Illustration, two Black people over yellow/white backdrop. One holds up her fist, the other holds a flag with a black panther

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, January 30-February 5, 2025

Walk Around Philadelphia, The Drag, and kicking off Black History Month

Opening spaces for Black History in February, exploring the city with Walk Around Philadelphia, and EgoPo’s production of a roaring 20s censored classic. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 4 minute read
Martinez-Briggs as Demi. Wears a sleeveless hooded sweater, holding a basketball, with Yoruba-style patterns for background

Wilma Theater presents Inua Ellams’s The Half-God of Rainfall

The mythos of a slam dunk

The Wilma Theater presents The Half-God of Rainfall, a contemporary epic poem that blends oral storytelling, Yoruba and Greek mythology, and basketball. Kiran Pandey previews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Previews 2 minute read
The councilmembers sit at a long table in City Council chambers, listening to testimony.

Philadelphia City Council prepares for the “lived nightmares” of the new Trump administration

Will Philly stand as a Sanctuary City in the MAGA era?

Two days after Trump was inaugurated again, City Council held a hearing on how Philly can protect vulnerable residents from the new administration, drawing testimony from civil-rights advocates. Alaina Johns tuned in.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
Two Korean people sit close in a bathroom looking at their phones inquisitively

The BSR February 2025 repertory movie roundup

Honoring David Lynch, Valentine's Day flicks, and more

Fire Walk With Me, When Harry Met Sally, Parasite, a “Girls and Guns Double Feature” and more screen this month. Stephen Silver previews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 5 minute read
A group of dancers in mid-movement on a stage, a few looking directly at the camera

Urban Movement Arts' WORKINONIT! opens new creative avenues for adult dance students

Opening up the dance floor

Urban Movement Arts is making space for dancers of all stages. Katherine Desimine profiles WORKINONIT!

Katherine Desimine

Profiles 3 minute read
The three actors sit around a small table in a music studio full of amps, framed photos, and guitar. They talk, smiling.

Arden Theatre Company presents Michael Hollinger’s Holy Grail of Memphis

The past is not through with us

Philly playwright Michael Hollinger’s Holy Grail of Memphis, premiering at the Arden, follows the white owner of a historic Memphis music studio where the lost recordings of a Black blues legend are hiding. C.M. Crockford reviews.

C.M. Crockford

C.M. Crockford

Reviews 3 minute read
Rodgers, a Black woman. Portrait style photo with her to the right, glasses, and a yellow sweater over a black top

Getting behind the scenes with the Hammer and Nails Conference

Encouraging young women of color

This new conference, hosted by Camden Rep, looks to cultivate and educate young girls of color interested in careers in film and theater. Dara McBride previews.

Dara McBride

Previews 2 minute read
Perkins, an elderly Black man wearing a patterned button-down, sits at a desk smiling and holding a vinyl jazz album.

Remembering beloved WRTI jazz announcer Bob Perkins

The coolest cat in the world

Composer Kile Smith worked with Bob Perkins in the studio at WRTI. He remembers the legendary Philly jazz announcer as an unwitting mentor who imparted the knowledge and the feeling of great music for 25 years at the mic.
Kile Smith

Kile Smith

Essays 5 minute read
3 Black people hold each other, in a line, looking to viewer. Image blends photo with cyanotype, making vivid blue & white

FringeArts and Ninth Planet present Arielle Julia Brown’s fallawayinto: Corridors of Rememory

A beacon of possibility

FringeArts and Ninth Planet present Arielle Julia Brown’s fallawayinto: Corridors of Rememory, a word premiere multimedia play that honors the life and legacy of Donna Nicole Booker. Kiran Pandey previews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Previews 2 minute read
3 actors with grave expressions stand among archivist desks with giant white newsprint words projected on the wall behind.

