View from above of fanciful floral islands in a huge event hall, connected by sinuous arches of complex flower arrangements.

PHS presents the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show, Rooted: Origins of American Gardening

Our gardening legacies, and a flowering future
This year’s Flower Show, open through March 8, 2026 at the PA Convention Center, nods to our 250th with the theme Rooted: Origins of American Gardening. Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer reviews.
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Reviews 5 minute read
A glass panel with an etching of integrated 18th-century Philadelphians at a funeral procession next to a panel ripped away.

Join the fight for full restoration of the President’s House Slavery Memorial

The Trump administration is frightened by Ona Judge
Exhibits about slavery at George Washington’s Philly house are still in limbo as advocates fight the Trump/Vance administration for full restoration. Constance Garcia-Barrio looks closer.
Constance Garcia-Barrio

Constance Garcia-Barrio

Features 6 minute read
Large display of diverse Native artifacts, including tools and clothing with informational signage, in glass cases.

The Penn Museum presents the Native North America Gallery

A rich heritage and living culture
A new permanent gallery at the Penn Museum features an in-depth look at Native North American cultures, and acknowledges the fraught relationship between institutions and Indigenous groups. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
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In brown socks and black leotard, Veiga poses on one bent, muscular leg while extending every other limb.

Ensemble Arts Philly presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Newer work joins Revelations
Alvin Ailey stopped at the Academy of Music on the company’s 2026 tour, combining its iconic Revelations program with several exciting newer works from a riveting ensemble. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Reviews 4 minute read
Kanu & Pullum smile flirtatiously at each other in a 1930 living room, a maroon velvet curtain draping the door behind them

Lantern Theater Company presents Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky

Still protecting the dream
Lantern Theater Company presents Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky, an audacious story that feels fresh and urgent today despite being set in 1930 Harlem. A. Lewis reviews.

A. Lewis

Reviews 3 minute read
Zagar, a white man in a green knit hat, gestures to a the wild, shiny, swirling mosaic mural covering the walls behind him.

Isaiah Zagar taught me to hold grief, love, and life through the art of mosaic

Honoring the man who believed that art can heal
When Anndee Hochman met Isaiah Zagar, he told her how art can heal. A few years later, grieving her father, she took Zagar’s lessons into her own hands.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Essays 5 minute read
In motley Renaissance clothes, the cast poses clownishly in a spotlight, Hogan at center looking prissy in white face paint.

The Kammerspiel presents Molière’s Tartuffe, adapted by Bob Sloan

Back to laugh at the oligarchy
A new adaptation of Molière’s Tartuffe gets its world premiere at Performance Garage with the Kammerspiel, a theater troupe dedicated to intimate and subversive productions. Walt Maguire reviews.

Walt Maguire

Reviews 2 minute read
Minora, a white woman with brown hair wearing gold hoop earrings and pink plush jacket, blows a bubble with her gum.

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, February 26-March 4, 2026

Riverbend, Baby Everything, and Living Indigenous
New exhibitions from DelArt and Penn Museum, a lost Black indie film is restored and screened in North Philly, and a Fringe favorite returns to the stage. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
In dramatic bars of light, the actors, in motley modern clothes, face each other over a tavern table.

Quintessence Theatre Group presents Rare Accidents: The Escapades of Prince Hal & Falstaff, adapted by Alex Burns

Succession versus Always Sunny
Alex Burns stages his new adaptation of both parts of Henry IV at Quintessence with his signature epic style, but it’s not suited to the best elements of this story. C.M. Crockford reviews.
C.M. Crockford

C.M. Crockford

Reviews 4 minute read
Melancholy yet whimsical painting of a Black man sitting on a downcast unicorn on a dark night, in front of a flat horizon.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents Noah Davis

Observant whispers
An international retrospective on Noah Davis, an important American painter lost much too soon, ends its tour at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
5 pieces of wooden Shaker furniture, including a wheelchair and two cradles, lined up in a white gallery below blue banners

The Institute for Contemporary Art presents A World in the Making: The Shakers

The eternal in the everyday
A major exhibition on the Shakers lands in Philly at UPenn’s ICA, juxtaposing historic pieces with new works exploring the enigmatic religious group’s legacy. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 6 minute read
Sachs, an older white man, attends a lavishly dressed Rosheuvala, a Guyanese English woman wearing a towering royal gray wig.

Yes, Bridgerton does mirror real life with its diverse cast. Here’s the history.

