At The Dietrich

By
Hildy Morgan

I was walking my three Jacks the other day and the walk was not going as well as I’d hoped. The Jacks were having a cranky day, so they were nipping at each other for the slightest imagined step in the other’s equally imagined territory. I was trying to appreciate the world around me but it’s hard when you have to untangle a snarling mass of Jack Russell fury every two minutes or so. The wind was bitingly cold, the snow swirling off the fields in small tornadic funnels.

We had walked about three-quarters of a mile when we came to a place where the trees overhang the road, old pines intersperse with deciduous to form a glen, and we could hear the rippling water of the creek that runs through it. The sun beamed brightly through the naked trees, forming stark fluid shadows on the snow. It was as if the most beautiful black and white movie ever made had been filmed there. And then some.

I don’t know if the dogs caught my mood or they too were moved by the incredible beauty we had stumbled into, but they stopped squabbling and sat down, like three tiny snow angels. I looked around and I thought that this scene is what artists, photographers and movie makers try to bring to us with their various talents, and yet, try as they will, they can only give us a reflection, a memory of such beauty, because such perfect stillness, such exquisite contrast of light and shadow, of spiritual sweetness, cannot be duplicated, no matter how talented the hand of the artist.

I had to take a moment to say thank you to the God of Creation, to the Master of Art, to the Keeper of Joy. Thank you, I whispered. Thank you for making life so serendipitously joyous. For in the midst of the small pettiness of this life we can sometimes forget that the purest happiness, the loveliest surprises, can just be a footstep away. Just something to remember when we loose sight of the light streaming through the trees.

Great family movie this week. Disney’s remake of The Shaggy Dog is pure family fun. It’s silly, it’s fantastic, it’s Tim Allen. What else do I need to say? It’s everything you could want when you bring your kids to the movies. One word of warning – come early. We expect this to be a big one. Don’t wait until show time to appear - - that’s a sure-fire way to be disappointed.

Final week of Eight Below. It’s superb. People love it. One week to go. Come see it. Popcorn is waiting. Good time for all.

Now, as I promised, here is the list of festival films. (If there are any changes I’ll let you know in subsequent columns.) Mrs. Henderson Presents, Neil Young: Heart of Gold, Ballet Russes, Why We Fight, Match Point, The World’s Fastest Indian, Fateless, Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, Tsotsi, Cache, Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, The White Countess and The New World.

Two documentaries, five subtitled, all superb. Next week I’ll give you a thumbnail sketch of each. You can look them up on the computer on the IMDB site. Good thumbnail sketches there. I think it’s the most exciting list yet! (Of course I always say that.) But really, truly, it is. Fourteen of the finest films the indie and foreign market have to offer. In fourteen days. Is that cool, or what?

See you at the Dietrich!

P.S. Next week we are finally bringing you Curious George in the daytime and we are trying very hard to book in End of the Spear for the evenings. (That’s not a sure thing, but we are trying.) But Curious George is booked!

Live at The Dietrich

By
Erica Rogler

Today we have two free showings of the 1963 movie classic “Lord of the Flies” as part of our Wyoming County Reads book series. For Wyoming County Reads we’ve had great participation from community members and high school students who are reading “Lord of the Flies” as part of their curriculum. Show times are at 1:00 and 7:00 pm. After the movie you are welcome to stay and discuss how the book compares to the movie.

And then on Friday, March 10th we will also open the play “5 Women” by local playwright Tom Flannery in our Peg Fassett Performance Studio. Catch a glimpse into the lives of Jenny Wade, Rosaleen Sands and other extraordinary women. Directed by Agnes Cummings, this play will be a great night of entertainment! Show times are at 7:30 pm on March 10, 11, 17, and 18. Tickets are $10. Call the theater to reserve.

