A wall of collages of sticker art on elevated canvas boards

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, November 7-13, 2024

The Time Is Always Now, Philadelphia Asian American Film Fest, and more

A new exhibit at PMA, PAAFF returns with a fully-hybrid format, and crafty events decorate the weekend. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Benner, a man in his late 30s in a black button-down, smiles proudly while pointing to a mural that says your voice has power

Philly artists get out the vote with To the Polls 2024, now on view in Love Park

“If you are voting, you are hoping for the future.”

Prolific curator and Streets Dept blog founder Conrad Benner is back with To the Polls 2024, a bi-annual nonpartisan project from Mural Arts urging Philadelphians—who may decide this Presidential election—to vote. Alaina Johns visits.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Features 4 minute read
Porter, a Black woman working intently at a sewing table, seen from the side, hand on sewing machine wheel in the foreground

Arden Theatre Company Presents Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel

A woman worthy of the words

In a new production of Lynn Nottage's celebrated Intimate Apparel at the Arden (already extended through December 8, 2024), compelling performances are the highlight of an uneven whole. nat čermák reviews.

nat čermák

Reviews 2 minute read
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Finkle’s black & white photo, described in text below, of a Black woman sitting in the rain at a pro-housing protest.

Woodmere Art Museum presents In the Moment: The Art & Photography of Harvey Finkle

Picturing the people’s power

For half a century, Harvey Finkle has trained his camera on those fighting for the rights of homeless, displaced, disabled, or undocumented people on the front lines of American protest. An exhibition at Woodmere looks back on his legacy. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
In front of a large canvas spattered with red, the men talk avidly to each other, each holding a whiskey glass.

Theatre Exile presents John Logan’s Red

Paint by numbers

The struggle to make art takes center stage in John Logan’s Red, now revived by Theatre Exile. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
Gallery view of show's title wall, with a yellow/orange/purple gradient, and various ceramics on surrounding white pedestals

The Clay Studio presents The Future of Clay

What’s next for the enduring art of ceramics?

To close out its 50th anniversary year, The Clay Studio fittingly looks forward with The Future of Clay, which assembles eight artists for a streamlined show full of intriguing juxtapositions. Crystal Sparrow reviews.
Crystal Sparrow

Crystal Sparrow

Reviews 4 minute read
In bright spotlights, Weavers stands center stage, arms outstretched. The company mirrors his pose on the two-level set

Ensemble Arts Philly and the Shubert Organization present Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton

The stage where it happens is still a worthwhile ticket

Just in time for the week of the 2024 election, Hamilton is back in town, running at the Academy of Music through November 24. The current production boasts a great cast and sometimes differs a little from previous iterations. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 4 minute read
A collage of headshots showing Alaina, Kyle, Jill, and Frank, who are all appearing in the webinar

BSR's popular PR webinar for artists is happening again on November 21, 2024

Learn the basics of arts and culture PR with experienced editors and publicists

Everyone deserves a chance to learn the basics of good PR, especially artists and other independent creators and administrators. Join our November 21 HELP US HELP YOU webinar for tons of tips and a Q&A with PR experts.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Previews 2 minute read
The four actors, in a classroom, strike hectic poses around a woven basket, one covering another’s mouth with his hand.

Curio Theatre Company presents Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play

Roasting turkeys

Larissa FastHorse’s satire The Thanksgiving Play, one of the most-produced plays in the country, gets its Philly premiere with Curio in a mostly hilarious production. C.M. Crockford reviews.
C.M. Crockford

C.M. Crockford

Reviews 3 minute read
Collage work of bold prints shows a Black woman in repose, looking calmly outward, her eyes created by a black & white photo

The Barnes Foundation presents Mickalene Thomas: All About Love

A sparkling philosophy of love

A new multi-media exhibition at the Barnes featuring New Jersey native Mickalene Thomas celebrates queer existence and the female gaze with mixed-media painting, collage, photography, video, and more. K.A. McFadden reviews.
K.A. McFadden

K.A. McFadden

Reviews 4 minute read
DelMarcelle, in a green cardigan and jeans, speaks while kneeling on the stage in front of the audience, seated around him.

