The Fall Festival of the Arts will present “Our Class,” the first of two plays in this year’s lineup, in a staged reading on Sept. 28 at 3 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Reading.
Written by Polish playwright Tadeusz Slobodzianek, “Our Class” had its world premiere in London in 2009 and its New York premiere last fall at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The play, directed by John Gancar, delves into the lives of 10 students who were caught up in the nearly forgotten 1941 massacre of members of the Jewish community in Jedwabne, a small village in northeast Poland, by their Polish Catholic neighbors.
In a recent interview, Gancar said he saw the New York production of “Our Class” by the Classic Stage Company in the off-Broadway Lynn F. Angelson Theater after it was moved from Brooklyn. Directed by Igor Golyak, a Ukrainian Jew now living in Boston, that production was highly kinetic, with many visual metaphors to suggest violence, rather than show it realistically.
“It was a wonderful production,” Gancar said, “and the actors were amazing. But I personally thought it was over-directed. It’s an odd play — there are no real scenes. It’s people taking turns telling their stories; there are 10 protagonists in this show. There was so much going on in that production, it could be very confusing (at times). So I wanted to do a reading, and just strip everything away and focus on the words.”
Gancar, who has directed many productions for the Fall Festival and other local theaters, has recruited 10 local veteran actors who he feels are more than capable of bringing the play to life without a set or any special effects. Because the play is about two hours long and requires concentration from the audience as well as from the actors, he has decided not to have a talkback afterwards.
“I’ve always been fascinated with stories about World War II and the Holocaust,” Gancar said. “That’s why I went to see this play. This is a different kind of story. There are no concentration camps. These kids grew up together and then turned on each other.”
The 10 protagonists will be played by Rachel Himes-DeWalt (Dora), Becca Snyder (Zocha), Vicki Haller-Graff (Rachelka), Kevin Adams (Jakub Katz), Corey Clark (Rysiek), Daniel Graf (Menachem), Joel Gori (Zygmunt), Philippe Levesque (Heniek), Richard Bradbury (Wladek) and Barry Steely (Abram).
This a free-will event. For complete information about the all events held during the Fall Festival of the Arts, visit https://fallfestivalofthearts.org.
Photography
“The Kaleidoscopic Lens of John Walborn” will be on display at the Yocum Institute for Arts Education, 3000 Penn Ave., West Lawn, through Oct. 11.
Walborn has spent decades capturing the world through a lens, transforming everyday moments into striking works of art. What began in his mid-20s with a small camera, a single roll of Tri-X film and inspiration drawn from his family’s tradition of documenting travel has grown into a lifelong passion.
From experimenting in darkrooms to embracing today’s digital editing tools, Walborn’s journey reflects both curiosity and dedication. His diverse portfolio spans landscapes, cityscapes, portraits, wildlife and abstract compositions, each piece offering a window into his fascination with beauty in all its forms.
The public is invited to attend the exhibition during gallery hours. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.yocuminstitute.org.
Museum certification
The Reading Public Museum has announced that it has once again been recognized as a Certified Autism Center (CAC) by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
The museum, 500 Museum Road, Reading, was the first in Pennsylvania to achieve this distinction in 2018 and has maintained its certification ever since, reaffirming its commitment to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all
As part of the CAC requirements, staff members receive continuous training to better understand and accommodate the needs of neurodiverse guests, while the facility implements best practices in sensory-friendly experiences, communication and physical accessibility.
“We are honored to continue our role as a Certified Autism Center and remain committed to fostering a museum experience that is engaging, comfortable, and enriching for all members of our community,” said Geoffrey K. Fleming, executive director and CEO of the Reading Public Museum. “This certification reflects our longstanding promise to make the museum a place where everyone can explore, learn and connect.”
The museum offers a range of accommodations, including sensory maps, pre-public visiting hours with a quieter environment, customized tours, in-gallery hands-on exploration kits and pre-visit information packets.
In addition to sensory-inclusive hours, the museum hosts the popular sensory-friendly fireworks every year in celebration of Independence Day.
The museum’s education department is in the planning stages of additional inclusive programs.
For more information on the Reading Public Museum’s accessibility initiatives or to plan a visit, go to https://www.readingpublicmuseum.org/sensory-inclusive-hours.
Music
Reading Roller Derby will hold its first fundraising music festival, RDG Jam Fest, next Sunday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Reading Liederkranz, 143 Spook Lane, Lower Alsace Township.
The lineup of performers:
• Vince Rollins: acoustic, mixed-genre
• Violet Coup: indie rock
• Bryan Bets — Full Throttle: instrumental acoustic
• Faux Fear: post-punk dark wave
• Anthrophobia: hard rock/punk/metal.
There also will be more than 20 local artists, vendors and crafters at the festival as well as various fun activities. Food and drinks, including beer, wine and nonalcoholic options, will be available for purchase.
Admission is $25, kids 12 and under are free.
Books
Author Bob Logan of Robeson Township has released his first work of fiction, “The Goat in the Garage.” It’s not the barnyard goat, but the pet name for a Pontiac GTO.
“The Goat in the Garage” finds the protagonist, Gary, facing a mid-life crisis, and with the help of his gal pal Jo, they embark on a quest to resolve it by finding an antique fixer-upper car that Gary can restore to its former beauty. They find one at an online car auction, but due to Gary’s ineptitude with computers, he mistakenly spends the family nest egg on a forlorn 1966 GTO, very much to the chagrin of his frugal wife, Doris. She orders the car to be gone, leaving poor Gary with yet another dilemma.
“I wanted to write a story that is not only funny but relates to the many folks who tinker with cars and face the trials and tribulations of modern American family life and marriage,” Logan said “With all of the difficulties we see in the world, we all need a good laugh!”
Logan has written “Double Whammy: Y2K and the Coming Recession” in 1999, a book about the economy. He graduated from Pottsgrove High School in 1968 and Lehigh University in 1972 with a degree in economics.
He restores old British sports cars as a hobby and enjoys top-down drives with his wife, the real Doris.
“The Goat in the Garage” is available online at all major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Apple Books.
Theater
Reading Civic Theatre, 4350 Perkiomen Ave., Exeter Township, is hosting its first Reader’s Theater Fright Night on Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. It will be an evening of chilling tales penned by author and storyteller Charles J. Adams III.
Participating in this event are Kevin Adams, Angela DeAngelo, Betsy Chapman, Jeff Yoder, Keith Bortz, Debbie Bowman, Nadine Poper, Samantha Grinage and Jo Mercer.
Tickets are $17 and are available by going to readingcivic.org. Contact Barry Ciabattoni at barry1@ptd.net or Jeannette DeAngelo at jmbway@aol.com with questions.
Reading Civic Theatre will also present its second annual senior talent spotlight on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. with light refreshments available from 6-6:45.
Participating are Peter Snow, Kathy Lavagna and the Heritage Hottie Cheerleaders from the Heritage Senior Center, Mark Christy, Joanne Brancadora, Jim Oswell, Jeannette DeAngelo, Betsy Chapman, Melody Harris, Dan Roberts, Anndria Ciabattoni, Amy Hudak, Greg Harwell and Donna Danielski.
Tickets are $25 and are available at readingcivic.org. Contact Ciabattoni, at barryc1@ptd.net with questions.