The Dietrich also offers live entertainment for children and families. Please come out for a unique show on Saturday, April 8th at 11 am. Join Susan Klein, a ventriloquist, and her family of friends for their show “Everybody’s Beautiful”. Learn how everyone is beautiful in his or her own way. As individuals we are all different, yet in some ways we are alike. After the show, Susan will teach us about the art of ventriloquism. Admission is free. “Everybody’s Beautiful” is sponsored by State Farm Insurance.

And if your child is interested in learning how to create their own puppets join us for “Pull the Strings” for fourth through sixth graders. In this workshop students write an original play and create a cast of puppet characters for a puppet performance in the Dietrich’s very own theater. Classes are held on Tuesdays, March 28 through April 25th from 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Admission is free. Registration is requested.

We also offer other art opportunities for children including Afternoon Adventures for Girls, mixed media, jewelry making, quilting, and sign language classes. For adults we offer mosaic classes, pottery & sculpture, open studio, quilting, yoga, and a writers’ group. For more information about any of these offerings, call the Dietrich at 996-1500.

More than the Movies at the Dietrich Theater

2006: A Space Odyssey: Theater & Visual Arts Camp

Theater and visual arts combine to make an awesome space adventure! Learn all about outer space, aliens, planets, and intergalactic travel while creating stories, live theater, arts, crafts and so much more! For ages 5 -12.

Monday - Friday, June 19 - 23 from 10:00 am - noon.

Cost: $50, all materials provided.

Instructor: Michaela Moore & Amy Colley

Afternoon Adventures for Girls, grades 5 - 8

Hey girl! You are a force to be reckoned with, an independent spirit. Celebrate yourself and your place in the world through interactive seminars on voice, body, culture, art and environment. Classes will be held at the Tunkhannock Middle School.

Thursdays, March 9, 16, 23, 30, April 6 from 3:30 - 5:15 pm.

Cost: Free!

Instructor: Everhart Museum Staff.

All About Drawing Camp, ages 8 -12.

Using the artwork in award winning children's books as examples, students will learn about basic concepts of drawing including Line, Shape, Texture, Value, Color and Space.

Monday - Friday, July 10 - 14 from 10:00 - 11:30 am.

Cost: $50 all materials provided.

Instructors: Amy & Steve Colley

Beads and Memory Wire Bracelets (age 16 and up)

Complete a memory wire bead bracelet in one class. The bracelet will have large gem beads, medium gem beads, small gem beads and sterling silver spacer beads.

Thursday, May 18th from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

Cost: $25, all materials provided.

Instructor: Jeanne Browning

Decorative Painting, ages 13 and up

Learn decorative painting techniques while creating decorative pieces for your home or to give as gifts. Each project will be completed within one to two classes. All levels of experience welcome.

Wednesdays from noon - 3:00 pm. March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. April 5 - August 31.

Cost: $15 per class plus the cost of the painting surface. Preregistration required.

Instructor: Eileen Balboa

Digital Arts Camp, ages 8 -12

Claymation, Robotics, and Special Effects.

Monday - Friday, June 26 - June 30 from 2:00 - 4:30 pm.

Cost: $50, all materials provided.

Instructor: Rand Whipple, Box of Light Theatre

Drumming Workshop for Adults, age 13 and up

Maxwell will lead the group in an amazing, interactive experience where African rhythms are incorporated into fantastical group songs. All that is needed is a desire to drum. Space is limited. Call 570-996-1500 to reserve.

Saturdays, April 1st and May 6th from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

Cost: $25 per workshop.

Instructor: Maxwell Kofi Donkor, Master Drummer.

Everhart Ancient Art Explorations

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

Mondays, July 10, 17, 24, 31. Ages 5 - 8: 10:00 - 11:00 am. Ages 9 - 12: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm.

Admission is free.

Instructor: Everhart Museum Staff

Fantasy, Fairy Tales & Beasts: Theater & Visual Arts Camp

This camp is all about ancient gods, wonderful tales and fantastical beasts. Children enrolled will learn about all sorts of cultures and myths and use that knowledge to create wonderful dramatic and visual works of art!

