In colorful pants and a bright yellow jacket, Merci performs stand-up comedy in her role, the mic in one hand.

Philadelphia Theatre Company and Edgewood Entertainment present Erlina Ortiz’s La Egoísta

Who gets to be selfish?

In Erlina Ortiz’s La Egoísta, now getting its Philly premiere at PTC, two very different sisters (one an irreverent comedian and the other a devoutly Christian bank employee) navigate the demands of career and caretaking. Krista Mar reviews.
Krista Mar

Krista Mar

Reviews 3 minute read
Sitting on a chair in the studio with a mirror behind him, Corella gestures to one side with a severe, focused expression.

Angel Corella opens up about his new Le Corsaire and 10 years at the helm of Philadelphia Ballet

“A star of his generation in dance”

Ten years ago, when Angel Corella became artistic director of Philadelphia Ballet, the company needed new ideas. As the premiere of his revamped Le Corsaire approaches, he speaks with Camille Bacon-Smith about what he brings to the company, and what’s next.

Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Features 6 minute read
Droxler, a white man in a plaid button-down, sits on a couch looking slightly afraid, holding a fringed blanket above him

Hedgerow Theatre presents Dave Droxler’s Robin & Me: My Little Spark of Madness

A marvelous madcap journey in time

This solo show from Delco native Dave Droxler mixes his real-life childhood in the Philly burbs with his love for a slew of comedians, especially his imaginary friend and real idol Robin Williams. Erin Dohony reviews.
Erin Dohony

Erin Dohony

Reviews 3 minute read
Three characters, mouths agape—maybe singing. Aprons and food service attire, hold a tray with three cups, milk, and pitcher

Theatre Horizon presents Jonathan Larson's tick, tick…BOOM!

In Norristown, Larson lives

Jonathan Larson’s early 90s one-man show continues to find new life in light of his legacy with a production by Theatre Horizon. Stephen Silver previews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Reviews 3 minute read
Lutz in character on stage, hands folded, seated. Background is dimly lit, Lutz’s face stern

The Strides Collective presents Matt Shvyrkov’s Confabulation

Having a lot of character

The Strides Collective presents Matt Shvyrkov’s Confabulation, a frequently engaging portrait of misfits that seems at odds with its overly ambiguous structure. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 4 minute read
4 actors of different races and genders crowd around Lexi Thammavong at center, who holds an iPhone, looking worried.

1812 Productions presents This Is the Week That Is 2024

Outdated election-year satire

1812’s popular political satire revue This Is the Week That Is returns to Plays & Players to take on the 2024 election in its 19th edition. But out-of-touch sketches offer mostly limp laughs. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 2 minute read
At a construction site, Athie, in a light mauve suit, talks to Watson, in a peach suit. Davis, dressed for work, looks on.

The Public Theater presents James Ijames’s Good Bones

No place like home

James Ijames takes on the weighty topic of gentrification in Good Bones with this production at New York’s Public Theater, but the play itself is still in need of renovation. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 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
Show logo. "Frankenstein" appears above in glowy white letters, with two male actors in black below.

The BSR Podcast: Season 9, Episode 2: Widener U and Lone Brick Theatre Company's Frankenstein

Hear all about a limited engagement of an imaginative new take on Mary Shelley

Podcast host Darnelle Radford sits down with Dave Ebersole and Mick Loro, who share about their new adaptation of Frankenstein, onstage at Widener University Oct 10-20, 2024.
Darnelle Radford

Darnelle Radford

Podcast 1 minute read
The costumed actors pose in a line with serious faces, X holding papers while others fall through the air around them.

Philadelphia Artists’ Collective presents August Strindberg’s The [Happy Hour] Dance of Death

Back to PAC’s creative roots

Philadelphia Artists’ Collective continues its history of inventive productions by staging August Strindberg’s Dance of Death at the Franklin Inn Club, with a chance for the audience to mingle with the actors in character. Cameron Kelsall previews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Previews 3 minute read
Hernandez as Cyrano, with a very large nose, turns sadly away while Miller passionately kisses Bridge, in a ruffled skirt.

