The Weekly BSR Arts and Culture Roundup, February 16-22, 2023

Meet Me at Dawn
Through Sunday, March 5, 2023, various times
Louis Bluver Theater at the Drake, 302 South Hicks Street, Philadelphia

Inis Nua Theatre Company brings the American premiere of this play to Philly. Two women wash up on a distant shore following a violent boating accident, but as they look for a path home, they discover this land is not what it seems. The performance is directed by Sam Tower and stars Philly actors Hannah Gold and Jackie Soro, and tells a story of grief and the triumph of everyday love. Grab your tickets fast—as of this publishing, most shows coming up this weekend are already sold out.

Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia
Through November 26, 2023
Museum of the American Revolution, 101 South 3rd Street, Philadelphia

When James Forten walked the streets of Philadelphia in the 1770s, having been born a free person of African descent, “he was surrounded by the sights and sounds of transformation.” His coming-of-age journey transformed him into a changemaker as a businessman, philanthropist, and abolitionist, setting the roots for a family of revolutionaries. The exhibit introduces Forten and his descendants as they navigated the American Revolution, engaged in cross-racial relationships, and became leaders in the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements.

Unquiet Fury: The Woman’s Uprising in Iran
Through March 11, 2023
InLiquid, 1400 North American Street, Philadelphia

This new exhibit helmed by Iranian American Nazanin Moghbeli features traditional calligraphy, Farsi poetry, and fragments of CIA documents, capturing the course of Iranian culture and national identity following the cultural uprisings led by women in Iran in 2022.

Greene Street Friends's Black History Month film event
Thursday, February 16, 6-7:30pm
Greene Street Friends School and Horizons, 20 West Armat Street, Philadelphia

Catch a sneak peak of the upcoming film Oldheads, which was produced by local Philly filmmakers Josh Meekins and Tony Chennault. A panel discussing film and media follows the screening. The event is free, but be sure to register beforehand.

Suite Blackness: Black Dance In Cinema
Thursday, February 16, and Friday, February 17, 7:30pm
Saturday, February 18, 2pm
Resident Ensemble Players, 110 Orchard Road, Newark

Celebrate the historical and social impact of Black dance in film with Suite Blackness, a dance performance drawing from films like Stormy Weather, The Wiz, and Rize and using inspiration from legends Bill Bojangles Robinson, Josephine Baker, and Michael Jackson.

Conversations with Birds
February 18-May 21, 2023
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia

Casual observers and passionate enthusiasts are all invited to Conversations with Birds, the new exhibit at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The exhibit features avian photography and video by local birders and wildlife photographers, bird-tracking products, hands-on activities, and much more.

Helium Presents: Black History Monthly’s Winter Cookout
Saturday, February 18, 4pm
Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom Street, Philadelphia

Watch comedians Ronald Metellus, Keane Cobb, and Brandon Mitchell settle their petty arguments in public through a mix of games, crowd work, and “incriminating PowerPoints” for this year’s Winter Cookout from Helium. The evening also features more stand-up, improv, poetry, sketches, music, and “a little bit of everything on the plate.” You might not come home with a plate, though.