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Down North Pizza, Rising Sun at AAMP and PAFA, Philly Theatre Week opens, and more
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, March 23-29, 2023
Kyle V. Hiller
The sixth annual Philly Theatre Week opens this week, giving theater-goers in and around the city over 50 events to choose from. Then, a variety of performances and events line up the rest of the week, including a discussion on Afro-Caribbean poetry, a slice of life with Down North Pizza, an afternoon celebrating the arts of the Lenape Nation, and more.
Our City, Your Orchestra: Down North Pizza
Streaming online
Philadelphia Orchestra’s latest episode of Our City, Your Orchestra was released featuring Down North Pizza, a restaurant serving North Philadelphia and employing formerly incarcerated individuals while providing culinary career opportunities at fair wages. Watch it on YouTube or on the orchestra’s website.
Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America
March 23-October 8, 2023
African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 North Broad Street, Philadelphia
This joint exhibition from AAMP and PAFA features mixed-media works from 20 artists that respond to the question: “is the sun rising or setting on the experiment of American democracy?” Audio recordings, visual projections, sculptures, paintings, prints, and more will be part of the immersive experience.
Diamond Screen and Mise-en-Femme: Women's Film Fest
Thursday, March 23, 5pm
The Reel, 1755 North 13th Street, Philadelphia
Temple University hosts its seventh year of the Women’s Film Fest, featuring a juried selection of films created by women writers, directors, and cinematography students. The event is free and open to everyone.
Afro-Caribbean Perspectives: A Conversation with George Elliott Clarke and Kirwyn Sutherland
Thursday, March 23, 6pm
Parkway Central Library, Room 108, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia
Blue Stoop and the Free Library present a conversation with former Canadian poet laureate George Elliot Clarke and Philadelphia’s own Kirwyn Sutherland.
University of the Arts FEMME Ensemble
Friday, March 24, 11am-1pm
Perelman Theatre Plaza, Kimmel Cultural Campus, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia
If you’ve got some free time on Friday around noon, check out this free performance by the FEMME Ensemble, a collective formed to provide a supportive environment for women, trans, and gender-expansive musicians to perform together.
WXPN Black Opry Residency Showcase
Friday, March 24, 8pm
World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
The first-ever Black Opry Residency Showcase arrives at World Cafe Live this weekend, courtesy of WXPN. The Residency is a creative development project that aims to help Black Americana artists build sustainable careers and broaden their audiences. One of the artists includes Samantha Rise, an Americana artist here in Philadelphia.
Sharing Lenape Language, Culture, and Storytelling with Art
Sunday, March 26, 2-3pm
Woodmere Art Museum, 9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia
Woodmere Art Museum hosts a free family event this weekend showcasing artworks from the Lenape Nation, led by storykeeper of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania Adam Waterbear DePaul. Families, especially the younger members, can explore the exhibition Kidding Around: Children in Art from Woodmere’s Collection, listen to stories, check out artwork, and learn about the family, community, and language of the Lenape Nation.
A few Philly Theatre Week picks
Improvabilitee
March 24-26
Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, Philadelphia
Feel-good vibes and nostalgia abound here at this improv borrowing from yesteryear’s best improv sketches and television sitcoms to bring the audience original and reimagined pieces.
Uniquely Me
Sunday, March 26, 2pm
SEI Innovation Studio, Kimmel Cultural Campus, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia
Acting Without Boundaries is known for its unique year-round performing arts program providing an open forum for artistic expression for children, teenagers, and adults with physical disabilities. This week, the family-friendly Uniquely Me takes the stage as actors will explore what it means to be oneself, onstage and off.
The American Revolution
March 28-April 1
Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 North American Street, Philadelphia
Less is more, and here, The American Revolution from Theater Unspeakable looks to prove just that. This performance combines “tongue-in-cheek humor with a dash of derring-do” to evoke an epic time period in American history. The show only runs for 50 minutes and is performed by seven actors on a three-by-seven foot stage—about the size of an average dinner table.
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