Delaware Theatre Company presents Duncan Macmillan’s Every Brilliant Thing

Embracing the audience

Delaware Theatre Company teams with Charlie DelMarcelle to present the popular one-man show Every Brilliant Thing, a gentle comedy that embraces the audience in its exploration of depression and healing. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 3 minute read
Film still. A performer in white, a sparkling floral-looking headdress, against a black backdrop

The BSR November 2024 repertory movie roundup

Paul Thomas Anderson films, Whit Stillman, a noir film festival, and more

A Paul Thomas Anderson retrospective, Whit Stillman back in town, a noir festival, and the return of the Lightbox Film Center. Stephen Silver previews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 5 minute read
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Doreck, in aviator sunglasses, bandana, and sleeveless shirt, raises a fist triumphantly over the others, posing zanily.

The Suzanne Roberts Theatre hosts Eli Bauman’s 44 - THE unOFFICIAL, unSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL

Red, blue, or in between: go see this show

Just in time for Philly theatergoers stressed about the 2024 election to find a little relief, Eli Bauman’s crowd-pleasing 44 - THE unOFFICIAL, unSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL arrives for a limited run at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 4 minute read
Mimi Stillman BSR 10 30 24

BSR Classical Interludes, November 2024

Tea with Mimi, Grant Youngblood and Marvin Mills, and one more from Astral Artists

Getting tea with Mimi Stillman, seeing the future with Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and saying goodbye to Astral Artists. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 4 minute read
Chang playing a wind instrument with percussion instruments around him on stage, a silhouetted crowd before him

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, October 31-November 6, 2024

False Tongues, Moreno, and sound rituals for the mind and body

A new performance from Britt Fishel and Artists, InterAct Theatre Company; a new exhibition opens in a Chestnut Hill gallery, and acoustic explorations are happening with FringeArts and Fire Museum. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Book cover. A black and white image of Barrymore against a white background

Discussing Philadelphia’s Hollywood legend Lionel Barrymore with biographer Kathleen Spaltro

The man behind Mr. Potter, Dr. Gillespie, and Scrooge

Rachel Bellwoar holds an interview with Lionel Barrymore biographer Kathleen Spaltro following the release of her new book, Lionel Barrymore: Character and Endurance in Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Rachel Bellwoar

Rachel Bellwoar

Profiles 5 minute read
Palmertree & Graves embrace lovingly with 17 ensemble members in luxe early Victorian costumes moving around them.

OperaDelaware and Opera Baltimore present Puccini’s La bohème

Puccini’s genius lives on

La bohème is one of the opera canon’s all-time favorites. In a co-production with Opera Baltimore, OperaDelaware offered a lively, beautifully staged production that showcased Puccini’s musical genius. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read
View straight down into a few stories of the narrow exhibit, crammed with wooden structures and assembled found objects.

Arcadia University’s Spruance Gallery presents Perpetual Inventory: A Ruminative Installation by Scott Kip

Unmoored and uncanny

Visitors to Scott Kip’s Perpetual Inventory can decide if they want to look at an inventory or gallery notes before entering—but it might be worthwhile to wait, for an impressionistic, mysterious encounter. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 4 minute read
Two men in beige jumpsuits look on in wonder, eyes wide, each with one hand at their sides.

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, October 24-30, 2024

RED, Intimate Apparel, Día de los Muertos, and more

New performances at the Wilma, Arden, and Theatre Exile, a soundscape journey at Asian Arts Initiative, and Penn Museum’s annual Día de los Muertos celebration. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 5 minute read
Meyer, in alluring makeup & silver bodysuit, washed in electric blue light, considers a pair of Barbie dolls he holds upright

EgoPo Classic Theater and Abrahamse & Meyer Productions present Tennessee Williams’s The Knightly Quest

Reviving a modern queer fable

To kick off the “B-Side” series of its current Queer Revolutions season, EgoPo welcomes longtime collaborators Abrahamse & Meyer Productions with The Knightly Quest, a relatively little-known piece by Tennessee Williams. Melissa Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 4 minute read
Franco’s piece, described in text below, is installed on the wall of a white gallery with a scuffed floor.

The Institute for Contemporary Art presents Where I Learned To Look: Art from the Yard

Art without walls

A new exhibition at Philly’s ICA explores what artists express in work made for the outdoors, from shrines to found objects to decorated cars, and a mirrored orb by Jeff Koons. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
19 smiling Latine people of different ages sing, scattered in front & inside a colorful two-level set like rooms of a house.

Teatro Esperanza presents Tanaquil Márquez’s Nichos

Capturing Philly’s Mexican American experience

An ambitious, sold-out world premiere at North Philly’s Esperanza Arts Center combines real-life stories from Mexican American locals and their families with rich, fantastical cultural elements. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 4 minute read