‘The Big Read kickoff': A community affair

WESTFALL — “Wow” was the exclamation heard most frequently at the Big Read Kickoff on Saturday, May 3, at the Delaware Valley High School. “Wow” was followed by “fantastic,” “such amazing talent” and “grrreat.” The Big Read Kickoff was the opening ceremony for the month-long events highlighting John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” and the Depression era of that time. The program is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. American Readers Theatre Director Jeffrey Stocker was master of ceremonies and stage director for this opening event. He stressed that it was really the support of the entire community that contributed to the successful evening. Partners in the event were the Grey Towers Heritage Association, the Pike County Historical Society, the Pike County Library and last but definitely not least, the Delaware Valley School District. It was the talented performance of various student groups from DV that brought the aura of the era closer to home. The DV Jazz Band (directed by Lance Rauh) played as the people filed into the auditorium and also while a student art show and other photographs depicting the era was projected on the screen. The DVHS Band and Chorus performed a “God Bless America” medley under the direction of Gordon Pauling. Dr. Candis Finan, school superintendent, introduced various faculty and administrative staff who worked with the students to help them identify with, understand, and express their empathy for “The Grapes of Wrath” and its era, including Gina Vives and Nancy Schoenleber, Mack McElroy, and Jackie Weston. The Ding-Del Middle School Chorus performed “Red River Valley” under the direction of Brian Krauss, and one of the evening’s treats was Natasha Green’s performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Natasha also performed “This Land is Our Land“ along with Jared Feldman on the guitar. The audience enthusiastically participated and it was fun to watch the ever-so subtle touch of Gospel contributed by the high school soloist. Among other highlights of the evening was an original ballet rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” performed by Joffrey Ballet dancers Danny Ryan and Nicole Padilla, and choreographed by Joffrey Master Ballet Teacher, John Magnus. The American Readers Theatre performed a dramatic reading from the “Grapes of Wrath” screenplay so beautifully and realistically that there were tears in many an audience eye as they brought the words to life. Local singer Sandy Stalter performed “Happy Days are Here Again,” a well-known song of the era. The closing remarks were by David Kipen, the director of literature for the National Endowment for the Arts. He mentioned that his job is to visit the more than 100 communities who received an NEA grant for this purpose. Kipen, himself, a passionate student of Steinbeck and the history of the era, said that our local performance of the Big Read was one of the best that he has seen in his travels around the country. For schedule details of the ongoing Big Read discussion and film events for May, go to www.pikecountybigread.us.