The Reading Symphony Orchestra and the Yocum Institute for Arts Education are partnering for a county-wide creative collaboration for young people.
On Oct. 10, the organizations will present a stunning new original “visual concerto” celebrating Berks County through the eyes of our youth.
This immersive orchestra experience is open to all Berks youth ages 5-22. The final performance piece will be produced from a pool of well over 1,000 local image submissions and then choreographed onto a 440-square-foot screen above the Reading Symphony Orchestra.
(Courtesy of the Yocum Institute for Arts Education)
Photos submitted will be curated by Nicholas Bardonnay of Westwater Arts and turned into a stunning visual mosaic synchronized to a live performance of Joseph Curiale’s evocative piece, “Awakening,” by the RSO.
Celebrate the life, culture and beauty of Berks County through your eyes and with your images — all set to a live, professional orchestra.
What does Berks County mean to you? Words alone can’t express all there is to love about Reading and Berks County, so we’re turning to the community’s collective eye to share your experiences.
We invite you to help tell Berks’ story through photographs that showcase:
• Community celebrations, street fairs, and festivals
• Your city’s rich history and treasured local landmarks
• Favorite hometown places, food, and traditions
• School activities, sporting events, and family moments
• Music-making, dancing, and the arts
• Murals, cultural expression, and creative life
• Personal snapshots, volunteerism, and gatherings
• The natural beauty and agricultural heritage of Berks County
• Outdoor recreation like biking, running, water sports, and more
• Portraits and everyday acts of kindness
• Your pets
Your images will help orchestrate a visual symphony that reflects the heart of our community. To submit your images for “Berks in Focus,” visit https://www.yocuminstitute.org.
You may submit as many photos as you’d like, newly taken, long cherished, or inherited. If your images capture the spirit of Berks County, we want to see our home through your eyes. The submission deadline is May 31.
“Berks in Focus” will be created by Bardonnay, the creative director and CEO of Westwater Arts. He is a photographer and multimedia artist. His photography has been exhibited in galleries in London, Los Angeles, Portland and Hong Kong, among others. Since joining Westwater Arts in 2009, he has worked on more than 120 concerts with orchestras in cities across the U.S. as well as Scotland, England, Singapore, Canada, Poland, and Germany.
His latest projects are “Magico,” “National Park Suite” and “Visions,” which respectively celebrate Mexico’s vibrant culture, the legacy of the National Park Service and America’s first peoples. Bardonnay will join us in Reading as technical and artistic director for “Berks in Focus.”
Music
Reading Civic Theatre will hold its 16th annual Celebration of the Arts Gala and Scholarship Competition on Feb. 28 from 5-11 p.m. at the Reading Country Club in Exeter Township.
The event will feature 12 junior and senior Berks County high school vocalists competing for up to $2,250 in scholarship awards.
The finalists:
• Sienna Brown, senior, Twin Valley
• Kolby Grim, senior, Boyertown
• Elliott Johnson, senior, Kutztown
• Evianna Jones, junior, Exeter
• Maya Lopez, junior, Boyertown
• Leah Price, junior, Wyomissing
• Kailey Reinboth, senior, Boyertown
• Emilio Serio, junior, Fleetwood
• Shannon Tilley, junior, Daniel Boone
• Aubrey Thiele, junior, Muhlenberg
• Gracie Torres, senior, Schuylkill Valley
• Sloane Wolfe, senior, Twin Valley
The event will include a sit-down dinner, the competition, raffle items and dancing. Attire is dressy/formal and all tickets must be purchased online at readingcivic.org.
Awards
Nathan Thomas, Ph.D., professor and founder of the theater program at Alvernia University, was recognized with the Innovative Teaching Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 2.
The award honors one college or university faculty member each year for excellence and creativity in theatre pedagogy across the region. Thomas received the award alongside Cassandra King, chair of KCACTF Region 2, during the ceremony, held at the American College Theatre Festival in Columbia, Md.
