Artscene With Erika Funke

William Jay & Robyn Madara Jay, speaking about the Listening Room at the Exchange Gallery, 24 E. Main Street in Bloomsburg, featuring blues, roots & Americana performances the last Wednesday of the month beginning at 7:00 pm. Donations accepted at the door. The 8th season begins on July 31, 2024 with a concert featuring Ed Randazzo & Bret Alexander. (570) 317-2596 www.exchangearts.org/

Marko Marcinko, Artistic Director of the Scranton Jazz Festival and Leader of the Festival Big Band, speaking about the 19th annual SJF to be held in downtown Scranton August 2, 3 & 4, 2024. Friday and Saturday will feature free jazz walks & on Saturday evening, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will perform at the Scranton Cultural Center at 7:30 pm. Celebrated jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano will join the Scranton Jazz Festival Big Band under Marcinko's direction at 6:00 pm at the Ritz Theater. For more information: www.scrantonjazzfestival.org/

Marko Marcinko, Artistic Director of the Scranton Jazz Festival and Leader of the Festival Big Band, speaking about the 19th annual SJF to be held in downtown Scranton August 2, 3 & 4, 2024. Friday and Saturday will feature free jazz walks & on Saturday evening, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will perform at the Scranton Cultural Center at 7:30 pm. Celebrated jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano will join the Scranton Jazz Festival Big Band under Marcinko's direction at 6:00 pm at the Ritz Theater. For more information: www.scrantonjazzfestival.org/

Justin Costello, founder & artistic director of Intrepidus Theatre Lab, and Marcie Herman Riebe, actor/Phaedra, speaking about the production of Costello's original play, "Bulls: The Tragedy of Phaedra of Crete" to be presented July 26, 27 & 28, 2024, at Providence Playhouse, 1256 Providence Road in Scranton. Friday & Saturday at 8:00 pm; Sunday at 6:00 pm. For information: Intrepidus Theatre Lab on Facebook.

Amy Carter Casimir, owner of Strictly Ballet & Artistic Director of "A Lewisburg Victorian Nutcracker, " speaking about "A Lewisburg Victorian Garden Party" on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 7:30 pm on the great lawn outside the GreenSpace Center at 815 Market Street in Lewisburg, PA. The event is free & open to the public, but it is a fundraiser for the Nutcracker, and donations are welcome. The public is encouraged to attend in Victorian or Fairy costume, and prizes will be awarded. www.strictlyballetarts.com/

Mandy Pennington, Director of Digital Strategy at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, speaking about her new one-person play, "Girl Walks Into a Theater," that will have its first performance as part of a program titled, "Acting Alone: 2 Solo Plays on One Stage," to be presented by Scranton Fringe July 25, 26 & 27, 2024, at Lackawanna College, 501 Vine Street in Scranton, with shows Thursday & Friday at 7:00 pm, and Saturday at 2:00 and 7:00 pm. www.scrantonfringe.org www.mandybpenn.com/

Maureen McGuigan, Director of the Lackawanna County Department of Arts & Culture, speaking about her writing life in a conversation in September 2023. Her one-person theatrical piece, "Remember You Must Die: A Comedy," will be part of a program titled, "Acting Alone: Two Solo Plays on One Stage" to be presented by Scranton Fringe, July 25, 26 & 27, 2024, at 7 pm with a matinee on July 27 at 2:00, at Peoples Security Theatre at Lackawanna College in Scranton. The second playwright/actor is Mandy Pennington with "Girl Walks Into A Movie Theater." www.scrantonfringe.org/

Cellist Yosif Feigelson, co-founder & artistic director of Kindred Spirits Arts in Milford, PA, speaking about the Summer 2024 Concert Series continuing on July 20th with Freelance Nun and Weird Uncle at 5:30 pm at the Pool Pavilion at Grey Towers National Historic Site.  The season will run through August and close on September 14th with the Tesla String Quartet. For more information: www.kindredspiritsarts.org/

Cynthia Long, Executive Director of the Endless Mountain Music Festival, speaking with WVIA's Lisa Mazzarella about the 2024 Concert Season, running from July 19th through July 27th, with 17 performances in 17 days at various venues throughout North Central PA and Southern NY. www.endlessmountain.net/

Brian Fanelli and Joe Kraus, co-editors of "Currents in the Electric City: A Scranton Anthology," released on July 16, 2024, by Belt Publishing. There will be a book launch event on Saturday, July 27th at 3:00 at the Albright Memorial Library, 500 Vine Street in Scranton. To register: www.albright.org/ https://beltpublishing.com/

