Previously on BSR Podcast
Season 10 - 2025/2026
Join us in reflecting on the resilience, history, and stories that shape us, as The Great Privation reminds us of the ongoing fight for justice and community. This powerful production runs through June 14th—grab your tickets and be part of the conversation.
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Discover how artistic innovation, historical reverence, and personal storytelling intertwine in Franklin’s Key. Don't miss the upcoming performances at the Plays and Players Theatre from June 11-28. Whether you’re a local or visiting, this production invites all to rethink Philadelphia’s past through a lively, magical lens.
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# Class C: A Reflection on Theatre's Power and Relevance in 2026Join us for an in-depth conversation with playwright Chaz T. Martin as we explore the profound themes, production insights, and societal reflections embedded in the world premiere of Class C. This episode delves into the play’s relevance, its production journey, and the powerful role of theatre in shaping and challenging societal norms.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://www.azukatheatre.org/class-c
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Celebrating Joy and Craftsmanship in Theatre: A Conversation with Director Amina Robinson on 'Ain't Misbehavin'
Join us as we explore the vibrant world of musical theatre through the insights of director Amina Robinson. This episode highlights the creative process behind the revival of 'Ain't Misbehavin' at Theatre Horizon, emphasizing collaboration, artistic choices, and the importance of community connection in theatre.
Created and Originally Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horwitz
Directed by Amina Robinson
Amina Robinson – Barrymore award-winning director of Theatre Horizon’s The Color Purple – returns to helm this electrifying world of the Harlem Renaissance, where the music was hot, the nights were alive, and every spotlight shone with possibility.
Ain’t Misbehavin’, the Tony Award-winning celebration of Fats Waller, brings the era’s jazz houses and juke joints to life with an unforgettable evening of romance, humor, dance, and pure joy. Featuring timeless hits like “Honeysuckle Rose,” “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie,” “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love,” and the iconic “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” this dazzling show honors a musical genius who forever changed the sound of American music.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://theatrehorizon.org
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Exploring the Power and Evolution of Opera with Davóne Tines and 'The Black Clown'This episode delves into the making of The Black Clown, a groundbreaking opera piece inspired by Langston Hughes, co-created by renowned artist Davóne Tines. Discover how this work intertwines historical trauma, artistic innovation, and cultural storytelling, and what it reveals about diversity and expression in contemporary opera.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION:
https://www.operaphila.org/whats-on/2526-season/the-black-clown/
https://operaphila.org/about/news-press/pressroom/2026/the-black-clown/
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https://bio.site/em3ry
Celebrating 15 Years of Public Art and Community Engagement - A Conversation with Conrad Benner
Join us as we explore the vibrant art scene in Philadelphia with Conrad Benner, founder of Streets Department, a platform dedicated to documenting and promoting public art for over 15 years. Discover insights about community-led projects, the impact of murals, and the future of urban art and media.
Resources & Links:
Connect with Conrad Benner:
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The conversation covers Mandy Gonzalez's experience in celebrating Lin-Manuel Miranda's music, connecting with the audience, creating the show, the rehearsal process, surprises and guest stars, post-performance feelings, encouraging young artists, telling universal stories, the impact of music on society, and the In the Heights return to Broadway.
LINKS:
EVERYTHING I KNOW - Mandy Gonzalez sings Lin-Manuel Miranda
https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org/rent-our-spaces/special-events-and-performances/everything-i-know
ABOUT MANDY GONZALEZ
https://mandygonzalez.com/
Mandy Gonzalez on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mandy.gonzalez/
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https://bio.site/em3ry
The podcast features a conversation with actor Adam Howard, discussing his journey in the theater community and his recent production with InisNua Theatre Company. The conversation covers his experiences, the Philadelphia theater community, and the production of 'Can't Forget About You' by David Ireland. The conversation delves into the experience of performing in a play, the impact of uncomfortable conversations, and the challenges and rewards of being a working actor. It also explores the intersection of personal and professional life, the importance of community support, and the pride in one's work.
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The conversation covers James Ijames' life post-Fat Ham, his role in teaching playwriting and living in New York, the Philadelphia theater scene, the James Ijames Pass, his response to Arden's presentation of Good Bones, writing and scale, creating an anthology and writing process, and interpreting the play on stage. The takeaways include the balance of entertainment and depth in writing and the impact of personal experiences on writing. The conversation explores the transformative power of tiny steps and the importance of community and connection. It delves into the themes of generational shifts and legacy, the formula for a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and the management of multiple projects and ideas.
