Essays

1090 results
Page 24
Concertgoers pass protesters outside the Kimmel Center on May 19, 2018. (Photo by Joe Piette via flickr.com.)

On violating the "sanctity of the concert hall"

Disrupting culture

When protesters disrupted the Philadelphia Orchestra's performance of 'Tosca,' some thought they went too far; others thought they did just the right thing in just the right place. Benjamin Safran considers.
Benjamin Safran

Benjamin Safran

Essays 4 minute read
L to R: Keith Conallen, Taysha Marie Canales, and Lindsay Smiling in the Wilma Theater's production of 'Passage.' (Photo by Bill Hebert.)

Difficult plays and the critics who love them

To 'scape the serpent's tongue

Tough times call for tough critics willing to wrestle with works of art. Can artists and critics — together — help us make sense of our world? James Ijames considers.
James Ijames

James Ijames

Essays 6 minute read
Medical students who take a fine-art appreciation course fine-tune their skills as a result. (Photo by Steve Belkowitz.)

GPCA introduces "narrative medicine" to Philly with a story slam

Tell me how you really feel

Philly's medical schools are turning to the arts to help students and patients in myriad ways, and the city's first-ever medical story slam is just the start. Alaina Mabaso considers.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Essays 4 minute read
Simmonds and Krasinski play a father and daughter who must communicate without speaking. (Photo by Jonny Cournoyer, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.)

John Krasinski's 'A Quiet Place' and the nature of disability

Disability and accessibility

John Krasinski's postapocalyptic horror movie points to new views of disability. Alaina Mabaso considers.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Essays 5 minute read

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Leonard Bernstein, composer of "Chichester Psalms," introduced children to classical music at his "Young People's Concerts." (Photo via Creative Commons/Wikimedia.)

Kids, caregivers, and the concert hall

Rethinking audience noise

Many of our cultural institutions offer "kid-friendly" performances, but how friendly are they? Benjamin Safran considers.
Benjamin Safran

Benjamin Safran

Essays 4 minute read
So many people, so few places to hide. (Photo by Camille Bacon-Smith.)

The March for Our Lives and the Lockdown Generation

Young and restless

The March 24, 2018, March for Our Lives was Camille Bacon-Smith's first protest in Washington, D.C. Unlike many legislators, she learned to listen to the children.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Essays 4 minute read
Adams tickled D'Angelo's ivories for eight years and made everyone feel like a star. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Klauber.)

Tom Adams's House Party's over at D'Angelo's

The melody remains

Tuesdays at D'Angelo's Ristorante came to be known as the (recently departed) Tom Adams House Party. Bruce Klauber sings its praises.
Bruce Klauber

Bruce Klauber

Essays 3 minute read
Taylor Mac may transcend gender, but judy still uses pronouns. (Photo by Teddy Wolff.)

Pronouns and PIFA

The great judy question

PIFA's presenting Taylor Mac's spectacular 'A 24-Decade History of Popular Music,' so shouldn't they know what to call the artist? Alaina Mabaso considers.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Essays 5 minute read
'New Yorker' satirist Andy Borowitz issued a call to action at his Keswick Theater performance. (Photo via Creative Commons/Wikipedia.)

Andy Borowitz and Moms Demand Action try to make America sane again

Taking aim at apathy

Comedy writer and satirist Andy Borowitz issued a call to action at his Keswick Theater show this week. Stacia Friedman took him up on it.
Stacia Friedman

Stacia Friedman

Essays 5 minute read
We know it's a lot of paper, but we love it! And we recycle. (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for BSR.)

A paean to paper(s)

All the news that fits

It might seem strange to celebrate newspapers in an online publication — but, hey, we love them too. Kathryn Taylor considers.
Kathryn Taylor Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Kathryn Taylorand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 4 minute read