Chris Norton of WVIA and Bob Boyce of the Dietrich Theater discuss the Oliver Sacks event that the Dietrich and WVIA co-hosted at the theater.
Submitted photo
“We can learn so much from patients, just by listening to them,” stated Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, CEO of the Wright Center for Community Health.
We had just seen the movie “Awakenings,” based on the experiment of Dr. Oliver Sacks, witnessing the awakening of catatonic patients, bringing them back to their old vibrant selves with an experimental drug. In the discussion after the movie, Dr. Thomas-Hemak emphasized that Oliver Sacks was dedicated to the essential role of listening to patients, learning about their past lives and seeing them as vital people.
Dr. Thomas-Hemak pointed out that there is so much more to explore about the brain and how it works, noting that the discoveries of Dr. Sacks can also be applied to the treatment of substance use disorder.
Even though this Science on Screen showing was on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we were at our mandated capacity at the Dietrich for another exhilarating collaboration with WVIA. Thank you, WVIA and Science on Screen, supported by the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Twenty years ago we could not have imagined that our fledgling Wyoming County Cultural Center at the Dietrich Theater could feature programs like Science on Screen.
Yes, it was on Friday, April 13, 2001, that the long shuttered Dietrich Theater came back to life in downtown Tunkhannock, lighting up two screens with the movies “Traffic” and “Chocolat.” At our board meetings we planned for crowd control. We assumed that we would have lines down the street and around the corner for our opening night! I remember feeling guilty, because I had planned a trip out of town on that weekend. Well, no need for crowd control, because only a few people showed up, making for a disappointing opening.
In retrospect, it was Good Friday. Was that the best day to open? One movie was about drug trafficking and one was in French with sub-titles. Were those the best movies for our opening? We were novices about the entire movie theater business, about advertising, about everything. But in one year we learned so much, that we could start to become a cultural center as well as a movie theater.
We have learned so much over the years. Lesson one: Don’t be discouraged by disappointments. Lesson two: Be willing to take risks. Lesson three: Keep costs as low as possible. Lesson four: Seek supportive grants. Lesson five: Learn about and bring in all the local talent that abounds in our area.
Twenty years after reopening our theater and applying all we have learned, we have so many programs to invite you to attend. I will mention just a few. First of all, another Science on Screen event is on Saturday, April 17, at 10 a.m., for a free program about Sharks: Why We Should Love Them, Not Fear Them, featuring the movie Jaws, with a discussion following the movie. Dr. Linda Auker, a marine biologist who teaches at Misericordia University, will lead the discussion. For a reservation call the Dietrich at 570-835-1022, ext. 3.
The very next day, Sunday, April 18, WVIA will join us again for a preview of American Portraits, a new series they have produced. Stay tuned for more information about this opportunity.
Just ahead is our Spring Film Festival, a three-week extravaganza of foreign and independent films, beginning Friday, April 23. Erica and Mary are planning all kinds of classes and events for spring and summer, so check us out at www.dietrichtheater.com.
We have a beautiful story to tell about our last twenty years. We invite you to be part of the story of our next twenty years.
