Artscene With Erika Funke

Sheri Melcher, Director and Co-founder with Michael Melcher of the Creative and Performing Arts Academy of Northeast PA; and James Olecki, Chief Executive Officer of the Ritz Theater and Performing Arts Center, 222 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton, speaking about CaPAA and its upcoming summer camp program that will run from June 19, 2023 to August 19. For information: www.capaa.org/

Dr. Alan Baker, Music Director/Conductor of the Choral Society of NEPA and the Bloomsburg University Choirs, offering a preview of the upcoming performances of the regional premiere of "Considering Matthew Shepard", an oratorio by Craig Hella Johnson, to be presented 4/1/23 at 7:30 pm in Mitrani Hall at Bloomsburg University; 4/15 at 7:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit & 4/16 at 4:00 pm at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 35 S. Franklin Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre. There is no admission fee. www.choralsociety.net/

Michael J. Lewis, Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art at Williams College in Williamstown, MA, speaking with Tom Riese of the WVIA News Department, about St. Hedwig's Church in Kingston, PA, and its architect, in connection with a fire in February 2023 that destroyed the structure. www.williams.edu/

Dr. Catherine Richmond-Cullen, Director of AIE/NEPA; Joanne Arduino, Artistic Director of Ballet Theatre of Scranton; & Frank Blasi, Executive Director of Broadway Theatre League of NEPA, speaking about The Lyceum School for Visual & Performing Arts, opening in Scranton in the Summer of 2023 as a year-round institute for students in grades K-12. www.aienepa.org/ or www.broadwaynepa.com/

Brenda Grunza, Co-president, & Ann Maganiello, Music Director & Conductor of the Catholic Choral Society of Scranton, remembering Dr. Thomas Rittenhouse, longtime president of the ensemble, who passed away on March 18, 2023, and also speaking about the annual Lenten Concert to be held on Sunday, March 26th at 4 pm, at Harford Congregational UCC Church, 5016 Creek Road in Harford, PA. A free will offering will be taken. www.catholicchoralsociety.org/

Paige Balitski, artistic director of Diva Theatre & co-founder with Bob Balitski of Diva Productions, marking its 25th anniversary. Diva will present "Two on the Aisle, Three in a Van" by Mary Lynn Dobson from March 24 through April 2, 2023, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, at the Olde Brick Theatre, 126 W. Market Street in Scranton. 570-209-7766 or find them on Facebook.

Matthew Rupcich, Music Director & Conductor of the Arcadia Chorale, speaking about the annual Northeast PA Bach Festival in Scranton March 25 and 26, 2023. The Organ Concert will take place at Elm Park Church at 4 pm on March 25th; The Chamber Concert on March 25 at 7:30 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church; The Choral Concert on March 26th at 3 pm at Covenant Church on Madison Avenue. www.arcadiachorale.org/

Dr. Christopher Jackson, Music Director & Conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, speaking about the 2023 Spring Concert on March 26 at 4:00 at the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2744 Center Street. The program will feature the Bach Choir & Festival Orchestra with special guest soloists in Bach's Easter Oratorio and Part III of Handel's Messiah. www.bach.org/

S.L. (Sandi) Wisenberg, award-winning author, editor & teacher, and Dr. Joe Kraus, Chair of the Department of English & Theatre at the University of Scranton, speaking about Ms. Wisenberg's latest collection, "The Wandering Womb: Essays in Search of a Home" to be issued on March 31, 2023 by Umass Press. The conversation took place in connection with an author event & reading featuring Sandi Wisenberg on Wednesday, March 22 at 6 pm in Pern Auditorium on the U of S campus. Admission is free and open to the public. www.scranton.edu/

Jill Lepore, the David Woods Kemper Professor of American History & Affiliate Professor of Law at Harvard University and a staff writer at "The New Yorker". Professor Lepore will deliver the Max Rosenn Lecture in Law and Humanities at Wilkes University on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at 2 pm in the Darte Center, 239 South River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Admission is free, but registration is strongly suggested: wilkes.edu/rosenn.

