Reading Theater Project will collaborate with the Reading Public Museum on Sunday to present In Nature’s Studio, an outdoor celebration of art and community. Performances will unfold along the paths of the museum’s arboretum, inviting audiences to wander at their own pace or follow a guided group between performance stations.
In Nature’s Studio gives performing artists a platform to create new work, experiment with theatrical form, and connect with Reading’s vibrant arts community. The event will feature dancers, singers, musicians, and painters alongside large-scale puppetry, transforming the arboretum into a living gallery of performance.
“The Reading Public Museum Arboretum is an exceptional outdoor stage for us to exhibit art, nature, community, and collaboration,” said Jewell Brown, managing director of Reading Theater Project.
Performers will be Timothy Richard Spatz, Judd Silverman, JCWK Dance Lab, Jessica Warchal-King, Karis Guzman, Arielle Ridley, Cady Monasmith, Sarena Gable, Megan Zalek, Matt & Jeanette Fotis, sërenity, Steve Fabian, The RALLYRousers, Richard Cary Joel, Adam Leon, Jewell A. Brown, Mike Shott (GMS), and Rob Rodriguez (Crux).
The Reading Theater Project is a locally-focused, professional theater company that values collaboration and creative challenges and believes theater is an inclusive experience that can reveal our shared human condition.
The event will start at 4 p.m. The museum is located at 500 Museum Rd. in Reading. Suggested admission is $15.
Clave Legacy
Clave Legacy
Allentown Symphony Orchestra will present Jazz Upstairs with Clave Legacy with Hector Rodriguez at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown.
For years, Clave Legacy has been sharing the sounds of salsa, Latin jazz, and Caribbean rhythm at festivals, concerts, community celebrations, and cultural events across the Lehigh Valley. Rooted in faith, culture, and the powerful tradition of the clave, a percussion instrument considered the heartbeat and “key” of Latin music, Clave Legacy continues the musical legacy that connects generations.
From the Miller Symphony Orchestra Parranda to weddings, restaurants, festivals, and cultural events throughout the region, Clave Legacy has become a familiar and uplifting presence in the community and promises an evening filled with energy, rhythm, culture, and joyful music that brings people together.
Tickets cost $33 and $38 in advance and $38 and $43 at the door.
Jazz Upstairs takes place in the Rodale Community Room on the third floor of the hall, which is located at 23 N. Sixth St. in Allentown. There will be a cash bar, and concessions will be available for purchase.
‘Stop Kiss’
Local producer Shannon Barry O’Grady will present “Stop Kiss” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Between the Lines Studio Theatre, which is located at 725 N. 15th St. in Allentown.
“Stop Kiss” is written by the American playwright Diana Son and was produced off-Broadway in 1998 at The Public Theater in New York City, starring Sandra Oh.
O’Grady, who also directs, calls it “a bittersweet queer love story that involves a hate crime.” It focuses on the story of Sara and Callie, who are assaulted on the street after their first kiss.
The story is told out of chronological order: alternating scenes take place respectively before and after the assault, which is not shown onstage.
No one under 15 will be admitted. No one under 18 will be admitted without a parent or guardian. Audiences are warned there is explicit language.
Tickets cost $10 for general admission.
Email bog@bogharep.com to reserve tickets. Due to limited seating, tickets will not be sold at the door.
Scholarship winners perform
Grace Campling, left, and Joshua Griffith
Berks Sinfonietta will present a concert featuring Brahms and performances by winners of the second annual Berks Sinfonietta Concerto Competition Scholarship Award at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Atonement Lutheran Church, which is located at 5 Wyomissing Blvd. in Wyomissing, Berks County.
Berks Sinfonietta was established in 2014 as a chamber orchestra made up of musicians dedicated to exploring the vast repertoire of all periods. Artistic director David A. McConnell, who co-founded the sinfonietta, employed an intergenerational approach, bringing professional Reading players together with gifted students in both high school and college.
Formerly hosted by the Reading Symphony Orchestra, the concerto competition is open to all Berks County students in grades 10 to 12, regardless of instrument or college major. Berks Sinfonietta selects two winners who each receive a $500 scholarship and the opportunity to perform with the orchestra at a concert.
The program includes the sinfonietta performing Johannes Brahms’ “Symphony No. 1.”
Performing Dvořák’s “Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, Movement 1” will be senior Joshua Griffith on cello; and Serge Koussevitzky’s “Double Bass Concerto, Op. 3, Movements 1 and 2” will be junior Grace Campling on bass.
Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Student tickets cost $5.
Final Valley Valley
Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra will present “Valley Vivaldi III,” the final concert of Valley Vivaldi, its signature summer series, at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Wesley Church, which is located at 2540 Center St. in Bethlehem.
Principal players from Pennsylvania Sinfonia will be joined by special guest artists to present Baroque-era chamber performances in intimate, comfortable venues.
The program will include J. S. Bach’s “Loure and Gavotte en Rondeau” from the “E Major Partita;” Johann Joachim Quantz’ “Trio Sonata in C major;” Antonio Vivaldi’s “Violin Concerto in D Major, Grosso Mogul;” G. F. Handel’s “Sonata in B-flat major;” Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “Pieces de Clavecin en Concert – Premier Concert” and J. S. Bach’s “Concerto for two harpsichords in C major.”
Pennsylvania Sinfonia will welcome Michael Avagliano as its new music director. He will become the PSO’s third music director, succeeding Paul Chou and Allan Birney.
Tickets cost $30 and $40 for adults and $25 and $35 for seniors. Students are free. No online student tickets are required. Student tickets can be requested at the door.
Culture Fest
Philadelphia Funk Authority
Lehigh Valley Culture Fest will take place from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday at Cedar Beach Park, which is located at 2600 Parkway Blvd. in Allentown.
Representing more than 40 nationalities, the festival will create an environment where everyone is welcomed, celebrated, and encouraged to learn from one another. The event will highlight the power of the arts to strengthen communities, promote inclusion, support local talent, and inspire the next generation of artists and leaders.
This year’s festival will feature continuous entertainment showcasing local and regional talent. Guests can enjoy performances by Philadelphia Funk Authority, Space Kamp, Sin Limite with Band, NrityaGarima Indian dance, belly dance, poetry, mime, spoken word, youth performers, cultural showcases, and additional artists representing cultures from around the world.
Beyond the entertainment, attendees can enjoy Adult Field Day, Average Joe’s Adult Basketball Tournament, and ISO Games CrossFit Showcase.
There will be 20 food trucks and more than 30 stands featuring community organizations and businesses, interactive cultural exhibits, and children’s activities.
Admission is free.