TRR photo by Mary Greene Richard Grunn speaks with Ramona Jan and her daughter, Lucy Jan-Turan, six, of Damascus, about the mask-making program at the Braman Arts Center’s new Honesdale location. (Click for larger image)

Braman Arts Center expands to PA

By MARY GREENE

HONESDALE — “We want this place to be a center,” said Braman Arts Center founder Tasha Grunn, speaking from the new location above Major Music in Honesdale. “We tell people in the community, ‘If there is a class you want to take, let us know, and we will see if we can provide it.’”

The center held an open house and registration day on Saturday, January 6.

“We’ve gotten a lot of interest from adults who want to take classes,” said Tasha.

“One mother came looking for German lessons for her son,” said actor Richard Grunn, who is the center’s theatre teacher and Tasha’s husband. “I think that’s great,” he said.

Tasha and Richard Grunn began the Braman Arts Center over a year ago in Callicoon, NY. While the Callicoon location will continue to offer classes in theatre, dance, music and foreign language, its single room presents a challenge in terms of performance and rehearsal space.

“Nothing is changing over in Callicoon,” said Richard. “That’s our home community. But we are excited about the possibilities of having more space here in Honesdale.”

The Honesdale location has a classic dance studio space lit by tall windows, which can be used both for dance lessons and as a performance space. There is a multi-purpose front room for art and language lessons, and a studio for music lessons. There is also adequate space to provide a changing room and a waiting area for parents.

“We sense a need [for an arts center] here,” said Grunn, “and perhaps the population to support it.”

The pair plans to visit area schools to introduce children to classes being offered in the center. Richard will give a theatre demonstration to students at Western Wayne this week.

Richard is known throughout the area for the mix of humor and pathos in his original one-person plays, including “The O’Henry Conspiracy” and “Father Joinder’s Purgative Poetry Workshop.” He will be performing “The O’Henry Conspiracy” at The Northeast Theatre (TNT) at Keystone College in La Plume, PA at the end of this month. There will be eight performances offered over two weekends, beginning January 25.

The Braman Arts Center currently offers classes for children and adults in theatre, dance (including ballet, creative movement and Victorian dancing), art (including painting, puppet making and mask making), music (including piano, flute, recorder, clarinet and saxophone instruction), foreign language (French and Spanish) and creative writing. Classes begin January 15. For more information about the center, or about “The O’Henry Conspiracy,” call 845/887-1901.