The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, August 28-September 3
What happens when the show actually goes on?
This week’s roundup highlights Fringe shows that have had lifespans before and beyond this year, capturing the essence of how performance art evolves over time. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Previews
5 minute read
The BSR editor’s picks for the 2025 Philadelphia Fringe Festival
Need help navigating the fest? BSR is here!
If you want to get your butt to some art during this year’s Fringe but don’t know where to start, we’re here for you. Editor-in-chief Alaina Johns shares some of her top picks for 2025.
Editorials
7 minute read
Winterthur Museum presents Almost Unknown, The Afric-American Picture Gallery
A 19th-century activist’s vision becomes a reality today
In the 1850s, writer and activist William J. Wilson imagined a museum exhibition that honored Black history and culture. More than 150 years later, Winterthur makes his dream a reality. An Nichols reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Dungeon Master Sarah Knittel’s clown realm guide to the 2025 Philly Fringe
Here’s thy map to the fauna of the Fest
Sarah Knittel has been lurking in the darkest corners of the Philly Fringe for years, and she brings light to your quest for the freshest, weirdest, most dangerous and hilarious solo artists of this year’s fest.
Essays
5 minute read
Three Chestnut Hill projects reimagine old spaces while keeping history alive
Architecture with a heart for local heritage
Three architectural projects in Chestnut Hill—a pedestrian bridge and two 19th-century mansions—maintain the neighborhood’s historic character while opening new spaces to the public. Clark Perks visits.
Features
5 minute read
After an 18-year restoration, the Lansdowne Theater reopens with A Bronx Tale
Delaware County revives a destination venue
Veteran actor and playwright Chazz Palminteri welcomed Delco audiences back to the Lansdowne Theater, after a lengthy renovation transforming the 1927 movie house into destination concert venue. Stephen Silver visits.
Features
5 minute read
A radical act: 2025 Philly Fringe artists tackle illness and disability
Healthcare is a human right for artists, too
A worsened healthcare crisis is about to hit Philadelphia. Artists are disproportionately affected, and they’re speaking up on behalf of all of us in this year’s Fringe. Alaina Johns helps you find their shows.
Editorials
5 minute read
The BSR September 2025 movie repertory roundup
No singing in the theater
Hamilton comes to theaters, plenty of Paul Thomas Anderson, and Lightbox goes back to the Bok. Stephen Silver rounds up screenings for September in the Philly area.
Previews
5 minute read
Celebrating punk rock and 20 years of Crash Bang Boom
Rocking out on South Street
Crash Bang Boom, the colorful rock and roll destination that opened in wake of Zipperhead’s closing, celebrates 20 years of business this summer. Jimmy Viola profiles.
Profiles
4 minute read
The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz’s Moving Backwards
One step forward, two steps back?
The PMA has acquired an interdisciplinary installation by the Swiss/German creator duo Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz. Moving Backwards was first commissioned in 2019 and feels even more relevant now, especially here. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read
With a new mural, Philly finally gets public art dedicated to abolitionist William Still
Celebrating family, freedom, and Philadelphia history
The dedication of new work from Mural Arts will bring the legacies of William Still, his family, and Philadelphia’s historic 7th Ward into the public eye. Melissa Strong previews.
Previews
3 minute read
Philly theater artists launch the Jewish Theatrical Resource Guide
Offering free guidance worldwide for anyone producing Jewish theater
Three Philly arts leaders were on the team that developed a new resource guide for theaters tackling Jewish stories. They sit down with Jill Ivey to discuss how it all happened and what the guide offers theater-makers worldwide.
Features
6 minute read
Wanamaker Building partners announce arts lineup in the Grand Court starting in September
Welcome back to the Wanamaker
The Wanamaker Building in Center City has been standing empty since Macy’s left, but the public is invited back soon for a new arts program, and the continuation of popular holiday events. Alaina Johns visits.
Editorials
5 minute read
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Also on BSR
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, August 21-September 3
Dancing dabke with El-Funoun, Philly Bookstore Crawl, and Urban Arts Fest 52
Wrapping up August and peaking into September in Philly ahead of the 2025 Fringe Festival. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Previews
5 minute read
The Month in Philly Dance: August 2025
Arts on Center Stage and previewing Penn Live Arts new season
Dancing at Dilworth Park, new shorts from CHI Movement Arts, and looking ahead to Penn Live Arts's 2025-26 season. Camille Bacon-Smith previews.
Previews
3 minute read
The BSR August 2025 repertory movie roundup
Mulholland Drive, The Long Goodbye, Aguirre and the Dead
Film screenings in the Philadelphia area happening in August. Stephen Silver rounds up.
Previews
3 minute read
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, August 2025
BlackStar Film Fest, AstroQuest, Theatre in the X, and more this month
Rounding up the month of August with events happening in Philly. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Previews
5 minute read
A dance critic hits the studio for Philadelphia Dance Day 2025
Dancing well enough … for a writer
Dance critic Melissa Strong observes performances with an expert eye, but she enjoys the challenge of taking dance classes herself alongside hobbyists and professionals alike at the annual Philadelphia Dance Day. Here’s what she learned.
Essays
4 minute read
A Germantown performing arts troupe says “Yes! And…” to kids’ creativity
Where the next generation takes the stage now
At Yes! And… Collaborative Arts, a Germantown-based performing arts group, staffers don’t
just talk about the next generation of art-makers. They invite kids’ creativity right now by mounting their all-original shows. Maggie Dougherty visits.
just talk about the next generation of art-makers. They invite kids’ creativity right now by mounting their all-original shows. Maggie Dougherty visits.
Features
4 minute read
Your August guide to Philadelphia-area theater
No dog days for the stage
BSR may be going on our August hiatus, but theater in our region doesn’t take a vacation. Cameron Kelsall previews some of August’s local productions, from hyperlocal al fresco performances to classic Shakespearean tragedies.
Previews
3 minute read
NoName Gallery presents Next Levels: The Art of Healing
A pop of color on Germantown Avenue
A pop art exhibition at Chestnut Hill’s NoName Gallery draws artists who hail from Philly, the Lehigh Valley, Manila, Mexico, and Venezuela. It’s a refreshing diversion for an oppressively hot summer. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
PSF presents Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in rep
Thrilling metatheatrics
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival stages Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in repertory productions, each play illuminating the other. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read
Shakespeare in Clark Park presents Jay Eddy’s A Bottom’s Dream
Shakespeare, but make it gay(er)
Shakespeare in Clark Park celebrates its 20th year with an original queer musical adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that feels both nostalgic and contemporary. It runs through Sunday, July 27. Josh Herren reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read