Aaron Lewis returning to Reading; ReadingFilm announces festival winners [Spotlight]
May 7—Country singer and Staind frontman Aaron Lewis will bring his "American Patriot" solo acoustic tour to the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading, on Nov. 18.
Lewis's fourth and latest release, "Frayed at Both Ends," was the top-selling country album in America on release in January 2022. It peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and "Am I the Only One" was a No. 1 Country radio hit single.
As the frontman of Staind, he performed on hits like "It's Been a While," "Fade," "For You" and "Epiphany."
Lewis last performed in Reading in May 2022 with his band the Stateliners.
Tickets for the upcoming show are on sale at ticketmaster.com.
Film
ReadingFilm has announced the student award winners from its 5th Annual Five Minute FilmFEST, an annual challenge for Berks County high school students. The awards were presented by Emmy-nominated actress Janeshia Adams-Ginyard and ReadingFilm Executive Director Cammie Harris during a ceremony at Albert and Eunice Boscov Theatre at Goggleworks Center for the Arts.
These were the winners:
—First place: "Heroes of BCTC," influencer short film produced by Harmony Sutherly with Ryan Stuber, MaKayla Drey, and Harmoni Stoudt, submitted by Jim Del Conte, Berks Career & Technology Center
—Second place: "Home," short narrative film by Sophia Paige Horowitz, Gov. Mifflin High School
—Third place: "The Resurgence of Vinyl," documentary short by Evangeline Crossley, Fleetwood High School.
In addition to awards and cash prizes, the first place winner will be shown at the StudentFEST during the 9th Annual ReadingFilmFEST, being held Oct. 26-29.
----ReadingFilm is partnering with Albert and Eunice Boscov Theatre at Goggleworks Center for the Arts for a "Throwback Thursday" film series celebrating the iconic director Stanley Kubrick.
Kubrick started off his career in entertainment as a photographer before moving into filmmaking in the 1950s. He helped create the Film Foundation, which sought to preserve film and promote restoration in the 1990's with filmmakers including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Martin Scorsese
Being shown May 18 at 7 p.m. is "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), rated G. An imposing black structure provides a connection between the past and the future in this enigmatic adaptation of a short story by revered sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke. When Dr. Dave Bowman and other astronauts are sent on a mysterious mission, their ship's computer system, HAL, begins to display increasingly strange behavior, leading up to a tense showdown between man and machine that results in a mind-bending trek through space and time.
Being show May 25 at 7 p.m. is "A Clockwork Orange" (1971), rated R. In an England of the future, Alex and his "Droogs" spend their nights getting high at the Korova Milkbar before embarking on "a little of the old ultraviolence," while jauntily warbling "Singin' in the Rain." After he's jailed for bludgeoning the Cat Lady to death, Alex submits to behavior modification technique to earn his freedom; he's conditioned to abhor violence. Returned to the world defenseless, Alex becomes the victim of his prior victims.
Art
The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, will host a Second Sunday open house next Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Artists of the Month on the third floor will be Charley Farrell and Barbara Thun.
Farrell uses the conventions of figurative art to depict the unexpected and uncanny events. Each painting presents a unique behavioral scene, an exercise in visual thinking, wrestling metaphorically with the mysteries of a complicated world. In his most recent work, he has been experimenting with less realistic forms of depiction, departing from strict figurative realism to investigate abstract forms and colors.
Thun seeks to engage the viewer's mind beyond the image to ask what is the meaning of the work. The message may be abstract and present more questions than knowledge. She would like her work to bring a thoughtfulness or meditative approach. Her process begins with an image, phrase or question. From there it moves to possibilities; in mediums, combinations of forms, color and always "How might it be otherwise?"
Ballet
Berks Ballet Theatre will present "The Sleeping Beauty Suite," an adaptation of the classical ballet "Sleeping Beauty," and a tea party on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College.
In this condensed adaptation, experience the beauty of Princess Aurora's journey from her christening and the curse of Carabosse to the awakening kiss of true love.
Aaron Smyth, a well-known dancer from Los Angeles, will join the company in the leading male position, Prince Desire. Audiences last saw Smyth perform the role of Cavalier in BBT's "The Nutcracker" last December. Saaya Pikula Mason will also join the cast performing in the title role of Princess Aurora. He hails from Niigata, Japan, and has performed many soloist and principle roles with various ballet companies. Rounding out the cast of professional dancers is Erik Campos of First State Ballet, performing the role of Bluebird.
Choreography by BBT's Artistic Director, Kelly Barber, and Ballet Master and Resident Choreographer, Nathan Bland (and inspired by Maurice Petipa), will be performed by BBT's 19 company dancers and 15 students from the company's namesake, Berks Ballet Theatre Conservatory of Dance.
BBT company soloists will include Jessica Bealer (Reading High School junior) as the Lilac Fairy, Christina Kopecky (Exeter High School senior) as Carabosse, Faith Hartman (Exeter High School freshman) as Princess Florine and Kaia Kantner (Berks Catholic High School senior) as Little Red Riding Hood.
For tickets and more information, visit BerksBalletTheatre.com or call 610-373-7577.
