At The Dietrich

By
Hildy Morgan

Sometimes I think this column isn’t really about the movies at all, but rather about life and death and illness and now, for something entirely new, greed and dishonesty and betrayal. Sounds like a melodrama, doesn’t it? If only that were true.

As I’m sure many of you have heard on the news, a trusted employee has spent the last three years with her hand in the concession register. How is it we didn’t pick it up on inventory? She was in charge of inventory. (We really, really trusted her. No kidding.)

Inventory is very hard at the theater for a number of reasons. The first is how fast the crowds come through. If we run out of, say, popcorn bags, it’s hard to stop and write down how many you’ve added to the stack when people are waiting anxiously to get into the theater to get a seat. The second reason it’s so hard is that we give so much away. Five hundred dollar donors get free popcorn and soda, as do major donors, as does staff, etc. etc. We also give away enormous amounts of goodies to every kind of charity fund-raiser. So, we kept trying, but we never seemed to get it right. And truly, we were very, very dumb. We thought because none of us would ever dream of stealing, no one who worked for us would ever do it either.

Oh, Lordy. We were so, so wrong. And money isn’t the half of it. She slithered into the personal lives of some of the staff and board members. She pretended friendship. They thought she cared about them. She always had so many sad stories. When we first hired her, she told us her husband was dying of cancer and only had a year to live and she so needed a job. Everyone felt terrible for her. Three and a half years later her husband is alive and well and still cancer-free since he never had it in the first place. But those who had become her friends are crushed. They’re crushed at the lies and the deceptions and the fact that she could pretend friendship and be stealing all the time. All the time!

It’s the worst thing - - how stupid you feel when a petty grifter has totally pulled the wool over your eyes. Those of us who run the theater were pretty much part of the project from day one. We fell in love with this old broad of a building (we have always thought of the Dietrich as female although there is no particular reason we do that) and we’ve worked and worked and worked some more to make it just the best movie house and cultural center it could be. In those dark days right before we opened in 2001, we ran out of money. So the Board chipped in and lent the money we needed to open. That’s dedication!

In our defense I can only say this. We thought everyone felt the same way we do about the Dietrich. We took Kim Brungess under our respective wings and she didn’t care. She treated us with utter disdain. She knew we were struggling this winter as Hollywood continues to underperform at the box-office. She didn’t care. She knew we were counting pennies to make sure we didn’t have to cut cultural programming. She didn’t care. She repeatedly had lunch with the women she was stealing from. She never batted an eye.

She told the arresting officer she “needed it.” As if it were hers to need. Hers to take.

I shuttle back and forth between rage and despair. I know many businesses are stolen from - -they’ve told me so in order to comfort us. But it’s cold comfort, believe me. We thought we were different. We love the Dietrich so utterly, so unreasonably, so passionately we were blinded to the fact that not everyone does. That some would use our foolish, blind, wasted trust as a weapon against us.

Not one penny of donations was touched. Not one dime from a grant. This was a crime of opportunity with a thief not ringing in concession purchases, but pocketing the money instead.

We have endless reams of paperwork now to check and double-check inventory. Hours and hours a week will be spent on it. Stacks and stacks of paper used. Someday maybe we’ll be able to afford a computer to do the checking for us, but we can’t afford one right now.

Please understand how deeply, deeply sorry we are that this could have happened. We have always tried our best for you. This time our best simply wasn’t good enough.

See you at the Dietrich.

Live at The Dietrich

By
Erica Rogler

We at the Dietrich hope all of you have an enjoyed a happy and safe holiday weekend! Maybe you were able to catch a blockbuster or two? War of the Worlds has received rave reviews from our audiences and families are still coming in for Herbie Fully Loaded. Grandparents and grandchildren have a great time seeing the movie. Many have said the movie is just pure fun.

Now, lets talk about some the great activities that are coming up! Bill Frye will be taking the Dietrich stage this Saturday, July 9th from 11:00 am-noon for a family concert. Bill does a one-man show, but with his guitar playing, singing and storytelling, he is a full morning of entertainment. Each December, the Dietrich invites him to tell holiday stories and lead the sing-along for our annual “Holiday Workshop”. His show is perfect for those of you with younger children. Admission is free. It will be a Saturday morning well spent. We hope to see you there!

