Philly Fringe 2023: Urban Arts Movement presents Vincent Johnson’s Stank upon a Time: A Story about Funk

A lesson on the blues

Stank upon a Time is a transgressively absurdist exploration of the culture of Black music, from blues to funk, as the soundtrack of revolution and its survival and commodification in the present. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.

Camille Bacon-Smith

Sep 19, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

McCarter Theatre Center and Berkeley Repertory Theatre present Eisa Davis’s Bulrusher

Something in the water

A new production of Eisa Davis’s Bulrusher at McCarter Theatre Center delivers on the playwright’s vision: welcoming, submerging, and transforming us. Jeannine Cook reviews.

Jeannine A. Cook

Sep 19, 2023 · Reviews · 4 minute read

Lantern Theater Company presents Molière’s Tartuffe

Scandals, scoundrels, and rhyme

The Lantern Theater takes Richard Wilbur’s definitive 1963 translation of Molière’s 1664 play, Tartuffe, sets it in the Belle Époque and sets a high bar for the 2023-2024 theater season. Jill Ivey reviews.

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Sep 18, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Philly Fringe 2023: Rough & Tumble Productions presents Magic Trash Day

A fresh twist on the dump

Through creative storytelling, contemporary dance, and clowning, Magic Trash Day tells the story of one kid’s fantastical emotional journey down into the dumps. Helen Walsh reviews.

Helen Walsh

Sep 18, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Philly Fringe 2023: Ben Grinberg and Hazem Header in Fix Me

What some say we shouldn't see

An arresting backstory grounds this able mix of contemporary dance, acrobatics, and theater from Ben Grinberg and Hazem Header in this year’s Fringe. Eileen Fisher reviews.

Eileen B. Fisher

Sep 17, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Philly Fringe 2023: James Haro presents GO AHEAD

Pop-punk, heartbreak, and belonging

James Haro joins this year’s Cannonball Festival with GO AHEAD, an interactive solo show incorporating poetry and live pop-punk on heartbreak, love, and belonging. Crystal Sparrow reviews.

Crystal Sparrow

Sep 16, 2023 · Reviews · 4 minute read

Philly Fringe 2023: Humble Materials presents The Yellow Wallpaper

A descent into sanity

Humble Materials takes on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s classic feminist short story with theater, dance, and impressive makeup in this year’s Fringe. Jill Ivey reviews.

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Sep 15, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Philly Fringe 2023: Joseph Ahmed presents Half Magic

A masterpiece of mixed-medium storytelling

Solo performer Joseph Ahmed teams up with director Cat Ramirez for Half Magic, a Cannonball Festival show on grief and mixed-race identity through theater, circus, and storytelling. Krista Mar reviews.

Krista Mar

Sep 15, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Philly Fringe 2023: IKantKoan Play/s presents Tea Party at the End of the World

Good to the last drop

How would you like to spend the end of the world—or maybe just your own end? This immersive Fringe experience offers big questions with a warm cup of tea. Emily Esten reviews.

Emily Esten

Sep 15, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Philly Fringe 2023: Denise Stephenson presents Finding Melania

A haunting and hilarious dinner party of the mind

Denise Stephenson invokes the specter of our former First Lady in Finding Melania, a one-woman show at the Philly Fringe that offers a surreal portrait of complicity and alienation. Kiran Pandey reviews.

Kiran Pandey

Sep 13, 2023 · Reviews · 3 minute read