Scott Coulter, Artistic Director of the Pocono Mountains Music Festival, speaking about the 15th Anniversary Summer Season, getting under way on Friday, July 19, 2024, and running through July 27th. There will be sounds of Cabaret, Broadway, Jazz, Pop, Opera and a Roaring 2020s Speakeasy Fundraiser. "The Room Where It Happens" is a special showcase featuring students of the Performing Arts Camp Experience on July 27th at 3 pm. For more information: www.poconofest.org/

Loren Schoenberg, jazz scholar, educator, writer, musician, band leader and producer and music director of the original film documentary, "Wham-Re-Bop-Boom-Bam: The Swing Jazz of Eddie Durham," a production of WVIA, speaking about Eddie Durham and his music in anticipation of a concert of Durham's music on July 21, 2024 at 5:30 pm, at Harmony in the Woods in Hawley, PA. Schoenberg will lead a top-flight seven-piece band in a performance that is a benefit for WVIA. For tickets and information:www.wvia.org/

Liz Tilley, artist, designer, writer, event professional and Corporate Sponsorship Representative at WVIA, speaking about her work and places her art can be seen this summer.  At The Gamut Gallery in Stroudsburg through July 29 2024; as part of the 21st Annual Wayne County Arts Alliance Artists' Studio Tour taking place July 12, 13 and 14 from 10 am to 6 pm each day. Tilley will be at the Jill Carletti Studio, 415 Chestnut Avenue in Hawley, and the tour is free. www.waynecountyartsalliance.org/Tilley will also take part in the Pocono State Craft Festival August 24 & 25 at Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm in Stroudsburg. www.poconoarts.org/craft

Dan Tompkins, Director of the North Branch Art Trail & Producer of Summer Sessions 3: The Coffeehouse Series, speaking about the 2024 season that opens on July 10th. The July concerts will be held on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 at the Old Carter Barn at Lake Carey, and the August shows will move to the Reimel Center in Montrose, PA. For more information: www.summersessionspa.com/

Ronnie Harvey, General Theater Manager & Film Booker at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock, speaking about Summer Fest 2024--a three-week film festival running from July 12th to August 1st, screening 21 films in 21 days. Opening night, July 12th, features 2 films--"Thelma" and "Wicked Little Letters," with refreshments, and doors opening at 6:00p.m. The Dietrich Theater is located at 60 E. Tioga Street in Tunkhannock, PA. For more information: www.dietrichtheater.com/ 570-836-1022

Dr. Michael Geib, Professor at the University of Central Oklahoma and Founder/Producer of the Dyberry Creek Music Festival in Wayne County PA, and Dr. Danielle Herrington, Assistant Professor of Musicology at Central Oklahoma, speaking about the French Baroque Opera by Charpentier, "Les Plaisirs de Versailles," that will be presented as part of the 2024 Dyberry Festival at the Cooperage Project July 13th at 7 pm and July 14th at 2:00 pm, with other performances July 10, 11 and 12. Admission is free. For more information: www.dyberrycreekmusicfest.org/

Christine Piazzi, Executive Director of the Wildflower Music Festival in White Mills, PA, speaking with WVIA's Lisa Mazzarella about the 2024 season and her first summer at the helm. The series opens on July 6th and runs through August 17th. Concerts take place at the open-air amphitheatre at the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary on Long Ridge Road in White Mills. The rain location is at the Wallenpaupack Area HIgh School. For information: www.wildflowermusic.org/ 570-253-5500

Dena Briggs, Coordinator of the Briggs Farm Blues Festival, speaking about the history of the event and what is on offer for the 27th Annual Briggs Fest taking place on July 11, 12 and 13, 2024, at Briggs Farm in Nescopeck, PA. Headliners include Joanne Shaw Taylor and Uncle Lucius. Camping is available. For the complete schedule and more details: www.briggsfarm.com/

Craig Czury, author of over 20 collections of poetry, and Dr. Phil Yevics of Peer 2 Peer and the Lackawanna County Reentry Task Force, speaking about Czury's Creative Letter-Writing Workshop, offered at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton, on the second & fourth Thursday of the month, beginning at 5:30. For more information: www.craigczury.com

Janet Gaglione, Executive Director of the Wayne County Arts Alliance, speaking about the organization and its activities in anticipation of the 2024 Artists' Studio Tour to take place July 12, 13 & 14, from 10 am to 6 pm throughout the county. The event is free and open to the public. The tour headquarters and WCCA Gallery can be found at 959 Main Street in Honesdale, PA. For a map and more information: waynecountyartsalliance.org/