Then during the week of July 11th, our regular summer of art classes resume. On Monday, Steve Colley, B.F.A., M.F.A., will start up “Pottery & Sculpture” classes again. This session will run on Mondays through August 1st from 7:00-8:30 pm. During each class, students have the opportunity to learn hand-building pottery techniques, work on pottery wheels, and learn the art of sculpture. Steve works with beginners and those with experience. Admission is $45 for the class series. Then on Tuesdays in July, “Open Studio for Painting and Drawing” starts back up. This class is intergenerational. We have adults, children, art students and beginners all working on their own unique projects. This class was so successful in June we just had to add a July workshop to our summer schedule. There are still a few spaces available, so call 570-996-1500 to register.

For kids, we have a great art camp lined up for the week of July 18th through the 22nd from 9:30-11:00 am. With our very own Amy Colley, M.F.A, students ages five through twelve will have the opportunity to explore the world of art through many cultures and mediums in “Mask Making Camp”. Masks are an ideal structure for exploring three-dimensional art with children. Campers will create their own masks and be exposed to masks of various cultures. Children will learn how masks have been worn and decorated throughout history and what purpose they served. Then on Tuesday, July 26th through Thursday, July 28th from 10:00 am-10: 45 am, Amy will teach a similar mask making camp geared for preschool age children. Admission to the camp for children ages 5-12 is $45.00 and the preschool camp is $30 per child. Call 570-996-1500 to register.

Now let me tell you about our big community event in July. On Saturday, July 23rd from
2:00 pm-5:00 pm at Tunkhannock’s Riverside Park join us for “Celebrate Our River Day”. This is a perfect day out! Included in the day’s activities is an outdoor bluegrass/folk music concert on the “River Keepers Tour” featuring John Hazard and the Floaters. John has a degree in biology and has taught environmental workshops for elementary students, at-risk teenagers and mentally ill adults at the Spencer Crest Nature Center in Corning, NY. The concert will be interspersed with tales of John’s boat trips down the Susquehanna River. Environmental organizations including the
North Branch Land Trust, Countryside Conservancy, the Wyoming County Conservation District, and more have agreed to set up booths to educate families about and to promote the value of one of our greatest resources, the Susquehanna
River. This event is free to the public and is sponsored by Tunkhannock’s Riverside Park Commission and the Wyoming County Cultural Center/Dietrich Theater. For more information, please contact 570-996-1500.

And don’t forget yoga! We will have a full schedule of yoga classes in July. Angela Heffron will teach yoga on Monday nights from 7:00-8:00 pm and Wednesday mornings from 10:00-11:00 am. And our own Mary Frances Giordano will have a Saturday morning yoga class from 10:00-11:00 am. Admission is $10 per class. Please bring a yoga mat or beach towel. Program Director Margie Young attends most of these yoga classes as well as some of our original yoga students. It’s a great way to relax and reenergize.

More than the Movies at the Dietrich Theater

Acting for Adults II, ages 16 and up

Students will add to their "toolbox" by focusing on the physical life of their characters. Students will strengthen their technique, and learn how to apply their skills to material that is more complex and stylistic. This class session will culminate in a showcase of students work open to the public. Call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500 to register.

Tuesdays, July 19, 26, August 2, 9, 16, 23 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Cost: $60 for the six-week session.

Instructor: Sara Lane, M.F.A. in Acting from the National Theatre Conservancy

Bus Trip to Everhart Museum, Nay Aug Park and Zoo

Preregistration required. Space is limited.

Saturday, July 30th, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm

Cost: $5 per person

Instructor: Everhart Museum Staff

Decorative Painting for Adults, age 13 and up, Spring and Summer Day Sessions

Try your hand at painting decorative pieces for your home or to give as gifts. All levels of experience welcome. Call 570-996-1500 to register.

Wednesdays, July 13-20, August 3 -31. noon - 3:00 pm

Cost: $15 per lesson + cost of painting surface

Instructor: Eileen Balboa

Decorative Painting for Adults, ages 13 and up, Spring and Summer Night Sessions

Try your hand at painting decorative pieces for your home or to give as gifts. All levels of experience welcome. Call 570-996-1500 to register

Thursdays, July 14, 21; August 11, 18. 6:30 - 9:30 pm

Cost: $15 per lesson + cost of painting surface

Instructor: Eileen Balboa

Everhart Ancient Art Explorations

Explore the art of ancient Greece and Rome, ancient Egypt, Cave art, and Babylonian art.