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Dive into a lively discussion about two decades of arts journalism with Broad Street Review, celebrating its 20th anniversary, and explore the evolving landscape of arts and culture coverage, community engagement, and the importance of archiving and supporting local media.
This episode celebrates 20 years of Broad Street Review, highlighting its impact on arts journalism in Philadelphia, its community engagement, and the importance of dedicated arts coverage in the digital age.
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Step into the electrifying world of jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton in Jelly’s Last Jam! This Tony Award-winning musical takes you on a thrilling journey through the life, music, and complex legacy of the self-proclaimed inventor of jazz. Told through dazzling choreography, powerful storytelling, and Morton’s iconic music, the show explores his meteoric rise, struggle with identity, and the cultural impact of his groundbreaking sound. As Jelly reflects on his past from the afterlife, he must confront the truths he tried to outrun.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://brtstage.org
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Join us as we explore the vibrant Philadelphia theater scene through the eyes of the Bruce sisters. They share their journey, the importance of accessibility, and their love for live performances, from community shows to Broadway stars. Discover how they keep the arts alive and engaging for everyone, regardless of barriers. Join us as we explore the vibrant world of theater, discussing recent productions, favorite shows, and the importance of supporting the arts. Our guests share their insights on the power of storytelling, the impact of theater on community, and upcoming events to watch for.
GUEST LINK:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dembrucegals/
In this episode of the Broad Street Review Podcast, host Darnelle Radford welcomes director Morgan Green to discuss the Philadelphia Theatre Company's adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. They explore the shared leadership model in Philadelphia theatre, the unique interpretations of the cast, and the relevance of the play in today's society. The conversation delves into character analysis, choreography, and the audience's engagement with the production, highlighting the emotional and political themes that resonate with contemporary issues.
ABOUT MORGAN GREEN
PTC: Debut. Off-Broadway: Five Models in Ruins, 1981, LCT3; Staff Meal, Playwrights Horizons; School Pictures, Playwrights Horizons. Regional: Hilma (Opera), Eternal Life Part 1, School Pictures, Fat Ham (digital; Pulitzer Prize for Drama), Wilma Theater. Additional premieres include Five Models in Ruins and The Karamazovs (film). Awards: Obie Award. Leadership: Co-Artistic Director of Philadelphia’s Tony Award–winning Wilma Theater, where she has directed numerous world premieres and new theatrical collaborations.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/caesar/
In this episode of the Broad Street Review podcast, host Darnelle Radford speaks with actors Brandon Tyler and Max Lynch about their upcoming production of 'Dear Jack, Dear Louise' by Ken Ludwig. The conversation delves into the characters, the historical context of World War II, and the emotional depth of the story, which is based on real letters exchanged between the two main characters. They discuss the rehearsal process, the significance of letter writing in building connections, and the parallels between past and present relationships. The episode concludes with reflections on what audiences can take away from the production.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://hedgerowtheatre.org
In this episode of the Broad Street Review podcast, host Darnelle Radford welcomes the cast and director of 'Jesus Hopped the A Train by Stephen Adly Guirgis' to discuss the themes, characters, and relevance of the play. The conversation explores the journey of the characters, the impact of community and accountability, and how the play resonates with current social issues. The guests share their personal experiences with the material and the importance of storytelling in theater.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://thestagecrafters.org/production/jesus-hopped-the-a-train/
In this episode of the Broad Street Review Podcast, host Darnelle Radford welcomes playwright Phaedra Michelle Scott to discuss her upcoming world premiere production, Plantation Black, presented by Interact Theatre Company. The conversation delves into Phaedra's background, her motivations for writing the play, and the unique structure that allows for multiple beginnings and endings. They explore the rehearsal process, the dynamics of the cast, and the importance of audience engagement. Phaedra emphasizes the significance of storytelling in understanding identity and legacy, while also addressing the challenges faced by Black Americans in connecting with their history. The episode concludes with details about the production and Phaedra's excitement for sharing her work with audiences.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://interacttheatre.org
In this conversation, Joshua Crone discusses the various programs and initiatives at Yellow Bicycle, a theater space in Philadelphia. He shares insights on community engagement, the challenges of running a small venue, and the importance of planning and research in theater management. Crone also highlights the upcoming Fringe Theater Masterclass, aimed at educating aspiring theater artists on the intricacies of production and collaboration in the arts.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://yellowbicycle.org | https://yellowbicycle.com/
This conversation delves into the adaptation of 'Little Women' at Hedgerow Theatre, focusing on the creative process behind the production, including the integration of music, the unique talents of the cast, and the thematic elements of design. The discussion highlights the emotional connections fostered through the performance and the hopes for audience takeaways, emphasizing the importance of family and community.
