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.
Halloween laughs, WEIRDO Fest, Undue Burden, and NICHOS this week
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, October 17-23, 2024
Kyle V. Hiller
This week in Philly (and beyond): Crossroads Comedy Theater breaks the scary tension with a series of laughs in the spirit of the season, Bristol Riverside Theatre gets its laughs through the power of seduction, and the No Name Pops bring the jams to Headhouse Square. Then, PHILADANCO! opens How We Sustain, the Philadelphia Film Festival hits the screens, a new project debuts at Painted Bride, and Esperanza Arts Center premieres its powerful new performance, NICHOS.
The 33rd Philadelphia Film Festival
October 17-27, 2024
Various locations
The film festival is back, toting the Philadelphia premiere of Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anora (on 35mm!) and a host of other films as well. We’ve even mentioned one of them earlier this year, The Philly Sound…Heard ‘Round the World—which finally sees the light of day after a tumultuous journey to the screen.
NICHOS
October 17-27, 2024
Teatro Esperanza, 4261 North 5th Street, Philadelphia
Esperanza Arts Center will host the world premiere of NICHOS, a multidisciplinary theater creation by Tanaquil Márquez, Ximena Violante, and Calo Rosa that traces the evolution of Mexican culture through 500 years of conquest, colonization, exile, assimilation, and cross-cultural generations. The performance is inspired by interviews and oral histories from Philly’s own migrant community and their respective families in Mexico, exploring the question, “When one leaves their country, what do they take with them, and what do they leave behind?”
Motown Takes Headhouse
Saturday, October 19, 3-4:30pm
Headhouse Square, 2nd Street between South and Lombard Streets, Philadelphia
The No Name Pops are hosting a free concert this Saturday, performing iconic Motown tracks, soul and R&B classics, and famous hits straight out of Philly. They’ll be joined by Philadelphia’s own Paula Holloway, a No Name Pops regular collaborator and lead singer for UGO and her own band, Generations’ Soul Scion. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.
How We Sustain
Saturday, October 19, 7:30pm
Pfleeger Concert Hall, North Campus Drive, Glassboro
PHILADANCO! debuts How We Sustain this week, using the works of renowned dance choreographers like Francisco Gella, Ronald K. Brown, Ray Mercer, and Tommie Waheed-Evans to tell a story of natural cycles, continuity, shared purpose, and spiritual power. It’s part of PHILADANCO!’s Marie Rader Series, a mission-driven program providing access to performing artists and engagements to the Rowan University and Greater Southern New Jersey communities, and is also part of the company’s 55th year.
What Times Are These?
October 19, 2024-March 16, 2025
Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia
This new exhibit at the PMA explores art and the economy of language in times of crisis, using sculptures, installations, films, paintings, and prints from the museum’s collection.
WEIRDO Fest
Saturday, October 19, 2:30pm
OG Pizza front lot, 2500 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia
WEIRDO Fest from Fire Museum is back for its third year. The free festival features psych-rock duo Rope Trick, rock band Kulfi Girls (who uses the South Indian Saraswati veena to present a “Carnatic rock” sound), vaporwave/dreamwave artist St. Sol, and more. Be sure to check out the full lineup online before you go.
People Power Media Fest
October 19-26, 2024
Various locations
The fourth annual People Power Media Fest from PhillyCAM returns this weekend with a week of panels, workshops, and activities that foster a space to discuss media in the Philadelphia community. A dance party kicks off the festivities on Saturday at Asian Arts Initiative, and more events will populate the week.
Undue Burden
October 19-November 23, 2024
Painted Bride, 5212 Market Street, Philadelphia
Painted Bride opens a communal archive and arts workshop series celebrating disabled Philadelphians this week. Serving as a residency by Hook&Loop, an artist collective led by disabled, neurodivergent, and MAD people in Philly, the series features events like an accessible dance aerobics class, a touchable art gallery, and a wedding party that references the major penalizing impact marriage can have on SSI payments for disabled people.
Venus in Fur
October 22-November 10, 2024
Regency Room, 190 Mifflin Street, Bristol
Venus in Fur opens at Bristol Riverside Theatre, telling the sexy and hilarious tale about an uninhibited actress who barges into an audition room at the end of the day’s auditions, turning the tide on the writer-director’s ideas about seduction.
A hauntingly hilarious Halloween
October 22-26, 2024
Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, 302 South Hicks Street, Philadelphia
Crossroads Comedy Theater is bringing a week of Halloween-themed comedy events to the Drake. From spooky-themed improv, stand-up performances, scary stories from locals, a murder mystery, and even a family-friendly improv show, the week promises hairsplitting laughs (and maybe even some scares) and interactive fun. Be sure to check out Crossroads online to see the full lineup and description of events.
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.