Fridays, July 8, 15, 22, 29. Session 1 - Ages 5-8: 10:00 -11:00 am. Session 2 - Ages 9-12: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Cost: Free

Instructors: Everhart Museum Staff

Intergenerational Oil Painting

Students of all ages and levels of experience will have the opportunity to learn the skills of oil painting.

Monday, August 1 - Friday, August 5, 9:30 - 11:00 am

Admission is $55 for adults and $30 for children

Instructor: Steve Colley, B.F.A., M.F.A.

Intergenerational Quilting for all ages, Summer Session

Make a traditional quilt sampler. The prep work will be done for you.

Wednesdays through July 27, 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Cost: $6 per lesson, all materials provided.

Instructors: Ingrid Rogler and Peggy Lane

Landscape Drawing and Painting

Ages 6 to adults are invited to experience drawing and painting landscapes as they see it. Classes will be held at Riverside Park. All materials will be provided. Call 570-996-1500 to register.

Monday, August 1 - Friday, August 5, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Cost: $55 for adults and $30 for children

Instructors: Amy and Steve Colley, B.F.A., M.F.A.

Mask Making

A mask is an ideal structure for exploring three-dimensional art with children. Children will create their own masks as they discover a variety of mediums. Children will be exposed to masks of various cultures and discuss how masks have been worn and decorated throughout history and what purpose they served.

Ages 5-12: Monday, July 18 - Friday, July 22 from 9:30 - 11:00 am. Ages 4 and 5: Tuesday, July 26 - Thursday, July 28 from 10:00 am - 10:45 am.

Cost: $45 for ages 5- 12, $30 for ages 4 and 5.

Instructors: Michaela Moore and Amy Colley

Open Studio

Students of all ages and levels of experience will have the opportunity to work at thier own pace and medium of their choice with instructor Steve Colley. A model will be provided for an additional fee if the group chooses. Please call 570-996-1500 to register.

Tuesdays, 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Session 2 - July 12, 19, 26. Session 3 - August 9, 16, 23, 30.

Cost: $30 per child, $45 per adult per session

Instructor: Steve Colley, B.F.A., M.F.A.

Pottery & Sculpture

This class is designed for students of all levels of experience. Students will work on pottery wheels and learn hand building techniques. Call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500 to register

Mondays, 7:00-8:30 pm. Session 2- July 11, 18, 25, August 1. Session 3 - August 8, 15, 22, 29.

$45 for four classes, or $35 for three classes

Instructor: Steve Colley, B.F.A., M.F.A.

Quilting for Kids - Summer Session

Students will create the traditional "Snails Tails" quilt. The twists and turns from this intriguing block creates a spiral that kids just love.

Wednesdays through July 27th from 3:30-5:00 pm

Cost: $6.00 per lesson, all materials provided.

Instructors: Ingrid Rogler and Gloria Eastwood

Theatre and Visual Arts Camp - Knights, Princesses, & Dragons

Theater and art activities centered around medieval times.

Ages 5-12: Monday, August 8 - Friday, August 12 from 10 am - noon. Ages 4 and 5: Tuesday, August 9 - Thursday, August 11 from 12:30 - 1:30 pm

Cost: $45 for ages 5 - 12, $30 for ages 4 and 5

Instructors: Amy Colley and Michaela Moore

Writers Group

Love to write? The group celebrates all different types of writing styles and formats. Join at any time. Admission is free.

Thursdays through August 25, 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Admission is free.

group format - no instructor

Yoga for You

Accomodations will be made for beginners, experienced practitioners, and those with special needs. Call 570-996-1500 to confirm dates. Please bring yoga mat or beach towel.

Wednesdays, 10:00 am - 11:00 am, Call 570-996-1500 for class dates.

Cost: $10 per lesson. Children are free.

Instructor: Melissa Russo: Certified Hatha Yoga Instructor

Yoga for You at Night!

Accomodations will be made for beginners, experienced practitioners, and those with special needs. Call 570-996-1500 to confirm dates. Please bring yoga mat or beach towel.

Mondays, July 11, 18, 25 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

$10 per class

Instructor: Angela Heffron

Yoga for You -Saturdays

This class will teach or reinforce the basic yoga poses (asanas) which gently stretch and strengthen the body. Special attention will be given to proper breathing and alignment in the postures. Please bring a yoga mat or beach towel. Call 570-996-1500 to register.

Saturdays, July 9, 16, 23, 30 from 10:00 am -11:00 am

Admission is $10 per class.

Instructor: Mary Frances Giordano, certified Hatha yoga instructor