Two people on stage, both with wire coils on their heads, fiddle with computer parts

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, November 13-19, 2025

Fringe encores, Sappho’s Salon, and Stories My Father Told Me
A new exhibit opens at Al-Bustan, the Wilma taps into children’s theater, and an experimental documentary screens at Scribe Video Center. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Two people, a couple, sit on a couch in casualwear and a blanket, in conversation

Previewing the 45th Annual Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media Festival

Since Adam bit the apple
The Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media Festival is back, tackling themes of cultural tension, traditions, and wrestling with assimilation. Lisa Grunberger previews.

Lisa Grunberger

Previews 2 minute read
Photo portrait of Joachim, a Haitian American woman, in a turquoise leather top, dramatic blue eyeshadow, and a coral lip.

Opera Philadelphia composer-in-residence Nathalie Joachim calls Philly “a historic music city”

Letting others find themselves in our stories
Acclaimed performer and composer Nathalie Joachim kicks off her Opera Philadelphia residency with a November 19 performance in the Wanamaker Building. She speaks with Maria Thompson Corley about joining Philly’s musical landscape.
Maria Thompson Corley

Maria Thompson Corley

Features 5 minute read
On a set like the outside of a woodland cabin, the actors sit in Adirondack chairs at night, looking contemplatively up.

InterAct Theatre Company presents Amy Berryman’s Walden

Echoes of Thoreau
In an expert production from InterAct Theatre Company, Amy Berryman’s Walden adds a futuristic streak to the fractured family drama. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
Holmes, in a satin peach bathrobe & headscarf, tenderly holds Muhammad, who cries in red satin PJs.

South Camden Theatre Company presents Colman Domingo’s Dot

A touching play by a notable Philly-born actor
South Camden Theatre Company wraps up its 20th anniversary “Season of Love” with Colman Domingo’s Dot, a tale filled with heart and humor guaranteed to delight audiences heading into the holidays. A. Lewis reviews.

A. Lewis

Reviews 4 minute read
Group portrait. Four people stand next to each other, in jackets and button ups and solid pants, against a backdrop.

BSR Classical Interludes, more in November 2025

Bowerbird, Trio Montage, Delaware Symphony and more
More music happening in November, including casualwear with Beethoven and mid-20th century classics. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read
Nixon, in a maid’s uniform, flirtatiously pours a flask into Davis’s coffee cup while he laughs. They are in a hotel room.

The Arden presents Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop

The man beneath the monument
The Arden stages The Mountaintop, Katori Hall’s popular magical realist drama about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s final night, his legacy, and what we must do to continue it. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 3 minute read
Gayle and Greer play a psychologist and his patient in an office with small art pieces and a large fern. They both look tired

Theatre Exile presents Max Wolf Friedlich’s Job

Do something you love
Theatre Exile kicks off its 29th season with a darkly funny single-set thriller about what happens when you allow your work to define you, and then take over your life. Jill Ivey reviews.
Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Reviews 4 minute read
Book cover. Title in white, with a syringe for the “i” in Ravishing, above a woman’s face surrounded by a ring light

RAVISHING, by Eshani Surya

We betray our bodies, and they betray us right back
Philly author Eshani Surya’s debut novel RAVISHING, out November 11, follows Indian American siblings caught in the trap of the beauty industry. Chhaya Nayyar reviews.
Chhaya Nayyar

Chhaya Nayyar

Reviews 3 minute read
View from partway down the museum’s famous steps, looking up at the brown columned façade, with groups of people sitting.

New PMA CEO Sasha Suda fired in a wild week at Philly’s premier museum

Are we good with the griffin?
Hot takes are flying on the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s rebrand and sudden firing of CEO Sasha Suda. Alaina Johns breaks it down.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 7 minute read
Rusted metal base holds a 9-foot vertical cast bronze blue-green sculpture that melds features of humans and cacti.

