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The Sincerity Project, a circus holiday, West Craft Fest, and more
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 12-18, 2024
Kyle V. Hiller
As we quickly inch to the holiday, Philly is lighting up with plenty of new events and performances. A show that’s been running for 24 years will return to the stage this week with The Sincerity Project #5, along with a classic with an interactive element coming in Three Little Pigs. Al-Bustan opens its new gallery with a photography and ceramics exhibit you don’t want to miss, and Shakespeare in Clark Park is indoors for the first time—just in time for the holidays. A circus holiday show, a storytelling workshop, and West Craft Fest are all refreshing offerings, and one of my favorite films is screening this week—which is a Christmas miracle in its own right.
Stay warm, Philly!
The Sincerity Project #5
December 10-15
FringeArts, 140 North Columbus Boulevard
Team Sunshine Performance has created a show that’s lasted 24 years. Every two to three years, the Philly-based company makes a new installment of The Sincerity Project in response to the shifts in our lives and in the world. The fifth installment is live this week, focusing on lead artist and creative director Alex Torra’s journey to become a parent. The show asks questions on how to raise a child in today’s world and what are queer, radical ways to imagine a family.
The Three Little Pigs
December 12-29
Calvary Center for Culture and Community, 4740 Baltimore Avenue
Curio Theatre Company welcomes audiences of all ages for an interactive rendition of The Three Little Pigs. Children attending the show can engage with the workspace to make a craft, a prop, or even record sounds that will then be used in the performance. Previews start on December 12-13, and it opens on Saturday, December 14.
Imprints of Time and Place
Thursday, December 12, 6-9pm
Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, 310 Master Street
Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture Gallery will present the first exhibit in its new space, featuring the work of founder Hazami Sayed—also known as zami. You’ll be able to see zami’s photographs of youth’s hopeful joy and an enduring cultural heritage to the tactile art of clay. The opening reception is this Thursday, and
The Complete Works of Christmas (Abridged)
December 12-29
Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, 302 South Hicks Street
Shakespeare in Clark Park hosts its first indoor production and its inaugural holiday production this week with The Complete Works of Christmas (Abridged). Celebrating its 20th season, the solo comic romp through a series of classic moments from your favorite holiday films.
Daft Punk and Leiji Matsumoto: Interstella 5555
December 12-13
Cinemark University City Penn 6, 4012 Walnut Street
The 2003 “music film” from French electronic music duo Daft Punk and Japanese anime space opera legend Leiji Matsumoto (Galaxy Express 999) tells th estory of the abduction of an alien music band by an evil human character who has dark plans. Cut into music videos to accompany Daft Punk’s Discovery, this rare screening is happening in West Philly this week. Go see it, it’s one of my all-time favorite films.
West Craft Fest
Saturday, December 14, 10am-4pm
The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street
Over 60 local makers will fill the Rotunda this Saturday, and you can shop for handmade holiday gifts, artisan jewelry, warm hand knots, functional ceramics, prints, cards, stationery, and much more. It’s indoors, and if the weather permits, will also be outdoors.
Circus holiday shows at Circadium
Saturday, December 14, 3pm and 8pm
Circadium School of Contemporary Circus, 6452 Greene Street, Philadelphia
Circadium School of Contemporary Circus will put two original performances on its stage this weekend. First up is the Circadium Family Holiday Show at 3pm, which promises to be a dazzling collection of acrobatics, aerials, and juggling with holiday themes. The performance also features the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts Youth Troupe, a group of 12 kids and teens who train and perform with unicycles and partner acrobatics. This show is especially for the family and the young ones.
For the grown ups, there is a holiday cabaret happening at 8pm. Comedy, character-driven performances, acrobatics, and burlesque will fill the night.
Sara Porkalob at FRIEDA
December 14, 4:45-6:45pm, then 7-9pm
FRIEDA, 320 Walnut Street
Storyteller and performer Sara Porkalob will be in attendance at FRIEDA in celebration of its latest exhibition STUFFED, a collaborative exhibition by artists Pamela Prichett and Thomas Steinborn that brings eight stuffed dolls to life, using diverse colors, textures, and materials to help express eight individual characters’ personalities. The evening is divided into two parts, first with Porkalob leading an experiential storytelling workshop and then secondly a dinner that celebrates Porkalob’s Filipino heritage and culinary experience.
SWARM book party
December 15, 6pm
Wooden Shoe Books, 704 South Street
SWARM is a collection of poetry written by Noah David Roberts about gender revelation and wasps, tackling transness and gender (non-)conformity while based in one of Roberts’ memories of stepping on a wasp nest.
Transcending Uncertainty: Art Endures at Home in Philadelphia opening reception
Wednesday, December 18, 5-7pm
Philadelphia City Hall, 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
The exhibition showcasing over 50 works by 42 former University of the Arts students, faculty, and staff is holding an opening reception. The exhibition, which opened in late November and is on view through January 25, 2025, is the first exhibition in the City Hall art gallery since Covid started in 2020. Support the UArts family and pay a visit—general admission is free for the event.
Featured image: Sara Porkalob visits Philly at FRIEDA this week. (Photo by Peter Carrier.)
Image description: B&W portrait of Porkalob, a Filipino woman (she/they) in all black, tattoos on her arms as she sits on a reversed black chair
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