The Zlock Performing Art Center at Bucks County Community College, run by Peter Chiovarou, has an exciting line up of performances this fall season.

Since Peter Chiovarou has taken over the position of director of community programing and college events three years ago, the Zlock Performing Art Center has made a huge surge in bringing “innovative programs to inform, inspire, and enrich the life of greater Bucks County,” according to their program.

Shows at the Zlock Performing Art Center are free for students and any student that is over 21 years old can purchase access to the VIP section at concert events.

Students can find out about upcoming events through the Zlock Performing Art Center Facebook page and can purchase tickets at the box office in the Gateway Center of Bucks or at www.bucks.edu/tickets.

Most events are completely free to students, with the exception of a couple larger acts such as Richard Kind and Amazing Max. However, even if the concert costs money for students, the master class for musicians is always free and open to the public.

Events include musicians, motivational speakers, poetry readings, as well as movie nights that address social issues.
Movie nights are the third Monday of every month. Movies featured this fall include “Dakota’s Pride,” “Tickling Giants,” “Away From Her,” and “The Normal Heart.” These movies touch on social issues such as the truth about Down syndrome and talking about the AIDS crisis.

There is usually a discussion after the movie with professionals on the subject to answer question the audience may have. This is just another way the Zlock Performing Art Center is trying to bring more culture and education to the Bucks County Community.

Chiovarou has a great array of musical talent coming this fall, including one show he is most excited about, the Joscho Stephan Trio, performing Sept. 14.

“Stephan is a world renowned guitar player,” says Chiovarou. According to the Bucks Live program, Stephan’s roots stem in Gipsy Swing music, but he absorbs and interprets this music and extends its boundaries.

Acts like this one have a main concert at night and a master class during the afternoon where Bucks students are encouraged to attend a free lesson from these professional musicians.

Other highlights include Amazing Max, a magician targeted for younger audiences. As well as Richard Kind, an American actor that is planning on coming in to answer questions and talk about his experiences throughout his career.

Chiovarou chooses events to cater to a wide variety of people not only for Bucks students, but the whole Bucks county community.

When asked how he decides which events to book, Chiovarou responded, “I try to keep things fresh and innovative; I pick events that can relate to the school and community that are educational as well as entertaining.”

Peter Chiovarou has brought the entertainment culture at Bucks to life through his proactive and involved planning of events and dedication to the performance center.

He hopes to be able to bring bigger acts to Bucks. He explains “the revival of this theater is still in its infancy stages. The important thing now is getting the students more aware of the opportunities available to them with these amazing artists.”

His vision for the theater is for it to become a hangout for students and bring fun and exciting performances to the college.