Reviews

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Page 11
The ensemble of 7 women, in a variety of outfits, pose smiling on the White House set, with the Presidential seal above them.

The Arden Theatre presents Selina Fillinger’s POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive

A faulty feminist farce
A lack of laughs and reliance on stereotyping hampers the feminist farce POTUS now onstage at the Arden. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
The cast of 10, dressed in baggy 90s stripes, plaid, polos, and corduroy, strikes sassy poses on the record-store set.

McCarter presents Carol Heikkinen and Zoe Sarnak’s Empire Records: The Musical

A 1990s cult classic hits the stage
Empire Records bombed when it first came out in 1995, but the soundtrack was a sensation. Now, the movie is a cult classic, inspiring a new musical getting its world premiere at McCarter. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 4 minute read
Two Black men in mid-dance, dressed in loose fitted clothes, on a rehearsal stage

Philly Fringe 2024: Fist and Heel presents POWER

Stirring things up with Shakers
Fist and Heel’s Fringe entry merges a variety of dance elements from West African, Black Shaker, and modern dance, and more to imagine the life of Mother Rebecca Cox Jackson. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 3 minute read
A painting with reds and browns that roughly reveal a face; eyes, nose, and mouth more apparent, the rest are soft lines

Philly Fringe 2024: Liberty City Arts presents Erwartung

A voice of discovery
Philadelphia-based soprano Amanda O’Toole makes a memorable impression in a rare performance of Arnold Schönberg’s Erwartung, presented in the Fringe by Liberty City Arts. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 2 minute read

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Adams, a white woman in maroon blazer, lectures onstage between signs saying “god’s still dead” and “you’re still stupid"

Philly Fringe 2024: Jenn Adams presents An Evening with August Strindberg: Followed by a Perfectly Normal Performance of Miss Julie

If Strindberg got a TED talk
Writer, director, and actor Jenn Adams takes an ambitious leap by portraying the complex and often problematic playwright August Strindberg in her new show for this year’s Fringe. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 1 minute read
Four women, wearing drab dresses with puffed sleeves and white aprons, extend one arm upward in a dance.

Humble Materials presents Jessica Noel’s All Quiet on the Western Front

A new adaptation of the iconic war novel explores the home front
In this year’s Philly Fringe, Humble Materials adapts the classic war novel All Quiet on the Western Front to focus on the ones who are most often left behind: women. Jill Ivey reviews.
Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Reviews 3 minute read
Six performers on stage, all wearing blonde wigs and framed glasses, in song. Five are around a couch, one on the couch

Philly Fringe 2024: Pig Iron presents Poor Judge

How many Aimee Manns does it take to patch a broken heart?
Pig Iron presents Poor Judge, an exuberant piece of dance-theater cabaret that finds the personal in the music of Aimee Mann. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 3 minute read
Close-up on Davis, a 42-year-old white man with a short graying beard, arms in a balletic pose, wearing a pale rain jacket.

Philly Fringe 2024: Chris Davis presents The 40-Year-Old Ballerino

Dancing with memoir
Chris Davis continues his tradition of audience-pleasing solo Fringe shows with The 40-Year-Old Ballerino, one of his most personal creations to date. Alaina Johns reviews.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Reviews 3 minute read
Four musicians play on the small chancel of a historic church, with a small stained glass window and lots of white molding

Philly Fringe 2024: The Publick Pleasure presents Stop the Bells Tolling

Exploring the 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic through music
The Publick Pleasure, an early music group featuring top period instrument specialists, tackled a Fringe Festival program exploring our city’s cultural scene before, during, and after the 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
Three puppeteers in all blue on stage with Winnie, Eeyore, and Piglet puppets, full trash bags, balloons, outside in a park

Philly Fringe 2024: My Mother Once Read presents Hundred Acre Park

Honey Buns and woozles
Part of the Cannonball Kids series, a Winnie the Pooh production attempts to transcend the limits of a Philadelphia urban park. Helen Walsh reviews.
Helen Walsh

Helen Walsh

Reviews 3 minute read