Library and Theater Partner for Mixed Media Experience

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Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk

Wyoming County Commissioners (seated, from left) Judy Mead, Tom Henry and Ron Williams were joined by (standing, from left) Dietrich Theater Executive Director Erica Rogler, Dietrich Theater Cultural Programs Coordinator Margie Young, Tunkhannock Public Library Director Kristen Smith-Gary, and Mehoopany Area Library Director Ina Hunter to kick off the annual Wyoming County Reads program.

Two Library Directors and Two associates of the Wyoming County Cultural Center visited the Wyoming County Courthouse in Tunkhannock on Jan. 13 to talk about One County, Two Books, and One Movie. County libraries have collaborated with the Dietrich Theater once again for the annual Wyoming County Reads program. The program is sponsored by the Wyoming County Commissioners. 

County residents are encouraged to read the books Catch 22 by Joseph Heller and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and to participate in at least one of several group discussions with three guest facilitators; Bill Chapla, Daniel Fraustino, and John Tindell.

According to Dietrich Executive Director Erica Roglar, a committee is comprised each year to select the books and movie, each of which must be “acclaimed.” This year’s common theme is war, with Catch 22 depicting the mental struggles of a World War II pilot whose squadron is overburdened with countless bombing runs from an island off the coast of Italy, and The Things They Carried telling the story of a Vietnam War soldier sent to the Quang Bgai Province in the late 1960s to fight a war that he had vehemently opposed back home.

Roglar noted that Bill Chapla will conduct three discussions at Tunkhannock Public Library (TPL) on Wednesdays, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, and Feb. 11, each exploring war from a different perspective. Chapla is a high school English teacher and former college professor who has participated in the Wyoming County Reads program for many years.

Vietnam War veteran Dr. Daniel Faustino of the University of Scranton will facilitate a discussion about The Things They Carried at TPL on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Dr. Faustino had a 13-month tour of duty in Vietnam,” Roglar noted. “It will be interesting to hear his thoughts on how O’Brien depicted the Vietnam War.”

John Tindell, a professor at Northampton Community College will host a discussion about Catch 22 at the library on Wednesday, Feb. 25. All discussions begin at 7 pm.

The program will culminate on Wednesday, March 4, with two free screenings of the 1970 film adaptation of Catch 22, starring a cast as diverse as Alan Arkin, Art Garfunkle, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, and Orson Welles. Both the noon and 7 pm shows will be followed by a brief discussion by Chapla.

Tunkhannock Public Library and the Mehoopany Area Library have limited copies of the book available to borrow. TPL also has several audio copies that library Director Kristen Smith-Gary hopes will encourage people who are commuting to participate. Libraries in Factoryville, Noxen, Laceyville, and Meshoppen are also taking part in the Wyoming County Reads initiative and may offer additional activities and discussions.

For more details, interested readers can log on to www.tunkhannock.com/library and www.dietrichtheater.com for more information.

County Reads Trio 2

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