Exploring the real-life inspiration for a multiracial society in the hit Regency romance
Some commentators criticize Bridgerton for its racially diverse representation of the upper classes in 19th-century London. But An Nichols, who knows the real history, loves this aspect of the show.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Essays 6 minute read
Silhouetted on a dramatic, blue-lit stage, the three actors look with relaxed poses at a large white canvas on the wall.

Resident Ensemble Players presents Yasmina Reza’s Art

A worthy box office favorite
University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players stages a terrifically enjoyable production of French playwright Yasmina Reza’s Art, which is popular for good reason. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read

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Minora, in striped shirt & blue skirt, scrunches her face as a laughing audience member spritzes her from a spray bottle

FringeArts presents Lee Minora’s Baby Everything

You’ve come a long way, baby
Lee Minora’s entertaining and thought-provoking Baby Everything returns for an encore engagement at FringeArts. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
View from behind of two people looking at a sign about slavery, next to a blank metal sheet where signage is missing.

President's House supporters rally as some exhibits on slavery return to the walls

A victory for advocates of Philly’s true history
On Thursday, February 19, President’s House advocates rallied to celebrate a ruling that demands the return of signage about slavery, while a court case over their removal by the Trump administration continues. Alaina Johns was there.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Features 4 minute read
Close up photo of Kihlstedt, her hands at her face as she looks deeply towards camera, in front of all white background

BSR Classical Interludes, more in February 2026

Dark Whimsy, S P A C E + Solitude, and La Passione de Simone
Music about unfortunate ways to die; a meditation on faith, sacrifice, and resistance; and Philadelphia Youth Orchestra takes the stage. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read
Five people in various costumes, hair styles, and makeup pose together; three look at each other, two to the camera

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, February 19-25, 2026

Body of Work, Molière’s Tartuffe, and being Starstruck
New theater performances open in the area, a lecture-performance on the political and historical dimensions of breath, and more Lunar New Year celebrations. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Two vitrines full of documents from the era in front of a wall with more framed documents and a large image from 1976 protest

UPenn’s Van Pelt Library presents Celebrate or Demonstrate: Philadelphia and Bicentennial Discontent

Protests during America’s 200th birthday mirror our divisions in 2026
A small, free-to-visit exhibition in UPenn’s Van Pelt Library reminds us that protests during America’s 250th birthday resemble those that rocked Philly in 1976. Walt Maguire reviews.

Walt Maguire

Reviews 3 minute read
Five actors of different genders in modern clothes, three white & two Black, gather around boxes of antique photos and papers

InterAct Theatre Company presents Phaedra Michelle Scott’s Plantation Black

A family grappling with the past
Plantation Black, a new play at Interact with an unusual structure, examines the complex, uncomfortable history of an American family with roots in slavery. Melissa Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 3 minute read
Against dramatic mist, Scammel leans forward on a staircase while Hernandez, below, holds his torso as if balancing him.

Philadelphia Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s Caesar, adapted by Tyler Dobrowsky

Our favorite Shakespearean political canvas
Philadelphia Theatre Company presents William Shakespeare’s Caesar, an adaptation that truncates the original text and moves the action to an underdeveloped modern setting. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 4 minute read
Two people on stage with desks and notes behind them.

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, February 12-18, 2026

Arcadia, Expanding Sanctuary, and Awkward Sex … and the City
A pivotal short film explores immigrant justice in Philly and beyond, laughs for Valentine’s Day weekend, theater show openings, and a Brazilian Carnaval celebration. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Collage image with Scott, a Black woman, at left, and Darnelle, a Black man, at right, both wearing headphones.

The BSR Podcast: Dive into February theater with Jesus Hopped the A Train and Plantation Black

Darnelle Radford goes behind the scenes as the 2025-2026 season continues
It's another exciting month on Philly's theater scene, and BSR Podcast host Darnelle Radford takes you behind the curtain with the artists of new productions at InterAct and Stagecrafters.
Darnelle Radford

Darnelle Radford

Podcast 2 minute read
McGill, a Black woman in gray 19th-century costume, speaks onstage with a projection of enslaved people behind her.

Curio Theatre presents Richard Lamont Pierce’s Sojourner

Looking back helps us move forward
Richard Lamont Pierce’s one-woman show about famous abolitionist Sojourner Truth has toured for more than 20 years, starring Zuhairah McGill. Catch it at Curio for Black History Month 2026. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 4 minute read