Nathan Thomas, Ph.D., professor and founder of the theater program at Alvernia University, with Cassandra King, chair of KCACTF Region 2, who presented him the Innovative Teaching Award. (Courtesy of Alvernia University)
“This award means very much to me,” Thomas said. “Our ACTF region includes many fine schools, some incredible theater programs, and a small army of wonderful teachers. To be singled out from that group for innovative teaching is a huge honor. I think it reflects Alvernia’s ongoing support of innovation in the classroom.”
KCACTF Region 2 encompasses institutions in western New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and northern Virginia. Award recipients are selected through a competitive nomination process reviewed by the Regional Executive Committee and are recognized for innovation in teaching practice and curriculum design.
Thomas was recognized for his creative approach to teaching acting and for developing courses and a curriculum that foster creativity and student engagement. His methods emphasize experiential learning and finding fresh ways to connect students with material.
“Generally, my approach has been to find fresh ways to help students learn material,” Thomas said. “From coming up with novel ways to teach in a tent during the pandemic to getting students to do stand-up in a local comedy club to finding new insights in an old character like Hamlet.”
The award also recognizes Thomas’s role in curricular development, including the creation of the Creativity Workshop, led by Jessica Warchal-King.
“Every day our faculty work to develop their personal creativity, not only as artists, but to learn how to apply the ability to see the world with fresh and creative perspectives in everything they do,” Thomas said.
Recipients of the Innovative Teaching Award receive an invitation to present their teaching practices at the subsequent conference.
“Alvernia is fortunate to have a group of talented artists teaching in the fine and performing arts,” Thomas said. “I see my main work as supporting and furthering their work as best I can.”
Theater
The Yocum Institute for Arts Education, 3000 Penn Ave., West Lawn, will present “She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition” by Qui Nguyen on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
This high-energy dramatic comedy follows high schooler Agnes Evans, whose world is turned upside down when she discovers her late sister Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook. What begins as a game quickly becomes a thrilling journey filled with sword fights, homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and unexpected emotional depth.
As Agnes navigates this fantasy realm, she uncovers courage, connection, and a new understanding of the sister she thought she’d lost.
Packed with fast-paced action and humor, “She Kills Monsters” celebrates geeks, gamers, and the powerful stories that keep memories alive. This production explores how we honor the people we love and how imagination can bridge worlds. This PG-13 production is recommended for mature audiences.
For tickets and more information, visit www.yocuminstitute.org.
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The Miller Center for the Arts, 4 N. Second St., Reading, presents “Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears” Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. This production is a collaboration between Berks Opera Company, the Miller Center for the Arts, and the Yocum Institute for Arts Education.
This heartwarming production weaves music from operas by W. A. Mozart and Jacques Offenbach into a fast-paced, family-friendly story filled with humor, memorable melodies, and lively characters. With singing bears, a curious young heroine, and plenty of musical surprises, “Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears” introduces audiences to the joy of opera in an accessible and entertaining way, while reinforcing timeless lessons about honesty, respect, and working together in harmony.
The production is directed by Joel Gori with musical direction by Tammy Black. The cast includes Maya Burdick as Goldie B. Locks, who also created the original artwork for the cover, Connor McLaughlin as Papa Bear, Myleigh Snyder as Mama Bear and Orin Strunk as Peek Bear. Accompanist is Jimmy Damore, Lauren Farrell is stage manager, Brianna Beidler is the Costume Designer and Tyler Reppert is Scenic Designer.
Tickets are $15 for adults; $5 for children. Visit millercenter.racc.edu to purchase.
Following the Friday performance, audiences are invited to stay for a Dessert Reception featuring photo opportunities with the cast, a cupcake decorating station — make your own mini bear cupcake, a coloring station and make-and-take activity for young artists, hot chocolate and other sweet treats.
Photo opportunities with the cast are also available after Saturday’s performances.