
The Arts
For the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Wilkes is a premier cultural center enriching
the lives of the campus and neighboring communities through the Visual and Performing
Arts Department’s music, dance and theatre performances. The vibrant theatre major
at Wilkes annually produces four mainstage shows at the beautiful Dorothy Dickson
Darte Center for the Performing Arts.
Recent productions such as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel and Anthony Newley’s
The Roar of the Greasepaint The Smell of the Crowd entertained audiences with high
quality musical performances by the theatre majors of Wilkes. Always diverse, the
Theatre Program also presents annually six to ten student directed black box productions
ranging from lively cabarets to absurdist drama.
The thriving Dance Program and resident dance company Ballet Northeast presents a
full schedule of jazz, modern and ballet offerings as well delighting audiences each
year with the holiday favorite The Nutcracker. Music enthusiasts are treated to performances
ranging from classical symphonic band to jazz.
Wilkes University encourages the growth of artistic talent with training in all the
arts. Wilkes undergraduate students benefit from the high quality classes in drawing,
painting, printmaking and other fine arts while non-traditional students can study
piano, voice, guitar and orchestral instruments through private instruction. Local
art patrons can visit the Sordoni Art Gallery which presents a range of exhibitions
that enrich the cultural life of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
A University is traditionally a place where culture thrives and is passed from generation
to generation. The Arts Programs at Wilkes continue to provide entertainment, enrichment
and a fertile academic ground for new talent to grow.