Quintessence Theatre Group presents Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, adapted by Martin Crimp

A classic tale with contemporary flair

Quintessence kicks off its 15th anniversary season with a bold adaptation of Cyrano, casting the charismatic yet insecure hero as a defiant poet fighting against mediocrity and bourgeois conformity. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 2 minute read
In color-coordinated tights, bloomers, Chuck Taylors & football jerseys, the grinning actors wave pompoms like cheerleaders

Resident Ensemble Players presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again]

Massaging and massacring the Bard

Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players opens its season with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again], mixing sketch and farce for a dizzy and hilarious presentation of the beloved tribute. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
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A blocky, colorful illustration of two black-haired women back to back, one with an IV bag and one holding a mic.

The BSR Podcast: Season 9, Episode 1: Erlina Ortiz on the Philly premiere of her La Egoista

Philly playwright Erlina Ortiz talks with Darnelle Radford about her new show

Erlina Ortiz's new play, La Egoista, gets its Philly premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company. She sat down with podcast host Darnelle Radford ahead of the October 9, 2024 opening.
Darnelle Radford

Darnelle Radford

Podcast 1 minute read
A woman in a turquoise dress with patterns with her arms out, five hoop rings linked from hand to hand behind her

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, October 10-16, 2024

OURfest, Indigenous Peoples Day, Confabulation, and more

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day in Philly all weekend, Confabulation by Strides Collective, and block parties for the vote. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 4 minute read
Show logo. Company, title, and author in white over a roaring grizzly bear rearing out of flames, and a brown-wrapped package

Fever Dream Repertory presents Steve Yockey’s Mercury

A queer, occult delight

Fever Dream Repertory, a new local company, lands at Plays & Players for the Philly premiere of Mercury, a pitch-black horror comedy that evokes Hitchcock’s comedy and a queer and bloody Twilight Zone. C.M. Crockford reviews.
C.M. Crockford

C.M. Crockford

Reviews 3 minute read
Seen from behind Nézet-Séguin energetically conducts DiDonato, with short silver hair & white dress, standing among musicians

The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting Mahler’s Third Symphony

A lengthy thrill

Mahler’s Third, the longest symphony in the standard repertoire, got an exciting, multifaceted performance from Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, alongside soloist Joyce DiDonato and three choirs. Linda Holt reviews.
Linda Holt

Linda Holt

Reviews 3 minute read
Ortiz portrait photo, black and white. She sits and looks on inside an open piano, the strings

BSR Classical Interludes, October 2024

Opening the musical 2024-25 season in the Philly area

A new season of music opens with Chamber Orchestra, the Crossing, Variant Six, and more. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 4 minute read
Portrait photo of Bostwick. Arms crossed, smiling at camera. Wears all black, with gray hair. Blue backdrop

The BSR October 2024 repertory movie roundup

Sean Baker, John Malkovich, and lots of Halloween horror

Horror flicks for October, a Sean Baker retrospective, and many more screenings highlight the month. Stephen Silver previews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 5 minute read
Six women pose for a group photo in front of a painting. Two hold books, one holds a Cookbooks & Convos tote

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, October 3-9, 2024

Cookbooks & Convos, Joy to the Polls, and Unhoused & Unseen

New exhibitions and performances open this week as we slip into fall. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
In a dramatic fish-eye lens, Diorio sings joyfully at center with 5 other actors in plaid, spangled, sparkling drag.

Delaware Theatre Company presents Harvey Fierstein and Cindy Lauper’s Kinky Boots

The most beautiful thing in the world dazzles in Wilmington

Delaware Theatre Company marks 45 years on Wilmington’s waterfront with an all-out, thigh-high production of Kinky Boots. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
One actor kneels on a dark stage holding a smartphone. Their text convo projects behind, including “sorry just seeing this”

Philly Fringe 2024: Leigh Huster presents sorry just seeing this

It’s always screen time

“Sorry just seeing this” is one of the best possible endings to a text thread silence. In their new Fringe show, Leigh Huster explores the ways our smartphones connect and divide us. Helen Walsh reviews.
Helen Walsh

Helen Walsh

Reviews 3 minute read
Lubar, a white woman wearing a gray tank top, her arm tattooed with an eagle and flowers, reads from a piece of paper.

Philly Fringe 2024: _mixlit presents Line///////Movements

Poetry in motion

A compilation of short pieces combining poetry and other voices with evocative movement brought dance artists, including Sammy Caiola and Evalina Carbonell, together for an interdisciplinary Fringe performance. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Reviews 3 minute read