Artscene With Erika Funke

Dr. Joshua Harper, Assistant Professor at Wilkes University andArtistic Director & Conductor of the Choral Society of NortheastPennsylvania, speaking about the annual Spring Concert titled,"New Americana," to be presented on Sunday, May 4, 2025,at 3:00 at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 550 Madison Avenue,Scranton. The chorus will be joined by the Big Valley BluegrassBand from Allentown. There is no admission fee and a receptionwill follow. For more information: choralsociety.net/

Jeannine Luby, stand-up comedian from Scranton,wellness educator, founder of Laugh to Live andthe Humor Therapy Fund through the ScrantonArea Community Foundation (safdn.org), speakingabout her work with humor, laughter and art inanticipation of 3 events at the Artists for Art Galleryin Scranton. Friday May 2, 2025--First Friday--from 5 to 8 pmit's the opening of her Pop-Up show of Funny Wine Girlphone doodles linked to jokes through QR codes.The exhibit will run for a week. Saturday, May 3rdat 7:00 pm, it's Funny Wine Girl & Scranton ImprovComedy at the AFA Gallery; and Sunday, May 4that the AFA Gallery at 11 am, it's a laughter experience with JeannineLuby. artistsforart.org/ laughtolive.net/

Joanne Arduino, Artistic Director of Ballet Theatre of Scranton,speaking about the Spring production titled, "A Double Wedding"to be presented Friday, May 2, 2025 at 7:00 at the Theater atNorth in Scranton. Featured will be: "Aurora's Wedding" fromThe Sleeping Beauty and "Kitri's Wedding" from Don Quixote.www.balletscranton.org/ 570-347-2867 tututix.com/

Dr. Christopher Jackson, Artistic Director &Conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem,speaking about the 117th annual BethlehemBach Festival that will run from May 8 throughMay 11, 2025, on the campus of Lehigh Universityand in downtown Bethlehem. The centerpiece ofthe Festival is a complete performance of theBach Mass in B Minor on Saturday, May 10th,at 2:00 (Part 1) and 4:30 (Part 2) at Packer MemorialChurch on the Lehigh campus. There is a livestreamoption. For more information: bach.org/

Jared Whitford, Communications & Development Director at theBloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and Producer & Director of"A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline," speaking about reunitingwith actor Samantha Lee Mason for a reprise of their hit productionof the biographical musical at Millbrook Playhouse in 2023.The show will run from May 1 through May 4, 2025, at theAlvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street in downtownBloomsburg, with shows May 1, 2 & 3 at 7:30 pm and3:00 matinees on May 3 & 4. For information: www.bte.org/

Jeffrey Dent, Conductor of the Repasz Band, and Caleb Hopkins, Artistic Director andConductor of the Williamsport Civic Chorus, speaking about a joint concert titled,"Homeward Bound," to be presented at the Community Arts Center, 220 W. 4th Streetin downtown Williamsport. The performance will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025,at 7:30 pm, and there is no admission fee. www.repaszband.org/ www.williamsportcivicchorus.org/

Rick Steves, Public TV & Radio host, best-selling author & activist,speaking in anticipation of his visit to NEPA as the guest of theLackawanna County Library System to deliver the 2025 AmericanMasters Lecture on Wednesday, April 30th at 7:00 pm at the ScrantonCultural Center. The event is free but tickets are required and areavailable at any library in the LCL System or online throughTicketmaster. lclshome.org/

Joel Guldin, music educator, organizer &chair of the annual Les Brown Big Band Festival,and David Minnich, Les Brown's cousin & FestivalCommittee member, speaking about the 17th annual Les Brown Big Band Festival, April 24through April 26, 2025. The 5th annual FilmFestival will be held April 24th at 7 pm at thePine Grove Movie Theater, 213 S. Tulpehocken.Admission is free. The Les Brown Dance will be held on April 25th from 6 to 10 pm with the M&J Big Band at the Wiconisco Fire Hall.On April 26th, it's the Les Brown Big Band Festivalat Williams Valley High School in Tower City from2 to 4 pm. For more information:www.lesbrownfest.org/

Dr. Bill Conlogue of Northeastern PA, English Professorand Author, speaking about his most recent book titled,Working Watersheds: Water and Energy in the LackawannaValley, issued by Temple University Press.For more information: tupress.temple.edu/

Melisse Brunet, Music Director & Conductor, & Chason Goldschmitz, Executive Director,both of the Northeastern PA Philharmonic, speaking about the upcoming Masterworksconcert featuring Carmina Burana by Carl Orff; Dvorak's Carnival Overture & DoloresWhite's "Give Birth to the Dream." The performance will take place on Friday, April25, 2025, at the FM Kirby Center for the Performing Arts on Public Square in downtownWilkes-Barre, at 7:30 pm. For information & tickets: www.nepaphil.org/ 570-270-4444

