{"id":170451,"date":"2026-04-20T01:13:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T01:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/170451\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T01:13:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T01:13:10","slug":"yocum-institute-to-present-the-secret-garden-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/170451\/","title":{"rendered":"Yocum Institute to present ‘The Secret Garden’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yocum Institute for Arts Education, 3000 Penn Ave., West Lawn, invites audiences of all ages to experience the magic of \u201cThe Secret Garden,\u201d an enchanting musical presented by its theater department as part of the Primary Stages season.<\/p>\n

Performances run May 8-17 and feature two distinct casts: a community cast, bringing together talented adult actors from the local area, and a young performers cast made up of Yocum students, past and present.<\/p>\n

This dual-cast approach offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience the production through two different lenses, showcasing the depth, versatility, and vibrant talent across the program.<\/p>\n

Based on the beloved novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, \u201cThe Secret Garden\u201d is reimagined in a sweeping musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman.<\/p>\n

The story follows 11-year-old Mary Lennox, who, after being orphaned in India, is sent to live in a mysterious Yorkshire estate with her reclusive uncle, Archibald, and his ailing son, Colin. As Mary discovers a hidden garden, she embarks on a journey of healing, hope, and transformation that brings new life to those around her.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt its core, \u2018The Secret Garden\u2019 is a story about the transformative power of care, and this production reflects that both in its performance and its process,\u201d said Andrea Kennedy Hart, theater director at Yocum Institute for Arts Education. \u201cFeaturing two casts of experienced and younger student actors rehearsing together, it fosters an intergenerational environment rooted in mentorship, collaboration, and shared discovery. Just as the garden grows through attention and connection, so does this ensemble.\u201d<\/p>\n

Filled with powerful storytelling and memorable music, \u201cThe Secret Garden\u201d is a moving tale of forgiveness, renewal, and the enduring power of imagination. The production is recommended for all audiences.<\/p>\n

Performance schedule: May 8 at 7 p.m.; May 9 at 2 and 7 p.m.; May 10 at 2 p.m.; May 15 at 7 p.m.; May 16 at 2 and 7 p.m.; May 17 at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets: Adults, $25; students\/seniors, $20; children 12 and under, $10.<\/p>\n

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https:\/\/www.yocuminstitute.org\/theaterproductions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Art<\/p>\n

Studio B, 39 E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, announced the opening of an invitational exhibition entitled \u201cForm & Fiber: 3-Dimensional Expression in Art\u201d on Friday from 5-7 p.m. featuring a show of 3-D and fiber art. The exhibit is free and open to the public and will run through June 21.<\/p>\n

\"BobBob Hakun and Anne Mitchell Reid hold a collaborative work to be included in the invitational exhibition at Studio B. (Courtesy of Studio B)<\/p>\n

Participating artists are Michael Biddison, Tom Cook, Caren Cornman, Allan Cornman, Rhonda Counts, Ellen Finks, Sunny Finley, Bob Hakun, Kachina Leigh, Sharon McGinley, Anne Mitchell Reid, Kathryn Morgan, Martha Ressler, Max Rhoads, Bob Wood, and Linda B. Wood.<\/p>\n

3-D art and fiber art are both rich, hands-on creative worlds. 3-D art refers to artwork that exists in physical space. It is artwork \u2014 sculptures in clay, stone, and metal including assemblage, ceramics, and pottery \u2014 that you can walk around and view from multiple angles.<\/p>\n

Blending craft and fine art, fiber art focuses on materials like fabric, yarn, thread, and textiles, created by weaving, knitting and crochet, embroidery, quilting, and macrame. Fiber art becomes 3-D art when it moves beyond flat surfaces.<\/p>\n

Studio B Art Gallery opened its doors 18 years ago hosting exhibits of fine art in all mediums, allowing hundreds of local artists over the years opportunities to showcase and sell their work, hundreds of visitors to the gallery to experience the artists\u2019 skills and creative responses to the varied themes and to meet with neighbors and friends to celebrate the artistic response.<\/p>\n

Scholarships<\/p>\n

The Reading Musical Foundation (RMF) has awarded $139,816 in scholarships to 140 Berks County student musicians following its 2026 Merit Auditions. A total of 205 students from across the county competed in the auditions, with awards distributed to students from elementary school through college age.<\/p>\n

The awards include college scholarship funding for students pursuing music at the post-secondary level, instrument purchase assistance, and private lesson grants \u2014 all designed to ensure that financial barriers do not stand between local students and their musical potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that talent is everywhere in Berks County, but opportunity is not always equally distributed,\u201d said Keri Shultz, president and executive director of the Reading Musical Foundation. \u201cThrough these awards, we\u2019re working to change that \u2014 opening doors for students who might otherwise never have the chance to explore and develop their musical gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe scholarships we award today exist because of people who believe in the power of music and wanted to do something meaningful with that belief,\u201d said Paul Oxholm, board chair of the Reading Musical Foundation. \u201cWhether honoring a memory or celebrating a personal passion, our donors have created something that will outlast all of us \u2014 skills development for the young musicians of Berks County.\u201d<\/p>\n

RMF\u2019s Merit Awards are given through professionally adjudicated auditions held each spring for students in grades 1\u201312 across disciplines, including piano, organ, strings, woodwinds, brass, guitar, voice, and percussion. College tuition scholarships are awarded to high school seniors planning to major in music. To be eligible, students must be residents of Berks County, and some scholarships additionally require enrollment in a Berks County school.<\/p>\n

In addition to its Merit Awards, RMF awards need-sensitive scholarships quarterly to support students who wish to take private lessons, purchase a new instrument, or attend a summer music camp but lack the financial resources to do so. So far in 2026, RMF has awarded 88 need-sensitive scholarships totaling $29,250 \u2014 bringing the Foundation\u2019s total scholarship giving in 2026 to $169,066 across 228 students.<\/p>\n

Many of RMF\u2019s scholarships are made possible through the generosity of donors who have established named awards to honor a loved one or celebrate their own musical journey. Individuals and families interested in creating a named scholarship or supporting RMF\u2019s programs are encouraged to contact the Foundation.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1926, the Reading Musical Foundation has been advancing and advocating for music education and appreciation in Berks County for nearly 100 years. For more information about RMF\u2019s scholarship programs or to apply, visit\u00a0readingmusicalfoundation.org\/scholarships<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yocum Institute for Arts Education, 3000 Penn Ave., West Lawn, invites audiences of all ages to experience the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15485,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,1681,182,1213,858,28,128,130,129,289],"class_list":{"0":"post-170451","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reading","8":"tag-berks-county","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-local-news","11":"tag-music-and-concerts","12":"tag-ontap","13":"tag-pennsylvania","14":"tag-reading-city","15":"tag-reading-city-headlines","16":"tag-reading-city-news","17":"tag-things-to-do"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}