Artscene With Erika Funke

Lisa Dougherty, director, and Dr. Jill Snyder, actor, speaking about The Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts, 212 N. Broad Street in Hazleton, opening its 2023 season with "The Vagina Monologues" by V (formerly Eve Ensler). There will be performances Friday & Saturday, February 24 and 25 at 7:00 pm, and a Sunday matinee on February 26 at 3:00. For more information: www.ptpashows.org/

David Yonki, First Vice-President, and Rose Daniels, Second Vice-President of the NAACP Wilkes-Barre Branch No. 2306, speaking about the history of the organization on the national and local level, and the special events for Black History Month: 2/24/23--A reading event for children at the W-B CYC at 4:00 pm; 2/25 at 1:00--a Black History Poet's Show featuring young people from the CYC Youth Drop-In Center, at the Gather Space, 97 S. Franklin St. in Wilkes-Barre; 2/27 at 5:00 pm--a screening of the film, "The Great Debaters" at the Osterhout Library on S. Franklin Street. For information: on Facebook or wbnaacp2306@gmail.com/

Dave Reynolds, Chair of the Department of Theatre at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, speaking about their 73rd annual Shakespeare production, "Twelfth Night," running February 22 through 25 at 7:30 each evening, with a matinee on February 26 at 2:00. The theatre is located at 133 North River Street. For more information: www.kings.edu/

Christopher Westhoff, Managing Director of Mad River Theater Works, speaking with WVIA's Fiona Powell about "Freedom Flight," a touring production that is part of the Community Art Center's school series. The show will be presented as a family performance on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 7:30 pm, at the CAC, 220 West Fourth Street in Williamsport. www.CACLive.com/

Marjorie Maddox, Poet and Professor of English & Creative Writing at the Lock Haven Campus of Commonwealth University, speaking with WVIA's Mindy Cronk about her poetry on baseball in advance of her appearance on the WVIA TV program, "Playing Around: Sports & the Arts", part of the Keystone Edition Arts series. The show will air on Monday, February 20, 2023, at 7:00 pm as a live broadcast from the WVIA Public Media Center in Pittston, and online at wvia.org/ Other guests include Dr. Daniel Haxall of Kutztown University & Dr. Brian Hodge of East Stroudsburg University. The public is invited to join the studio audience. There is no charge, and to reserve seats: wvia.org/events

Dr. Elena Pakhoutova, Senior Curator of Himalayan Art at the Rubin Museum of Art in NY, and Dr. William Crow, Director of the Lehigh University Art Galleries and Professor of Practice, Art, Architecture & Design, speaking about the traveling exhibition "Gateway to Himalayan Art" from the Rubin Museum. The show will run to May 26, 2023 at the Lehigh University Art Galleries. There will be an opening reception and celebration of the Tibetan New Year on Friday, February 17 from 5 to 7 pm. For more information: www.luag.org/

Ronnie Harvey, General Theater Manager & Booker of Films at the Dietrich Theater, 60 E. Tioga Street in Tunkhannock, PA, speaking about Winter Fest 2023 running from February 17 - March 9, with 21 films to be screened in 21 days. For information: www.dietrichtheater.com/

Dr. Elena Pakhoutova, Senior Curator of Himalayan Art at the Rubin Museum of Art in NY, and Dr. William Crow, Director of the Lehigh University Art Galleries and Professor of Practice, Art, Architecture & Design, speaking about the traveling exhibition "Gateway to Himalayan Art" from the Rubin Museum. The show will run to May 26, 2023 at the Lehigh University Art Galleries. There will be an opening reception and celebration of the Tibetan New Year on Friday, February 17 from 5 to 7 pm. For more information: www.luag.org/

Maria Santomauro of the Scranton Cultural Center speaking about the 7th Annual Winter Blues Guitarmaggedon on Friday, February 24, 2023, at 7:30 pm. Featured will be the Alexis P. Suter Band; the Deb Callahan Band and Clarence Spady and the Electric City Band in the Grand Ballroom of the SCC, 420 N. Washington Ave. For more information: www.scrantonculturalcenter.org/

Gerardo Edelstein, Music Director and Conductor of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, speaking about the Valentine's Concert on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at 7:30 pm at the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth Street in Williamsport. The program will feature music by Bernstein, Berlioz, Rachmaninoff and Mahler, with guest soloist Lisa Marie Rogali. www.CACLive.com/ www.williamsportsymphony.org/