Tectonic Theater Project presents Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich’s Here There Are Blueberries

A picture’s worth

Here There Are Blueberries, a touring production of Moisés Kaufman’s Tectonic Theater Project now onstage at McCarter Theatre Center, grapples with how to present the history of the Holocaust. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
Gallery photo of Cheng’s work, a rectangular yellow box with water pouring on a rock on one side & rocks waiting on the other

The Institute of Contemporary Art presents Carl Cheng: Nature Never Loses

Designed to destruct

The Institute of Contemporary Art hosts the first major museum survey of innovative interdisciplinary artist Carl Cheng, who has challenged ideas of art, science, culture, and nature for 60 years. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 6 minute read
Black & white image of Dawn Stanley holding up a basketball, with a serious expression, on geometric blue & white background

The African American Museum in Philadelphia presents Shaheed Rucker: (re)Covering the Iconic

Reimaging Jet magazine covers with Black Philly-area icons

AAMP continues to lead the Philly area in showcasing Black art with Shaheed Rucker: (re)Covering the Iconic, featuring notable portraits in the striking style of vintage mid-century media. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 4 minute read
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Three women spin joyfully in flowing long-sleeve dresses in shades of blue, seeming to float around them.

Penn Live Arts presents Agora de la danse’s Koros

Contemporary dance in virtual reality

Montreal’s Agora de la danse, a venue and incubator for contemporary dance, brought its virtual-reality experience, Koros, to Philly for the first time with a weekend of showings at the Annenberg Center. Melissa Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 4 minute read
Illustration of West, a glamorous blond 1920s woman wearing a purple dress and hat with luxuriant purple feathers

The BSR Podcast, Season 9, Episode 10: EgoPo reimagines Mae West's The Drag

Kicking off a season of "Queer Revolutions"

BSR Podcast host Darnelle Radford sits down with director Rebecca Wright, playwright AZ Espinoza, and performer/composer Pax Ressler to hear all about this timely revival of a queer story from the Roaring 20s.

1 minute read
A woman of Asian descent in a white silk dress with blue and floral accents weaves long cloth streams across a large stage

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, January 23-29, 2025

CultureFest!, Good Mother Myths, and more

Kicking off the Lunar New Year with Penn Museum, getting crafty at Art Star, and dispelling Good Mother Myths. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up the week.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Six players each holding a viol pose in a green wooded area with soft sunshine pouring in pockets around them

BSR Classical Interludes, more in January 2025

Tunes to keep you warm

Music from familiar names, and a different kind of Curtain Call, are all in tow to close out the month of January and move into February. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 4 minute read
Photo of the US Capitol dome at night with blurry yellow caution tape in the foreground.

Living in America today feels like having a mental illness. Here’s how to protect your sanity.

Symptoms of humanity

Coping with fear of disasters, irrational thoughts, constant crisis, and crushing sadness is just an ordinary day in America. Folks who have been in psychiatric treatment have always known how this feels. Alaina Johns has survival tips.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
Hobbs, smiling and holding a flower bouquet, faces Scharfman, who smiles excitedly and wears a floral dress.

Walnut Street Theatre presents Alfred Uhry’s Driving Miss Daisy

Not much has changed

With an uneven production of a politically limp script, Walnut Street Theatre continues its commitment to institutional whiteness with Driving Miss Daisy. nat čermák reviews.

nat čermák

Reviews 4 minute read
Close-up on a simple teapot in profile, made out of inviting matte silver metal with a gentle curving shape.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents Naoto Fukasawa: Things in Themselves

A world-renowned designer gets his first major US solo show at the PMA

Naoto Fukusawa is one of the world's most sought-after designers, and the PMA hosts his first major solo exhibition in the US, featuring a range of irresistibly practical objects. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 4 minute read
Photo from above and behind the Anderson Hall stage showing the practicing orchestra and a mostly empty house of red seats

Philadelphia Orchestra open rehearsals take music-lovers of all ages behind the scenes of the symphony

A symphonic sneak peek

What goes on as the Philadelphia Orchestra, under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, prepares for a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 9? Linda Holt visits to learn more about a program that brings donors and students together behind the scenes.
Linda Holt

Linda Holt

Features 6 minute read
Book cover. Title written over teal background with a vintage commercial pop art illustration of a mother + daughter walking

The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom, by Nancy Reddy

The poetry behind parenting

Local poet Nancy Reddy’s new book promises refreshing perspectives around parenting and an opportunity to unlearn outdated practices and notions. Jill Brooke previews.
Jill Brooke

Jill Brooke

Previews 3 minute read
Appiah-Kubi, a Black woman, in costume in blue and white cotton dress, holding and looking at a coin

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, January 16-22, 2025

Celebrating MLK Day and more this week

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. with events around the city and plenty of shows, performances, and exhibits to choose from this week. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 6 minute read