Monday - Friday, August 7 - 11 from 10:00 am - noon.

Cost: $50, all materials provided.

Instructor: Amy Colley & Michaela Moore

Functional Mosaics, ages 13 to adult

Students will provide their choice of furniture (end table, mirror, etc.)to enhance by using mosaic tiles in their own unique design.

Thursdays, March 9, 16, 23, 30 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

Cost: $45, includes all materials.

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

Golden Days of Radio Players Group

Come back with us to those thrilling days of radio drama and comedy. Join us as we prepare a radio play production. Together we will explore the magic of "The Theater of the Mind".

Tuesdays, April 4 - May 23 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

Admission is free.

Instructor: Valerie Paulus

Intergenerational Quilting, for all ages

"Interlocking Boxes" - Learn the tricks of discovering new patterns inside this intriguing design. Family members can collect these charming 6" blocks and stitch them into one memorable quilt.

Wednesdays through March 29 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.

Cost: $6 per lesson, all materials provided.

Instructors: Ingrid Rogler and Peggy Lane

Introduction to Acting Camp, ages 6 -11

A fun and creative introduction to all that acting is!

Monday - Friday, July 31 - August 4 from 2:00 - 3:30 pm.

Admission is $50, all materials provided.

Instructor: Michaela Moore, All About Theatre.

Introduction to Glass Fusing , age 18 and up

This class will be a very basic introduction to the process of small-piece fused glass work. Each student will create a fused glass item that can then be used as a pendant.

Monday, May 8th from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

Cost: $25, all materials provided.

Instructor: Esther Harmatz

Introduction to Sign Language

Learn the manual alphabet and some basic signs. For ages 8 to adult.

Tuesdays, March 7, 14, 21, 28 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

Admission is $30.

Instructor provided by the Scranton School for the Deaf

Jewelry for Kids, ages 8 and up

Make a necklace and bracelet, one jute and one on wire - large selection of beads to choose from.

Tuesday, March 14th from 3:30 - 5:00 pm.

Cost: $9, includes all materials.

Instructor: Sarah Sidorek

Making Cards, age 8 and up

Make creative cards for Mother's Day, Father's Day or any other special occasion.

Tuesday, May 9 from 3:30 - 5:00 pm.

Cost: $6.

Instructor: Sarah Sidorek

Metal Working Basic Jewelry (ages 16 and up)

Students will learn how to use a jewelers say, how to do basic metal cutting, filing and polishing. Metal used will be copper and sterling silver. Each student will create a pendant.

Monday, May 1st from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

Cost: $45, all materials provided.

Instructor: Esther Harmatz

Mixed Media, ages 5 - 8

A new artist will be introduced each week as students learn about famous artists in Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, etc. and create their own works using a variety of materials including clay, tempera, charcoal, ,pastels, etc.

Fridays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm, March 10, 17, 24, 31.

Cost: $30 for each series of four classes.

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

Mixed Media, ages 5 -12

A new artist will be introduced each week as students learn about famous artist and create their own works using materils including clay, tempera, charcoal, pastels, etc.

Fridays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm, Series 1 - April 7, 14, 21, 28. Series 2 - May 5, 12, 19, 26.

Cost: $30 for each series of four classes.

Instructor: Amy Colley, M.F.A.

Mixed Media, ages 9 -12

A new artist will be introduced each week as students learn about famous artists in Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, etc. and create their own works using a variety of materials including clay, tempra, charcoal, pastels etc.

Thursdays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm. March 9, 16, 23, 30.

Cost: $30 for each series of four classes.

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

Mommy & Me Mixed Media

For ages 3 and 4. Young artists and their moms, dads, or grandparents will create works of art using an assortment of materials, including clay, tempera, watercolor and collage.