Jerry Wemple, poet, nonfiction writer & editor, Professor of English at the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania—Bloomsburg campus,speaking about his new collection, with Anne Dyer Stuart, titled, "Rivers,Ridges & Valleys: Essays on Rural Pennsylvania" issued by CatamountPress. There will be a reading with writers from the volume on Friday,April 25, 2025, at 7:00 pm, at Brewski's Coffee & Bar, 22 E. Main Streetin Downtown Bloomsburg. For information: www.sunburypress.com/

Dr. Rick Hoffenberg, Director of Choral Activitiesat Marywood University in Scranton, speakingabout the Spring concerts of the MarywoodChamber Singers to be held on Sunday,April 27, 2025, at 3:00 at St. John the EvangelistChurch, 35 William Street in Pittston.Also Sunday, May 4 at 2:00 in the Marian Chapelat Marywood University in Scranton.www.marywood.edu/

Selinda Kennedy, distinguished ceramic artist,speaking about her work in anticipation of the2025 Lewisburg Arts Festival, presented bythe Lewisburg Arts Council. Kennedy has beenchosen as the Featured Artist for this year'sFestival, which will take place onSaturday, April 26th. From 9 am to 4 pm,she can be found at her booth near4th & Market Streets.In addition, her work will be spotlightedin a month-long exhibition at The Gallery,15 North Water Street, in Lewisburg.The show is free and open to the public.A show titled "Pennsylvania Inspiration"with work by Selinda Kennedy andNella Storm will run from April 17through May 24 with a reception onFriday, April 18— includingremarks by the artists at 6:00 pmwww.lewisburgartscouncil.com/Kennedy Redware/Facebook.com/

Patrick Hamilton, Professor of English at MisericordiaUniversity in Dallas, PA, speaking about his new bookGeorge Perez, about one of the most importantsuperhero artists of the 1970s & 1980s.The book was issued by the University Press ofMississippi and for information: www.upress.state.ms.us/Dr. Hamilton & Dr. Allan Austin are featured on theweekly WVIA podcast, "Pop Shop", heard Saturdaysat 6 pm and available online at wvia.org/popshop

George Saunders, author of 12 books, including thenovel, Lincoln in the Bardo, winner of the 2017Man Booker Prize, speaking about his work inanticipation of a visit to NEPA. He will be the featured guest as part of the WilkesUniversity English Department's AllanHamilton Dickson Spring Writer's Series, onTuesday, April 15, 2025 at 7:00 pm, at theDorothy Dickson Darte Center for the PerformingArts, 239 S. River Street in Wilkes-Barre.The event is free and open to the public.Online registration is required: wilkes.edu/dickson

Poet Marjorie Hafer Maddox, Professor Emeritus ofEnglish & Creative Writing at the Lock Haven campusof Commonwealth University, speaking about--andreading from--three new books: Seeing Things;Small Earthly Space (with Karen Elias) andHow Can I Look It Up When I Don't Know HowIt's Spelled. There will be a book launch inWilliamsport for Seeing Things on April 12,2025, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, at Otto Bookstore.On Earth Day, there will be a launch withKaren Elias at the Bellefonte Art Museum--Tuesday, April 22nd from 6 to 8 pm.For more information: www.marjoriemaddox.com/

Tannis Kowalchuk, Theater-Maker & Founding Artistic Director of the Farm Arts Collective on Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus, PA,speaking about the annual production in theFAC's Dream on the Farm series, and about her solo work,Decompositions, that she will present on April 11, 2025, atthe Greenhouse Project, 200 Arthur Avenue in Scranton.Doors open at 7:00 for refreshments and the performancebegins at 7:30. The piece is a song-filled monologueexploring decomposition as a metaphor for life.Support for Decompositions at the Greenhouse Projectcomes from the Lackawanna County Arts & Culture Department.www.farmartscollective.org/

Tannis Kowalchuk, Theater-Maker & Founding Artistic Director of the Farm Arts Collective on Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus, PA,speaking about the annual production in theFAC's Dream on the Farm series, and about her solo work,Decompositions, that she will present on April 11, 2025, atthe Greenhouse Project, 200 Arthur Avenue in Scranton.Doors open at 7:00 for refreshments and the performancebegins at 7:30. The piece is a song-filled monologueexploring decomposition as a metaphor for life.www.farmartscollective.org/

Brink Powell, Director, & Harry Powell, Actor, speaking about the new original comedy,Doc Franklin Escapes Cambridge by BarbaraPease Weber at Diva Theater, 226 W. Market Street in Scranton, April 4, 5, 10 & 11, 2025at 7:30 pm; Sunday matinees April 6 & 13at 2:00; Facebook.com/DivaTheaterScranton