“Coach, we have a problem. We can’t see.”
This is the moment at the end of the film Eephus, our Spring Fest Opening Night feature, when the Riverdogs baseball team played their last game on the beloved field that would soon be replaced with a school. This is the moment in the film that will stay with me forever, because of the solution that the team came up with and the idea that sometimes you just do not want something to come to an end. You can see the movie several times in the next two weeks. Check out the schedule at www.dietrichtheater.com.
The second Spring Film Festival Opening Night feature, Bob Trevino Likes It, is another poignant film. It is about a lifesaving friendship that begun online. A very lonely young woman searches online for a father figure when her own father totally disappoints her. She finds another contact with the exact same name. What I will never forget about this film is that pure kindness and caring do exist in this world. This is a special film that will be shown several times in the next two weeks. Check the schedule at our website above.
Opening Night last Friday felt like old times – an evening of meeting old and new friends, great food and drink, the perfect launching for 3 weeks of 23 foreign and independent films. Thanks go out to our wonderful staff, led by Ronnie Harvey, who make it look so easy to serve us all delectable hors d’oeuvres and drinks at the fully laden tables, then take it all down so we can see the movies. It is almost like a performance of its own. And a big shout out to Tioga Bistro, Twigs, The Fireplace, Ma Greenley’s and Samario’s, T & C Grille/bakery 420, and Nimble Hill Wine and Brewery for making it such a special evening.
Erica Rogler traveled to Philadelphia last Thursday and Friday, returning midway through the gala. She represented the Dietrich at the Wingspan Grantee Gathering, joining twenty other humanities-based organizations from across the commonwealth, along with hosts PA Humanities and Spring Point Partners. The gathering provided a valuable opportunity to connect in person with colleagues she had gotten to know over the past year through the Wingspan Learning Cohort. Attendees shared stories and presented on the impact of grant funding within their organizations. They also engaged in roundtable discussions on key topics such as sustainability, development, organizational growth, and program accessibility, exploring ways to collaborate and strengthen their initiatives. Erica also shared with me how humbled and proud she is that the Dietrich Theater can stand together in solidarity with so many cultural, arts and humanities organizations across the state.
We are so proud to announce that the second Veteran’s Fair is coming up on Saturday, May 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Our own Veterans Connecting: Meetup & Workshop, led by Larry White, is hosting the event at the Dietrich, sponsored by Coterra Energy. Many veterans service organizations will be there with information, and their presentation will begin at 9:30 a.m. The organizations are Valhalla Veterans Services, Warrior Beat, Five-By-Five, Hunts for Healing, PA Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs, Heroes Hearthstone, NEPA Blue Star Moms, American Legion Riders of Black Walnut, Patriots Cove, Urban Ark Conservation, Veterans Promise, Equines for Freedom, PA Office of Attorney General, and the Dietrich’s Veterans Connecting
Meetup and Workshop. I attended our Veterans Fair last year and was so impressed by the great number of veterans services that are out there, each with a special mission, and all with the sincere desire to help those who have served our country. The fair is for veterans and their families is free and includes door prizes, resource tables, presentations, and free hot dogs. For more information call the Dietrich at 570-836-1022 x3.
Erica just told me that the very next day, Sunday, May 18 at 6:00 p.m. we are hosting Blues Rock Revival featuring the Lone Crow Rebellion & Jukehouse Bombers with an electrifying mix of Blues Rock, Southern Rock, and Americana. Tickets at $20 can be purchased online at the website above or at our ticket booth. Lone Crow Rebellion is a powerhouse quartet with soul stirring melodies and Jukehouse Bombers is a five-piece band that is keeping the blues alive. All are invited to this spectacular lineup right here at the Dietrich.
Next week I will tell you about the next classical guitar concert with Jay Steveskey. Erica tells me that this time he will be performing with a cellist. In the meantime enjoy our spring events and movies and classes. Take advantage of all the Dietrich Theater has to offer you, your family and friends. We do it all for you.