Fridays, 10:30 - 11:15 am, Series 1 - March 3, 10, 17, 24. Series 2 - April 7, 14, 21, 28. Series 3 - May 5, 12, 19, 26.

Cost: $25 for each series of 4 classes.

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

Move Over Mr. Spieberg: Digital Film Making Workshop

Learn how to create your own digital films using a digital camera and a computer. Using everything from clay actors to human ones, the class will shoot, edit, score and output several short films in the course of the week. For ages 13 to adult.

Monday - Friday, June 26 - June 30 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

Cost: $50, all materials provided.

Instructor: Rand Whipple, Box of Light Theatre

Open Studio for Painting, Drawing & Pottery

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

Tuesdays from 7:00 - 8:30 pm, Series 1 - March 7, 14, 21, 28. Series 2 - April 4, 11, 18, 25. Series 3 - May 2, 9, 16, 23. Series 4 - June 6, 13, 20, 27. Series 5 - July 11, 18, 25, August 1. Series 6 - August 8, 15, 22, 29.

Cost: $45 for each series of four classes.

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

Painting on Glass

Paint a spring bouquet on a vase. All levels of experience welcome. For students ages 13 to adult.

Wednesday, March 1 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

Cost: $17, all materials included.

Instructor: Sarah Sidorek

Pottery & Sculpture, ages 13 to adult

This class is designed for students of all levels of experience. Students will work on pottery wheels and learn hand building and sculpture techniques.

Mondays from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Series 1 - March 6, 13, 20, 27. Series 2 - April 3, 10, 17, 24. Series 3 - May 1, 8, 15, 22. Series 4 - June 5, 12, 19, 26. Series 5 - July 10, 17, 24, 31. Series 6 - August 7, 14, 21, 28.

Cost: $45 for each series of four classes.

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

Preschool Art - Summer

Preschool students will be introduced to a famous artist each week as they explore a variety of materials such as clay, tempera, watercolors, collage, etc.

Thursdays, July 6, 13, 20, 27 from 10:30 - 11:15 am.

Cost: $25 for each series of 4 classes.

Instructor: Amy Colley, M.F.A.

Preschool Art, ages 4 and 5

Preschool students will be introduced to a famous artist each week as they explore a variety of materials such as clay, tempera, watercolors, collage, etc.

Thursdays, noon - 12:45 pm, Series 1- March 9, 16, 23, 30. Series 2 - April 6, 13, 20, 27. Series 3 - May 4, 11, 18, 25.

Cost: $25 for each series of four classes.

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

Pull the Strings, grades 4 - 6

Lights! Camera! Action! Go behind the scenes, write an original play and create a cast of puppet characters for a puppet performance in the Dietrich's very own theater.

Tuesdays, March 28, April 4, 11, 18, 25 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm.

Admission is free!

Everhart Museum Staff

Quilting for Kids, ages 6 and up

"Friendship Star" - Experience the joys of team quilting while playing our new quilting games. Each student will take home their own quilt. Stitch one star in three lessons or stitch a sky full.

Wednesdays through March 29 from 3:30 - 5:00 pm.

Cost: $6 per lesson, all materials provided.

Instructors: Ingrid Rogler, Gloria Eastwood, Terri Keller, Mary Louise Dodge

Spring Fling Purse Felting Workshop

Create your own felted purse. Experienced and beginner knitters are welcome.

Mondays, April 3, 10, 17, 24 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

Admission is $45, all materials provided.

Instructor: Jean Kelly

Writers' Group

Come and read your work or listen and be inspired. Learn the craft of writing as you write. All genres and levels of writing are welcome.

Thursdays from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Meeting are ongoing.

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 from 10 am - 11 am, starting in March.

$10 per class

Instructor: Mary Frances Giodano, certified Hatha yoga instructor

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 from 10:00 am -11:00 am. Classes are ongoing

Admission is $10 per class.

Instructor: Mary Frances Giordano, certified Hatha yoga instructor