Immanuel UCC staging 'The Christians'; guitarist Rod DeGeorge returning for two shows [Spotlight]

Sep. 24—The Immanuel UCC Gift of the Arts program will bring Lucas Hnath's 2015 play "The Christians," directed by John Gancar, to the church, located at 99 S. Waverly St., Shillington, on Friday and Saturday at 7

p.m. and next Sunday at 3 p.m.

Hnath's play, which premiered off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, received an Obie Award for excellence in playwriting and won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. "The Christians" has been called powerful, riveting and utterly engrossing by critics.

When Stephen Longenecker, director of music at Immanuel UCC since 2018, found "The Christians," he

immediately wanted to produce it. The story of a charismatic pastor of a megachurch, whose life changes when he encounters a stumbling block in his faith, features a small cast and a performing choir.

When the pastor proposes a change in the church's professed creed, chaos ensues as members are

forced to confront their own beliefs.

"There's an unveiling of motivations that is painful to watch," Longenecker said. "But you can relate. You wrestle with this internally, whether you're a church member or not. ... It takes you on a thought

journey. It's the human experience."

Gancar said: "It's about a lot of things, including beliefs people have about hell, heaven, and so on. Hnath never gives you an answer; there's no real resolution. There are no good guys or bad guys. It has been very interesting to work on."

The cast for "The Christians" includes Richard Bradbury as the Pastor, with Kathleen Harris-Brantman

as his wife, Isaiah Baker as the Associate Pastor, Kirk Lawrence as the Elder and Rachel Himes-Dewalt as

the Congregant. The Immanuel UCC Choir will perform as the play's choir.

Each performance will be followed by an audience talkback. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at

thechristians.eventbrite.com or at the door.

Music

Critically acclaimed guitarist Rod DeGeorge, a Berks County native who moved to Oregon nine years ago, will be returning next weekend for two shows.

DeGeorge, who performed and taught guitar locally for many years, will be appearing at Soberstock at Easy Does It Inc., 1300 Hilltop Road, Bern Township, on Saturday from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., and then that night at Rivet Canteen and Assembly, Pottstown, from 9 to 11.

DeGeorge said he'll be performing with a trio and presenting his "Guitar Gods Review," which covers songs by guitar greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Cream (Eric Clapton), Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page),

Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Prince and many more. The show will also include some of his original material.

DeGeorge has appeared on VH1, MTV, E!, Fox and in the 2011 film "Mayor Cupcake," starring Leah

Thompson and Judd Nelson; has shared the stage with Paul Stanley of KISS, Earl Slick (guitarist for both John Lennon and David Bowie) and members of Foreigner, .38 Special, Bad Company and Cinderella; has performed at inaugural balls for two presidents; and has been featured in major international publications such as Guitar Player Magazine, Hammer World (Hungary) and Guitar Player Brazil.

Hammer World said of DeGeorge, "If thereʼs any justice in the world, Rod DeGeorge will be one of the brightest stars amongst 21st Century new guitar heroes."

----Four concerts have been announced for the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading, with tickets on sale at ticketmaster.com:

Elton John & Billy Joel Face 2 Face: The Tribute Concert, starring Bill Connors and David Clark, on Jan. 20; Get the Led Out, a tribute to Led Zeppelin, on Feb. 16-17; Marshall Charloff & Purple Experience, a tribute to Prince, on March 9; and Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band's "Dirt on My Diamonds Tour" on March 13.

In addition, the Harlem Globetrotters will bring the 2024 World Tour to Santander Arena on Feb. 23.

For more information, see santander-arena.com.

Exhibits

The Reading Public Museum will present "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit" starting Saturday and running through Jan. 14.

This exhibit brings to life the themes presented in the award-winning PBS Kids television series created by The Fred Rogers Productions that follows the adventures of 4-year-old Daniel Tiger and his friends.

Visitors can walk the paths and hear the sounds of Daniel's world as they encounter the meaning of empathy, gratitude, sharing and diversity in an environment of creative and interactive play. Through music, kids can sing along with Daniel, work together to solve problems, and even experience the contagious nature of kindness.

In addition, "Cartography in the Age of Enlightenment" has opened in the Works on Paper Gallery on the museum's ground floor. The exhibit runs through Dec. 31.

Made up entirely of works from the museum's permanent collection, the exhibit explores the art and science of mapmaking during the "long 18th century." Featuring over 30 maps and supplemented with several cartographical instruments and charts, this exhibition includes maps picturing both the Old World and the New, and includes views of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and the Americas.

The museum is open daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children/seniors/college students (with ID), and free to members and children 3 and younger. For more information, see readingpublicmuseum.org.