Editor’s note: This week’s column was written by Dietrich Theater Program Director Margie Young.
Tunkhannock should be bursting with pride about its history that is being celebrated in a very special way. Have you noticed small tour groups walking the streets of Tunkhannock’s Historic District, stopping at homes, businesses and churches, accompanied by a tour guide? That is because many organizations and volunteers in the area have come together to celebrate Tunkhannock’s history by creating a new Historic Walking Tour brochure featuring 40 sites on the 1 1/2 mile tour. Sixth grade Tunkhannock Area Middle School students were some of the first to take the tour and many more walked the tour on Founders Day. Evening guided tours at 5 p.m. on Thursdays in July are scheduled, and spaces are reserved by calling 570-996-1500. Self-guided tours are possible by picking up a Historic Tunkhannock Walking Tour brochure at the Dietrich Theater. To pique your interest and give you an idea of six of the sites on the tour, visit the Historic Downtown Exhibit in Earnshaw Gallery at the Dietrich.
If you want to experience a feeling of total awe inspired by some of nature’s most amazing creatures, don’t miss Close Encounters with Birds of Prey at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 9. As a kickoff for River Day on July 23, Bill Streeter of the Delaware Valley Raptor Center will brings six live raptors that he displays one at a time, one raptor encounter more dramatic than the last. This time you might see a golden eagle, a peregrine falcon or a saw whet owl, among others. A hush comes over the audience when Streeter unveils each magnificent raptor.
Totally riveting is National Theatre Live’s filmed production of the play “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” to be shown at the Dietrich at 2 p.m. Sundays, July 10 and 24. Former lovers, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont compete in games of seduction and revenge. This play is said to depict the depravity of the French aristocracy that spurred the French Revolution! All lovers of the best in theatre that you would otherwise have to go to London or New York to see will not want to miss this production right here in downtown Tunkhannock.
Now for those looking for camps to keep your kids happy and learning new skills this summer, consider attending one of the camps coming up. How about Star Tours!; Theatre and Visual Arts Camp Monday through Friday, July 11-15 from 10:00 a.m. to noon, co-taught by Amy Colley and Michael Moore. This camp is all about anything and everything to do with space: stars, robots, aliens, galaxies, black holes, and more, all while creating and becoming your own character. Campers will create their own costumes, props, set, and intergalactic artwork for the original play that will be presented for you at the end of the camp. Spaces are still available, but don’t wait too long to register.
The same week of July 11-15 from 1:30 to 3 p.m., 6-12 year-olds can register for Acting and Theatre Creation! with Michaela Moore. They will use their imagination through theater games, improvisation, storytelling, play making, character creation and more, ending the week with a presentation for you and your friends and family.
So whether you are walking the streets of historic Tunkhannock by guided or self-guided tour, encountering raptors, attending the best in theatre onscreen, or sending the kids off to some awesome summer camps, the Dietrich Theater is here to keep your summer scintillating and fun. We will be so glad to see you! For questions or registration call 570-996-1500.
