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THE ABINGTON s
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The Voice of The AbingTons
See what’s happening in our area Page 4
Passion for Playwriting
“Scripts for the Stage” bows at Abington Community Library Page 8
Times-shamrock communiTy newspapers 149 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: (570) 348-9185 Fax: (570) 207-3448
March 26, 2015
www.abingtonsuburban.com
What’s the Buzz at the Firehouse?
ON THE INSIDE Around Town
SUBURBAN
Groups come together to support arts and education in the Abingtons by Stephanie Longo
ABINGTON SUBURBAN EDITOR
A little mosquito with a great big penchant for telling tall tales will take center stage at The Gathering Place, 304 S. State St., Clarks Summit, on Saturday, March 28, beginning at 1 p.m. when the Dietrich Children’s Theatre of Tunkhannock presents a free performance of “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears.” This performance is part of a series of four plays that will be performed at The Gathering Place this spring. The West African folk tale was adapted for the stage by director Jennifer Jenkins and recounts the story of a mosquito who tells a fib to an iguana, who puts sticks in his ears to keep from hearing the nonsense. In a telephone game-like fashion, the fib gets larger and larger as it spreads through the animal kingdom — frightening snakes, rabbits, monkeys and so on. By the time brakes are put on the mosquito’s story, its effects are so devastating that the sun cannot rise and the jungle is trapped in darkness. “We decided to present this play at The Gathering Place because it is a crowd favorite,” said Dietrich Children’s Theatre stage manager Laurel Radzieski. “The actors all play multiple roles and the fast-paced nature of the production is an exciting introduction to theatre. We are committed to presenting engaging theatrical and cultural experiences for children and families and it’s not uncommon that a child attending one of our plays will be experiencing his or her first encounter with live theater. We chose this play, and the three to come, because we felt each provides a unique and engaging experience to both new theater-goers and those who are familiar
A free performance of ‘Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears’ will be presented at The Gathering Place at the Clarks Summit Borough Building, 304 S. State St., on Saturday, March 28, at 1 p.m. This interactive West African folktale will be presented by the Dietrich Children’s Theatre of Tunkhannock in conjunction with The Gathering Place for Community, Arts and Education. Call 570-945-8453 for more information.
with staged performances.” Last summer, representatives of The Gathering Place announced plans to renovate the
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former Clarks Summit firehall, located on the first floor of the Clarks Summit Borough Building, and create a space for community education and the arts. Part of The Gathering Place’s programming includes the Abington Area Community Classroom, which offers continuing education courses throughout the year to all ages in a variety of disciplines. Organizers say that the partnership with the Dietrich Children’s Theatre is just a taste of what they hope to offer in the future. “We wanted to give the community a sample of the type of interesting and inclusive programming we will offer once the renovations on the building are complete,” said Dori Waters. “These plays provided a great opportunity to bring something to the community that will appeal to both children and adults that can use the venue as is. We want The Gathering Place to be a destination that is welcoming and inspiring, a place where people can gather to learn, to create and to share their talents and knowledge with others.” Future Dietrich Children’s Theatre performances at The Gathering Place include “Balto: A True Story of the Bravest Dog in America” on Saturday, April 18, at 1 p.m.; “Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories” on Saturday, April 25, at 1 p.m. and “Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story From China” in May. All performances are free to the public and the project itself was supported by a Lackawanna County Community Arts and Culture Grant, a program of Lackawanna County Commissioners Corey D. O’Brien, Jim Wansacz and Patrick M. O’Malley. For more information on The Gathering Place or to find out how to support renovation efforts, visit gatheringplacecs.org.
Clarks Summit - 215 S. State St., Clarks Summit, PA 18411 570-587-2272 Scranton - 1726 N Keyser Ave., Scranton, PA 18508; Keyser Oak Shopping Ctr 570-207-0900 Locations also in: Carbondale, Montrose, Tunkhannock, Honesdale, Dallas and Wyoming All Locations Hours: Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm • Saturday: 9am - 1pm