What a fantastic October weekend at the Dietrich! The band Uplift was on our green space corner to help announce to the community that we are so grateful. The silent phase of our Sustainability Campaign, the campaign to help us retire crippling debt, brought in donations of 83% of our goal of $335,000 – and now it is time to reach out to our wider community.

John Keker, president of our board of directors, explained how our debt was incurred, what we are doing about it, and how the community can help. Thank you to all who listened to our story, and thank you to all who have already responded. It was so appropriate to have Uplift’s music to help us launch this next phase of our Sustainability Campaign. Thank you to Riley Simmons from Tunkannock High School for organizing his musical friends to perform for us. If you want to know more about our Sustainability Campaign, call 570-996-1509.

This same weekend 70 music lovers came to Jay Steveskey’s fall concert “Classical Guitar Plays Bach, Brazil, Beatles, Broadway and More” Jay, a long time friend of the Dietrich, always takes us on new musical journeys, this time combining classical, South American music, popular music and so much more. People have stopped me on their way to class to tell me how much they enjoyed the concert. Fortunately, Jay will be back next spring for another concert. Stay tuned. Thank you to John Keker for sponsoring these concerts in memory of Jessie Reppy Keker.

A free movie event is scheduled from 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Dietrich Theater. It is called “Henry David Thoreau: Surveyor of the Soul.” Made over the course of 13 years, this movie tells the story of the writer of the American classic, “Walden.” The film features scholars, writers, activists, climate scientists, and students in the Walden Project High School program in Vermont. After the movie will be a Q and A with the filmmaker Huey, joined by Sandra Harbert Petrulilionis, distinguished professor of English and American Studies at Penn State, Altoona; and Rochelle Johnson, professor of English and Environmental Studies at the College of Idaho. Come for the movie. Stay for a discussion with the filmmaker and scholars of Thoreau. For information, call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500.

To honor our military veterans all are invited to a free public reading of our Warrior Writers at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 at the Dietrich. Monthly Warrior Writers workshops at the Dietrich are sponsored by Highmark. Our facilitator Jenny Pacanowsky and several other veterans will share their stories, stories that need to be told for us to understand their military experience. Writing exercises are a powerful way to acknowledge and learn to deal with what our military veterans have been through. Everyone will have a chance to meet the veterans afterwards at a light reception. All are welcome.

We are so privileged to have a storyteller living in our area. Listening to stories is not only for children, it is just as entrancing for adults. Hal Pratt is a master storyteller, returning to the Dietrich for Open Mic at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26. He will tell stories he gleaned from the small Appalachian community where he first honed his skills. Some are funny and some are creepy, but all will entertain you. You are invited to this free event to meet Hal, but also to be entertained by others polishing their acts or performances. Maybe you want to try out your musical number, your comic routine, your story, your act. If you do, come at 6:30 p.m. to register.

It has been a week of Uplift and gratitude! Here’s to many more weeks when we can rest assured that the Dietrich Theater’s sustainability is safe and sound. Remember, we do it all for you. When will we see you? Soon, I hope.

Young
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More than

the Movies

Margie Young

Reach the Abington Journal newsroom at 570-587-1148 or by email at news@theabingtonjournal.com.