Stay in the Loop
BSR publishes on a weekly schedule, with an email newsletter every Wednesday and Thursday morning. There’s no paywall, and subscribing is always free.
Ladysitting, (re)FOCUS, an interactive trip to India, and experimenting with pop culture
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, January 25-31, 2024
Kyle V. Hiller
As we hope for the last of the snow and ice to fade away by the end of the week, here are picks for the week to get you back out there. Plays & Players hosts a week of theater events (including live piano karaoke), Please Touch Museum gives us a look at Indian culture, and the Arden extends its world premiere of Ladysitting. A powerful exhibit revisits an instrumental feminist art movement from 50 years ago, and nestle with the trees in the spirit of the new year at West Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Stay warm, Philly!
Ladysitting
Through March 3, 2024
Arden Theatre, 40 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia
Philly writer Lorene Cary pens a story about the life and last year of her grandmother, a strong and independent woman who now needs the care of others. Five generations of the family’s African American ancestors and their stories illustrate 101 years of vibrant life.
Experiment and Pop!
Friday, January 26, 5-8:45pm
Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Museum of Art teams up with the Asian Arts Initiative for an evening of exploring pop culture, particularly through the lens of Korean art. The pay-what-you-wish event will feature pop-up gallery talks and tours by museum curators of its current exhibit The Shape of Time: Korean Art After 1989. There will also be drop-in art making, a “Taste of Korean Cuisine,” and a dance party “dedicated to Asian visibility, diversity, and inclusivity.”
Namaste India
January 26-May 5, 2024
Please Touch Museum, Memorial Hall, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia
A new traveling exhibit comes to the Please Touch Museum starting this weekend, featuring art, food, and other traditions of Indian culture. At Namaste India, children and families can explore spices, block printing, and mithai boxes at the marketplace, take Bollywood-inspired photos, play cricket, ride a simulated tuk-tuk, and learn more about school and home traditions.
(re)FOCUS: Then and Now
January 27-May 31, 2024
Opening reception: Friday, January 26, 3:30-7pm
Moore College of Art and Design, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia
A panel discussion and opening reception start this new exhibit that will present 81 works of art by women who participated in the original 1974 exhibition Philadelphia Focuses on Women in the Visual Arts; FOCUS. The exhibition celebrates the original exhibition and also presents new and recent works by Philly-based artists, exploring ideas of gender identity, representation, marginalization, social justice, violence, equality, and empowerment. A live stream of the panel will be available for those who may want to stay home or can’t make it out.
Tu B’Shevat Gathering & Tree Tour
Sunday, January 28, 1-3pm
West Laurel Hill Cemetery, 340 Belmont Avenue, Bala Cynwyd
Head over to Laurel Hill Cemetery for a celebration of Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year for the trees. Learn about the historical, agricultural, and spiritual origins of Tu B’Shevat, and also learn about barks, buds, and berries along the way.
A Plays & Players Week of Theatrical Events
January 29-February 3, 2024
Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Street, Philadelphia
Plays & Players kicks off 2024 with a week of entertainment. First up is Black Broadway karaoke on Monday, January 29, at 7pm, featuring songs from The Color Purple, The Wiz, Dream Girls, and more—and you can sing along with a live pianist playing the old grand piano at the theater. Then, from January 30 to February 1, folks can see a staged reading of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple. To close the week, Please Don’t Call Me Crazy takes the stage on February 2 and 3—a one-man show exploring loss, grief, and self-belief through play and prose.
Sign up for our newsletter
All of the week's new articles, all in one place. Sign up for the free weekly BSR newsletters, and don't miss a conversation.
