Arts festival to celebrate second year

Hawley — Four Hawley Arts organizations are pleased to present the second annual ‘Midsummer Night’s Arts Festival on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. at the Ritz Company Playhouse on Keystone Street in Hawley. The Ritz Company Playhouse, the Black Bear Conservatory of Music, World Dance Theatre, and the Hawley Public Library have planned an evening that will celebrate the thriving downtown Hawley arts community. The evening will include readings and remarks by Malachy McCourt, music by artists from the Black Bear Conservatory of Music, and a selection of international dances presented by World Dance Theatre. Famed Irish wit Malachy McCourt is a nationally known author of eight books. He has appeared in many films, on television and stage. Mr. McCourt and his brother, renowned author Frank McCourt, wrote and performed the off-Broadway play, “A Couple of Blaguards”, winning rave reviews. Wesley Tudor is a teaching artist with the Black Bear Conservatory, and will be one of the extraordinarily talented musicians performing at the arts festival. Tudor received his bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1999. His teachers were Bonnie Hampton, who is now on the faculty at Julliard, and Clive Greensmith Hampton of the Tokyo String Quartet. He also studied chamber music with the Portland String Quartet, which is the world’s longest standing string quartet with its original members. Tudor now resides in Honesdale. World Dance Theatre is an ethnic dance company based in New York and in Hawley. The company is dedicated to the promotion of global understanding through the arts, and unites many cultural dances of the world onto one stage. Two of its principal dancers live in the Hawley area. This will mark the company’s fourth performance in as many years at the Ritz Playhouse. “This event is an exciting opportunity to support local arts institutions while enjoying a variety of first-class entertainment right in Hawley”, said Master of Ceremonies Tony Waldron, an active member of the Hawley arts Community. General admission tickets are $25 and $10 for students and are available at the Hawley Public Library and the Settler’s Inn on Main Street, at the Black Bear Conservatory of Music on Church Street, and at the Ritz Theatre on Keystone Street, all in downtown Hawley. There are also gala tickets available for $50, which include admission as well as a meet and greet reception to follow at the Settler’s Inn. Please call the Ritz Theatre at 570-226-9752, the Hawley Public Library at 570-226-4620 or email MidsummerArtsFest@yahoo.com for more information.