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Mississippi Masala, Hannah + The Healing Stone, Ocean Bound, and more
Weekly Roundup, August 17-24
Kyle V. Hiller
This week, take a journey or two (or three if you’re feeling ambitious!) Hannah + The Healing Stone takes us to Jenkintown where people are drifting up to the sky for some strange magical reason. You can also revisit Mississippi with Mira Nair’s unsung classic Mississippi Masala, or take a walk through Philadelphia’s African American history with The Black Journey. There’s also a trip to the ocean waiting for you, and all you have to do is get to the Parkway.
Hannah + The Healing Stone
August 18-28, 2022
The Drake, 302 South Hicks Street, Philadelphia
“Something strangely magical and magically strange is happening in Jenkintown.” The new performance from NYC-based terraNOVA Collective tells of people drifting into the sky turning into goldfish and an impending flood threatening the town, and it’s up to Hannah to save it all.
Mississippi Masala
Friday, August 19, 7pm
Pentridge Station Pop-Up, 5110 Pentridge Street, Philadelphia
Academy Award-nominated director, filmmaker, and activist Mira Nair was named the Richard Nichols Luminary Award recipient by BlackStar Projects this year, and was honored at this year’s BlackStar Film Festival. Nair has a storied history as a filmmaker, dating way back to 1988’s Salaam Bombay!, which won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes. Three years after a successful film debut, Nair released Mississippi Masala, a cult classic telling the story of Mina (Sarita Choudhury) and her Indian family after they were forced to flee their home in Uganda. Mina finds herself helping to run a motel in Mississippi, where she finds romance with Demetrius (Denzel Washington), a Black carpet cleaner. The two find themselves challenging the prejudices of their conservative families which “exposes the rifts between the region’s Indian and African American communities.” Masala has been making the rounds this year, and cinéSPEAK will screen the 30-year-old film—which still feels relevant to today.
The Black Journey: African American History Walking Tour of Philadelphia
Every Saturday, 2pm
Independence Visitor Center, 599 Market Street, Philadelphia
This 90-minute adventure captures the city’s early history through the footsteps of abolitionists, enslaved people, and early prominent African Americans. From Independence Hall to Congo Square, the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier, the Bicentennial Moon Tree, and the oldest continuous piece of land owned by people of African descent.
Ice Cream Bowl
Saturday, August 20, 1-3pm
University City Arts League, 4226 Spruce Street, Philadelphia
Remember that scene in Hook where they’re pretending that there is food in their bowls and then they imagine hard enough to bring about a feast? Well, this weekend’s Ice Cream Bowl is about as close as you’ll get to imagination pie because University City Arts League is offering unlimited ice cream treats. The event coincides with the West Philly Children’s Art Jamboree, too. “You’re doing it, Peter!”
Ocean Bound
August 20, 2022-January 15, 2023
Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia
ANS has had its fair share of pelagic exhibits this year, and the saga continues with Ocean Bound. The interactive family-friendly exhibit features life-size submersibles, aquatic life and habitats, and you can even make it rain—literally, at least. The exhibit does come with imperative messages, including identifying solutions to pollution problems, restoring habitats for animals, and much more.
The 11th Annual Arts and Authors Extravaganza
Sunday, August 21, 3-9pm
Doubletree at Cherry Hill, 2349 Marlton Pike West, Cherry Hill
After launching her first book in 2011, writer Kimberly M. Ross-Hollingsworth decided that she didn’t just want to have a book signing for herself. Instead, she wanted to invite writers, authors, and artists from the tri-state area to celebrate the arts together. Fast-forward to today, and the extravaganza continues to thrive. Book signings, live art shows, and performances from musicians, poets, actors, and more will fill the event.
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