Alexander Monelli, award-winning filmmaker, producer & director at WVIA Public Media, speaking about the NEPA Film Festival taking place April 14-16, 2023 at the Waverly Community House in Waverly, PA. There will be film screenings and workshops and a special opening night with Emmy-winner Josh Fox at 6 pm on April 14. www.nepafilmfestival.com/ For a preview, tune to Keystone Edition Arts on WVIA-TV on Monday, March 20 at 7 pm. To be part of the studio audience without charge: www.wvia.org/events

Dr. Stephen Whittaker, Professor in the Department of English & Theatre at the University of Scranton, speaking about Irish history, culture and music and performing traditional tunes with vocalist Jenny Whittaker, his wife, as part of a St. Patrick's Day special recorded at the WVIA studios. www.scranton.edu/

Actor Adam Randis, President of PTPA: Bill Amos, Director; Lisa Dougherty & Joyce Vandermark, actors, speaking about "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie in a stage version by Ken Ludwig, at the PA Theatre of Performing Arts, 221 Broad Street in Hazleton, March 17 through 26, 2023, Fridays & Saturdays at 7 pm, Sundays at 3:00. www.ptpashows.org/

Cellist Yosif Feigelson, artistic director of Kindred Spirits Arts in Milford, PA, speaking about the concert series in its 21st season and the special program on March 16, 2023, featuring award-winning violinist Alexander Markov at 7:00 pm at the Dingman-Delaware Middle School Auditorium, Rt 739 in Dingman's Ferry. Admission is free. The program will include Paganini, Schubert & more, as well as original pieces by Markov in a rock style. For more information: www.kindredspiritsarts.org/

Dante Green, The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble's inaugural Emerging Artist, speaking about "Park Protectors: The Story of the Buffalo Soldiers and the National Park Service," the 2023 Theatre-in-the-Classroom production that Green conceived, wrote & directed. The TIC tour to schools throughout PA begins on March 20 and will run through May 26. Booking dates are available. And for more information, contact Paula Henry, BTE's School Programs Director at phenry@bte.org/ 570-458-4075 www.bte.org/

Chelsea Smarr, photographer, artists' model, harpist, psychotherapist, speaking about her life and work in connection with a one-woman show at the Circle Center for the Arts, 130 S. Franklin Street Rear, Wilkes-Barre. "In Pain/In Bloom" will run through April 7, 2023. www.wyomingvalleyartleague.org

Nancy Sanderson, Executive Director of the NEPA Philharmonic, & Composer Bruce Reiprich, speaking with WVIA's Larry Vojtko about "Discovering Bruce Reiprich," the March 11, 2023 Masterworks Concert by the Northeastern PA Philharmonic, featuring music by Bach, Grieg, Debussy, Jessie Montgomery & Bruce Reiprich under the direction of Melisse Brunet. The performance will take place at 8:00 pm at the Kirby Center for the Creative Arts on the campus of Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, PA. www.nepaphil.org

Violinist John Vaida & Violist Amy Iwazumi, co-founders of the Northeastern PA Chamber Music Society, speaking about a program titled, "...To the Stars," featuring string quartets by Beethoven, Shostakovich & Philip Glass, March 11 2023 at 7 pm at St. Stephen's Church, 35 S. Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, and March 12 at 3 pm at the White Haven Area Community Library, 121 Towanda Street in White Haven, PA. For tickets: www.nepacms.org/ and for the library: 570-443-8776

Ann Leary, NY TIMES best-selling author, speaking with WVIA's Fiona Powell about her novel "The Foundling," inspired by historic Laurelton Village in Union County in PA. Ann Leary will talk about her book and her historical research at Bucknell University in Lewisburg on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 7:00 in Bucknell Hall, and at Lycoming College in Williamsport, in the Krapf Gateway Center on March 8 at 7:00 pm. The programs are free and open to the public. www.bucknell.edu/ www.lycoming.edu/ www.annleary.com

Dr. Darlene Miller-Lanning, Director of the Hope Horn Gallery at the University of Scranton, who coordinated the current exhibition, "Women in Art" at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, speaking about the show and a number of the featured artists and their work, including Violet Oakley & Elizabeth Reynolds. The exhibit will be on view through the summer of 2023, the year that marks the Everhart's 115th anniversary. www.everhart-museum.org/