Name: Cotter Interactive
Price range: $

What do children see when they look at America's future? (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for BSR.)

Fire and ICE

Frozen out, boiling over

This summer's protests over ICE's policy of separating children from their parents have ramped up pressure on the Trump administration. But is it enough? Anndee Hochman considers.

Anndee Hochmanand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Jul 31, 2018 Essays 4 minute read

The offending kiosk and its many, many instructions. (Photo by Rod Bartchy.)

Konquering the kiosk

La bête verte

One man's act of resistance against a parking kiosk echoes an entire city's frustrations. Or maybe not. But it's still pretty satisfying. Rod Bartchy considers.

Rod Bartchy

Jul 31, 2018 Essays 5 minute read

On the way to Abington Hospital (at right). You can't quite see Señor Salsa. (Photo by Kile Smith.)

Living dangerously

The view from here

After composer Kile Smith fainted in church — a second time — his life flashed before his eyes. It didn't look so bad.

Kile Smith

Jul 10, 2018 Essays 5 minute read

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"

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

May 28, 2018 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

May 15, 2018 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

May 08, 2018 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

Apr 17, 2018 Essays 5 minute read

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

Apr 17, 2018 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.