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First Posted: 1/23/2013

In just a couple of days, the Dietrich will be hosting its first Open Mic Night as part of Tunkhannock’s Fourth Friday activities. Join us Friday, Jan. 25 for an evening of live entertainment. Musicians, poets, storytellers, comedians, playwrights and other performers are invited to share their talents during open mic at the theater. Breaking Ground Poets, a Tunkhannock-based group of young people dedicated to self-expression, will perform as our featured guest. Led by Tunkhannock Area High School teacher Katie Wisnosky, the one-year-old group is already known locally for their poetry slams, writing workshops and open mics. Open mic sign-ups start at 6:30 p.m. (Reserve your slot early.), open mic begins at 7:15 p.m. and Breaking Ground Poets will take the stage at 8:15 p.m. Admission is free. Call the Dietrich at 570.996.1500 for more information.

In addition to Open Mic, we also invite you to visit our new exhibit in the Earnshaw Gallery featuring the work of the Calligraphers Guild of Northeastern Pennsylvania on Fourth Friday. This calligraphy exhibit includes art works from Guild members, including many styles and expressions. Some items are for sale. This exhibit can be viewed any time movies are shown or by appointment through February. We will also host a Meet-the-Artists reception Sunday, Feb. 10 from 3 to 4 p.m. where you can meet guild members, learn more about the art of calligraphy and enjoy some light refreshments. All are invited.

We also encourage you to attend our upcoming Wyoming County Reads book discussions in February. Join us Wednesdays, Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 7 p.m. at the Tunkhannock Public Library to talk about Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow. I just enjoyed how Doctorow wove both fictional and true characters into this novel including Harry Houdini, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford and Evelyn Nesbit. There is so much to discuss about Ragtime. Local scholar Bill Chapla will lead us in discussions about this book with topics that include The Inevitability of and the Human Response to Change, Finding Peace in Chaos: Can Culture and Value Survive in a Technological World? and Escaping Our Prisons: Why Ragtime is Significant Today. Admission is free to all book discussions. We hope to see you there.

Another free event that is just around the corner is Hiking Through the Natural Beauty of Pennsylvania.

Jeff Mitchell will be back at the Dietrich to show us Pennsylvania’s beautiful parks and natural areas through a photo presentation.

During this event, audience members will explore hidden waterfalls, expansive vistas and isolated wild areas known to only a few people. Several new pictures will be added from last year’s presentation.

Mitchell’s book Hiking the Endless Mountains will be offered for sale at the presentation.

Mitchell is the District Attorney of Wyoming County and the author of Hiking the Endless Mountains, Backpacking in Pennsylvania, Hiking the Allegheny National Forest and Paddling Pennsylvania.

He is also a board member of the Countryside Conservancy and the Keystone Trail Association. Admission will be free.

To reserve seats, please call us at 570.996.1500.

As you can see, the Dietrich is so much more than the movies.