Grounds for Sculpture presents Salvador Jiménez-Flores: Raíces & Resistencias

A vital look at migration and identity in today’s America
At the Grounds for Sculpture, Salvador Jiménez-Flores explores Mexican immigrants’ present and historical journey to the US, highlighting struggle, justice, and resilience as many try to look away. McCaillaigh Rouse reviews.
McCaillaigh Rouse

McCaillaigh Rouse

Reviews 3 minute read
A group cast and crew photo on a warmly-lit stage

Theatre Horizon presents Wishing to Grow Up Brightly

Exploring family through the eyes of a Korean adoptee
Theatre Horizon premiers a new musical about a Korean adoptee exploring family, loss, and identity. Mina Reinckens previews.
Mina Reinckens

Mina Reinckens

Previews 3 minute read
Lawton, a bald white man in a loose white shirt and striped kilt, gestures while he speaks.

Lantern Theater Company presents Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Shakespeare sans thrills
As the company enters its fourth decade, the Lantern Theater’s Macbeth lacks ideas and excitement. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read

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B&W portrait, Labold in casualwear sits on a small bench outside, during daylight, wearing sunglasses looking to his right

Stamp making with your friendly neighborhood mailperson Greg Labold

Putting a stamp on it
Mailperson and artist Greg Labold hosts a rubber stamp making workshop, and talks about his journey into a new career while rediscovering his creative work. Jimmy Viola previews.
Jimmy Viola

Jimmy Viola

Profiles 5 minute read
Two Haitian American women sit facing a mirror, one person in front of the other, smiling joyfully, in portrait style photo

Journey Arts presents MIWA | Talie and Lunise Cerin

A multidisciplinary exploration of Haitian-American experiences
MIWA, created by two Haitian American sisters, is a film and music experience running this weekend. John Morrison previews.
John Morrison

John Morrison

Previews 2 minute read
B&W photo of two women in headresses and dresses standing next to each other, looking down, somber

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, November 6-12, 2025

Silent films, textile portraits, and surrealism
Two pivotal silent films screen in Philly, new exhibitions at Muse Gallery, PMA, and the MoAR, and props for sale. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
On a spacious mid-century modern set with huge windows, nine actors in formal wear pose with dramatic grace.

Resident Ensemble Players presents Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None

A chilling chestnut
Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players take on Agatha Christie’s most enduring murder-mystery classic in a sleek and satisfying production. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
Brown, a Black man holding a magazine, looks nervously at Rose, a white woman, cuddling up to him on a subway seat.

Passage Theatre presents Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman and The Slave

A double bill from a pioneer of Black arts
Trenton’s Passage Theatre pairs two important early plays by Amiri Baraka, Dutchman and The Slave, in a new production that mixes exciting choices with a lack of emotional resonance. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 6 minute read
Full view of Marian Anderson Hall stage, with the whole orchestra, Nézet-Séguin conducting, Ax playing a grand piano at front

Philadelphia Orchestra presents Emanuel Ax Performs Beethoven

A premiere, an anniversary, and a marathon
A marathon musical outing with the Philadelphia Orchestra covered two Brahms symphonies and celebrated the 50th anniversary of pianist Emanuel Ax’s debut with the Philadelphians. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 4 minute read
Barbosa, in a long swingy light satin dress, and Montepara, in white & black formals, balance in a dynamic pose, hands joined

BalletX presents the first decade of its 20th Anniversary Retrospective

A ballet powerhouse goes back to the beginning
Philly’s own BalletX celebrates two great decades with its 20th Anniversary Retrospective, featuring 20 dances in two programs. Melissa Strong reviews Program A: The First Decade.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 4 minute read
Two performers sit in a brick-walled room, one has his hands up in reservation, the other open handed looking at him

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, October 30-November 5, 2025

Dancing mania, spooky season vibes, and Afrofuturism
Kyle V. Hiller rounds up the week with offerings from the African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Arden, CraftNOW, and more.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Portrait. Two performers sit on bar stool chairs in all-white room. Wong holds a violin.

BSR Classical Interludes: November 2025

Tempesta di Mare, Jasper Quartet, and more
Rounding up classical music performances in November, including offerings from Tempesta di Mare, Network for New Music, and a reimagining of Twelfth Night. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 4 minute read
A person in a blue blouse, black skirt, red shoes sits in a chair in an empty room with red curtain, zig-zag lines the floor

The BSR November 2025 repertory movie roundup

Twin Peaks, Heathers, Glengarry Glen Ross, and more
More from the Film Society's David Lynch retrospective, Heathers in 16mm, and more. Stephen Silver previews November movies.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 5 minute read