Jeff Mitchell, hiking expert & author, speaking with WVIA's Kat Bolus about his 2022 Appalachian Trail thru-hike from Georgia to Maine and his presentation titled, "The Appalachian Trail: A Journey Through the Beautiful Soul of America" at the Dietrich Theater 60 E. Tioga Street in Tunkhannock, PA, on February 18, 2023, at 10:30 am. Admission is free. www.dietrichtheater.com/

Dr. Timothy Pyles, Assistant Professor & Director of the Theatre Program at Marywood University in Scranton, speaking of the Music, Theatre and Dance Department production of the musical, "The Light in the Piazza," February 17, 2023, at 7:30 pm; Feb 18 at 2:00 & 7:30; and February 19 at 2:00 pm, at the Sette LaVerghetta Center on the Marywood campus. Admission is free. www.marywood.edu

Jove Graham, President of the Board of Riverside Community Theatre in Lewisburg, PA, speaking about the 2023 Gaspipe One-Act Play Festival at the Greenspace Center, 815 Market Street in Lewisburg. An evening of 8 original short plays produced as a partnership between the Gaspipe Theatre Company & Riverstage, February 10,11 17 & 18 at 7:30 pm, with a Sunday matinee Feb 19 at 2:30. For more information: www.riverstagetheatre.org/

Erica Rogler, Executive Director of the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock, PA, speaking about Wyoming County Reads 2023, a partnership between the Dietrich and the Tunkhannock Public Library. This year's selections are "The Remains of the Day" and "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. There will be book discussions and film screenings throughout February and into March. There is no admission and the public(from any county) is invited to attend. www.dietrichtheater.com/

Cheryl Boga, Director of Performance Music at the University of Scranton, and Philip Kuehn, Co-director & bassist, speaking about the opening of the Spring 2023 concert series, beginning on February 4 at 7:30 with the Tony Lustig Trio. There will be a free masterclass with Lustig at 4:30 at the Houlihan McLean Center. Also, on February 19 at 7:30, the University of Scranton Jazz Band under Philip Kuehn, will welcome Matt Munisteri, guitar & voice. Munisteri will offer a guitar masterclass at 4:30 that afternoon. The performances and masterclasses are held in the Houlihan McLean Center, and admission is free. For more information: www.scranton.edu/music

Dr. Christopher Jackson, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and the Bach Festival Orchestra, speaking about the annual Greg Funfgeld Family Concert as it hosts the Youth Choirs Festival on Sunday, February 19, 2023, in Baker Hall at the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem. Four distinguished youth choirs will sing individually and with the Bach Choir and Orchestra. The program will include music by Bach, Faure, Whitacre and more. For tickets and information: www.bach.org/ Audition dates for the Zimmermann's Coffee House evening are February 18 & 25 at the Bach Choir office in Bethlehem. Details also at bach.org/

Sara Isaac-Samuel, founder of Twigs, an arts-based program for those who have experienced child abuse or trafficking, speaking with Sarah Scinto of the WVIA news department in connection with Keystone Edition Health broadcast 1/30/23 with the title, "The Smallest Victims: Child Abuse & Trafficking." To view the TV program online, go to www.wvia.org/ Artwork by participants in the Twigs program will be exhibited at the Penn State/Wilkes-Barre campus in Lehman from April 1 through May 6, 2023. For more information: Facebook.com/TwigsRM

Sarah Scinto of the WVIA News Department and Producer of Keystone Edition Health on WVIA TV, speaking with Sarah Isaac Samuel, founder of Twigs, an arts-based program working with those who have experienced child abuse or trafficking. The interview was conducted for the program, "The Smallest Victims: Child Abuse & Trafficking" broadcast on Keystone Edition Health on Monday, January 30, 2023. The show can be viewed online at www.wvia.org/ Artwork from the Twigs program will be exhibited at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus in Lehman from April 1 to May 6, 2023. For more information: Facebook.com/TwigsRM

J. Michael Lennon, Professor Emeritus of English at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre and authorized biographer of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Norman Mailer, on January 31, 2023, the 100th anniversary of Mailer's birth. Dr. Lennon spoke about the way the world is marking the occasion and about his new book, "Mailer's Last Days: New & Selected Remembrances of a Life in Literature," issued by Etruscan Press to coincide with the centennial. For more information: www.etruscanpress.org/ and www.jmichaellennon.com/

Heather Sincavage, Director of the Sordoni Art Gallery at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, & Co-curator of the exhibition, "David C. Driskell & Friends: Creativity, Collaboration & Friendship," running through February 26, 2023. There will be a lecture titled, "Harlem Renasissance: Art of Black America" on February 1 at 5:00 pm and a number of events to follow at the Gallery at 141 South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre. Admission is free. For a complete listing: www.wilkes.edu/ sordoniartgallery