitar Concert November 1, 2009 Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas December 4, 2009 - December 4, 2009 Holiday Workshop December 5, 2009 Dietrich Radio Players Performance December 8, 2009 It's a Wonderful Life December 15, 2009 - December 15, 2009 Classes www.dietrichtheater.com/class or (570)996-1500 to enroll All About Pottery & Sculpture October 15, 2009 - November 6, 2009 Donkey Beads and Bells, for ages 3 to 5 September 17, 2009 - October 9, 2009 Explore Latin America's Halloween October 6, 2009 - October 27, 2009 Mask Making for ages 3 to 5 November 12, 2009 - December 11, 2009 Mixed Media, ages 5 - 12 November 12, 2009 - December 11, 2009 Quilting for Kids, ages 6 and up September 16, 2009 - December 9, 2009 Super Hero Theatre & Visual Arts, ages 3 to 5 October 15, 2009 - November 6, 2009 Trash to Treasures, ages 5 to 12 September 17, 2009 - October 9, 2009 Intergenerational Quilting, ages 13 and up September 16, 2009 - December 9, 2009 Open Studio for Painting, Drawing & Pottery September 15, 2009 - December 1, 2009 Basketry: Elves Workshop 2 November 2, 2009 - November 23, 2009 Basketry: Intro to Twined Basketry November 21, 2009 Basketry: Plaited Ash Cone Basket October 17, 2009 Create a Felted Handbag, for ages 16 and up October 29, 2009 - November 12, 2009 Decorative Painting, for ages 16 and up August 26, 2009 - December 16, 2009 Golden Days of Radio Players Group October 13, 2009 - December 8, 2009 Introduction to Knitting October 1, 2009 - October 15, 2009 Jewelry Making: Art Clay Silver October 19, 2009 Jewelry Making: Working with Sculpey Clay October 22, 2009 Jewelry Making: Intermediate Glass Fusing November 2, 2009 - November 16, 2009 Jewelry Making: Introduction to Metal Working October 26, 2009 Introduction to Stained Glass November 30, 2009 Open Studio: Painting, Drawing, & Pottery - Days September 14, 2009 - November 30, 2009 Pottery & Sculpture, ages 13 and up August 24, 2009 - November 30, 2009 Watercolor for Beginners October 24, 2009	Live at The Dietrich by Erica Rogler Each week as I write this column I get to reflect on some of the events the Dietrich has offered and share information about future happenings at the theater whether it’s a live concert, art classes for children and adults, a film festival, theatre camps and performances, exhibits, presentations, and so much more. The theater not only shows movies but also provides an opportunity for residents of Wyoming County and the surrounding communities to explore the arts. Much of our support for these programs comes from the Dietrich’s excess movie revenue and membership donations, but a portion of it is funded through grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA). We use these funds to bring in amazing artists for residencies including Hua Hua Zhang, who teaches Chinese Puppet Theatre, and Timothy Walker and David Driskell of Sadie Green Sales Jugband, and to supplement other art classes and programs. There are many other arts organizations throughout the state that are funded by the PCA and provide similar arts opportunities that are so important to our children’s education, the economy, and our quality of life. According to Philip Horn, the Executive Director of the PCA, last fiscal year the arts pumped $1 billion dollars into Pennsylvania’s economy and supported 36,000 full time equivalent jobs statewide. Considering that approximately $15 million dollars of the state budget was designated for arts grants that not only create opportunities with great intrinsic value but have the kind of economic impact that is stated above, I think that $15 million is an amazing investment! Currently we are in month 3 of Pennsylvania being without a budget and to-date legislatures are still working on passing a balanced budget, which is required by state law. Due to this budget issue, many valuable state programs have been targeted for elimination or reduction including the arts. It is hard to imagine what Pennsylvania would look like without the arts or a severe reduction in the arts. Therefore I ask you to encourage your state legislators to fund arts at the $14 million level. Last fiscal year at the Dietrich, we provided 345 classes, events, performances, and movies to more than 60,000 people. We hope you will help us to be able to keep arts alive and thriving in our community and across the state. Speaking of keeping arts flourishing in our community, the Dietrich’s Fall 2009 Film Festival is just nine days away. Join us on September 18 through October 1 for fourteen days of fifteen foreign, independent, and art films. Film synopses and showtimes are available on our website at For children, art classes start up again next week at the Dietrich. There is still time to sign your three to five year olds up for Amy Colley’s Mommy and Me and Preschool Art Donkey Beads and Bells. And your children’ ages five to twelve will just love Steve and Amy Colley’s Trash to Treasures classes in which students will explore how to turn an old pile of junk into an artistic treasure. This class really brings out students creativity as they design these 3-D collages. Call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500 or visit
Movie Times: (570)836-1022 General Information: (570)996-1500