Artscene With Erika Funke

Lizzie Newcomb Gumula, Education Director of the Scranton Shakespeare Festival and director of the current production, and actor Nina Collarini, speaking about the musical "Spring Awakening" that will be presented by the SSF Youth Ensemble on January 10, 11 & 12, 2025, at the Marketplace at Steamtown in Scranton. Shows Friday & Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 1 pm. For more information: www.scrantonshakes.com/

David Yonki, Health Educator for the City of Wilkes-Barre, and Coordinator for two events taking place over the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. On Friday, January 17th, 2025, the Luzerne County NAACP Branch 2306 & the Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association, will present "Martin Luther King Jr. and His Presidents," at the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre at 2:30 pm. On Monday, January 20th from 8:30 to 11:30 am, the Luzerne County NAACP Branch 2306 will join with the Friedman Jewish Community Center, the O'Donnell Law Offices & the City of Wilkes-Barre to present "Blankets & Broth," at the JCC, 613 S J Strauss Lane in Kingston, PA. This is a service event to make fringe blankets to benefit local nonprofits. For information: info@naacp2306.org/

Robert Wolensky, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Adjunct Professor at King's College & founder and coordinator of Anthracite Heritage Mining Month, speaking about the events to be held in January 2025 in the region, running from January 8 through February 1. For information: www.ahfdn.org/ or www.wvia.org/mining

David Hicks, Director and Faculty of Practice in the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, speaking about his recent children's book, "The Magic Ticket," issued by Fulcrum Press. There will be public readings from January 4th through the 9th on campus as part of the program's January 2025 residency. There is no admission charge. For more information: www.wilkes.edu/creativewriting www.david-hicks.com/

Neil Prisco, Marketing Director of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Wilkes-Barre, speaking about the second half of the 2024-2025 season and the newly-issued brochure. Performances run from January 9th through June 8th, with new events to be added regularly. For more information: www.kirbycenter.org/ 570-826-1100

Poet Joan Selby of Maryland, speaking about her recent poetry collection titled, "Love Warp," and reading various selections. She has lived, taught and written in Pennsylvania, Ohio and now in Maryland, and she hosts the Hagerstown Writing Group. For more information: www.washingtoncountyarts.com/

Rabbi Daniel Swartz, Spiritual Leader of Temple Hesed in Scranton, and Executive Director of the Coalition on the Environment & Jewish Life, speaking about the recent interfaith, climate-focused gathering in Italy under the aegis of Wilton Park, an Executive Agency of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the efforts to establish a lasting network to further work on behalf of the climate and environmental justice. www.coejl.org/

Violinist Sophie Till of the Marywood University Music Faculty, and clarinettist Pascal Archer, principal with the NEPA Philharmonic, speaking about the Quartet for the End of Time by Olivier Messiaen which they performed with cellist Christiane Appenheimer-Vaida and pianist Ron Stabinsky, in the Marian Chapel at the Swartz Center on the Marywood campus in Scranton on Saturday, September 28, 2024.  The event was a collaboration between Marywood Music Faculty and the NEPA Philharmonic.  For information: marywood.edu/mtd or  nepaphil.org/ The interview was first broadcast 9/20/24.

Sasha Margolis, violinist, author, composer, arranger, speaking about his novel, "The Tsimbalist." Margolis is a violinist with the NEPA Philharmonic and the orchestra of Glimmerglass Opera. He is co-founder of the eclectic ensemble Big Galut(e). The novel is set in 1871 in eastern Europe and is a detective story with Avrom, the tsimbalist, as protagonist. For more information: Facebook.com/thetsimbalist

Chason Goldschmitz, who will become Executive Director of the NEPA Philharmonic on January 1, 2025, speaking about his life in music, his work with soprano Renee Fleming and his vision for the orchestra, as he prepares to take the helm. For more information on the NEPA Philharmonic and the 2024-2025 season as it continues: www.nepaphil.org/

Alan Stout, Executive Director of Visit Luzerne County, music journalist, radio host & event producer, speaking about the northeastern PA music scene over the years and about all the region has to offer. His long-running radio show, "Music on the Menu," can be heard Sunday nights at 9:00 on 105 The River. Facebook.com/musiconthemenu and www.visitluzernecounty.com/

Adriana Beers, owner and artistic director of In2YouArts in Stroudsburg, speaking with reporter Isabela Weiss of WVIA News at the opening of the Gallery at 530 Main about the arts, business and education in the region after the closing of the Pocono Arts Council.  Beers' arts school shares space at 530 Main with the Gallery. The inaugural exhibition is titled, "Artists of the Poconos," and it will run through February 15, 2025.  Gallery hours: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4. www.shermantheater.com/

Dr. Darlene Miller-Lanning, Director of the Hope Horn Gallery and member of the faculty of the Art & Music program at the University of Scranton, speaking with WVIA's Mindy Cronk about celebrated artist Franz Kline who was inducted into the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame on November 8, 2024. For more information: www.facebook.com/LCAEHOF

Rabbi Daniel Swartz, Spiritual Leader of Temple Hesed in Scranton, speaking about the performance of "Shterna and the Lost Voice" by the Magid Ensemble on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 6 pm, at the Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Avenue in Scranton. There is a storyteller, a cranky box and live Klezmer music. Admission is free. www.scrantonjcc.org/ www.templehesed.org/

Amy Carter Casimir, Artistic Director, and Trey Casimir, Producer, speaking about "A Lewisburg Victorian Nutcracker" to be presented in partnership with the RiverStage Community Theatre, on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at the Greenspace Center, 815 Market Street in Lewisburg, at 2 pm (sold out) and at 7 pm. For information & tickets: www.riverstagetheatre.org/

Christopher Gallo, Artistic Director of the Lyric Consort, speaking about The Lyric Consort Christmas concerts to be presented on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 7:30 pm at the Hawley United Methodist Church, 315 Church Street, as part of Hawley Winterfest. And again on Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 pm at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 232 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. www.lyricconsort.org/

12122024ChrisGallo by WVIA Public Media

William Payn, Music Director & Conductor of the Susquehanna Valley Chorale, speaking about the annual Candlelight Christmas concerts to be presented on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 7:30 pm and again Sunday, December 15 at 3:00 pm, at Zion Lutheran Church in Sunbury, PA. There will be works for chorus, organ, harp, flute, brass and percussion. www.svcmusic.org/

Gerardo Edelstein, Music Director and Conductor of the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, speaking about the concert titled, "Magical Holiday Journey," to be presented Friday, December 13, 2024, at 7:30 pm at the Community Arts Center, 220 West Fourth Street in downtown Williamsport. Joining in will be the WAHS Choir and the Williamsport Chamber Choir. The concert will feature music from film scores by John Williams , a carol sing-along & more. www.CACLIVE.com/ or williamsportsymphony.org/

Jack Swersie, artist & arts advocate, speaking about the exhibition titled, "Artists of the Poconos" at the Gallery at 530 Main in downtown Stroudsburg. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, December 14, 2024 from 5 to 8 pm, and the show will run until February 15, 2025. Gallery hours: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 pm. For more information: www.shermantheater.com/