In this episode of the Broad Street Review podcast, host Darnelle Radford speaks with Mya Flood, the director of Curio Theatre's upcoming production of Hansel and Gretel. They discuss the immersive nature of the show, which invites children and families to engage in various activities before the performance. Mya shares her background in theater and education, emphasizing the importance of audience participation and the joy of creating memories through theater. The conversation also touches on the future of children's theater and the potential for more immersive productions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://curiotheatre.org
In this engaging conversation, Darnelle Radford shares his journey into the theater world, discussing his early experiences and the pivotal moments that shaped his career. He emphasizes the importance of live theater as a community experience that fosters emotional and intellectual breakthroughs. The discussion also delves into the challenges facing the theater industry today, including the need for diversity, the impact of nostalgia on productions, and the importance of supporting new works. Darnelle's new role at Theater Philadelphia is highlighted, showcasing his vision for the future of the local theater scene and the importance of community engagement.
In this episode of the Broad Street Review podcast, host Darnelle Radford speaks with Trevor Martin, who plays the Pirate King in the Quintessence Theater Group's production of Pirates of Penzance. They discuss the joy of performing, the thematic elements of the show, and Trevor's journey from music to theater. The conversation also touches on the rehearsal dynamics, audience engagement, and the impact of live theater in a digital age. Trevor shares his experiences in Philadelphia and his future projects, emphasizing the unique and ephemeral nature of live performances.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://www.quintessencetheatre.org/pirates
In this episode of the Broad Street Review podcast, host Arno Radford interviews young actor Raphael Sommer, who plays Ralphie in the Walnut Street Theater's production of A Christmas Story, the musical. Raphael shares his journey into theater, balancing school and performances, and the support he receives from his family. He discusses his audition process, favorite musicals, and the joy of performing live. The conversation highlights the importance of imagination in theater and the excitement of the holiday season.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://walnutstreettheatre.org/season/show/a-christmas-story-2025
Season 9 - 2024/2025
Today on the podcast:
Director, Amina Robinson drops in to talk about the Interact Theatre Company production in collaboration with Theatre In The X of ON MY DEEN by Antu Yacob, commissioned as part of The Philly Cycle, on stage through June 28th. Here is my interview with Amina Robinson for ON MY DEEN.
ON MY DEEN
by Antu Yacob
directed by Amina Robinson
(Fat Ham, Once On This Island, Intimate Apparel, The Color Purple)
June 6-28, 2025
World premiere, commissioned as part of The Philly Cycle (A new three-part play commission project. Sponsored by THE WILLIAM PENN FOUNDATION)
ON MY DEEN was written about and with Philadelphia’s Black Muslim Community.
West Philly. Spring 1962. Faye Ann has just joined the Nation of Islam, setting her life on a whole new path. Her best friend, Michael, would like to be a lot more than friends, but the two can’t seem to agree on religion, politics, or even what makes a good pie. Over the passing decades, personal circumstances and cultural upheavals bring Faye Ann and Michael together as much as they keep them apart. Can these would-be lovers find each other while seeking their own paths to peace?
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://interacttheatre.org and https://theatreinthex.com
Today on the podcast:
Co-Director Steve Pacek stop say to talk about the Arden Theatre Company musical production of RENT, by Jonathan Larson. Here is my interview with Steve Pacek for Arden’s production of RENT.
ABOUT RENT
At the end of the millennium, a group of bohemians in the East Village struggle with love, loss, and gentrification amidst the AIDS crisis. In this exciting new production, Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award™ and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical will transform the Haas Stage and shake the rafters with the iconic chords of “Seasons of Love,” “I’ll Cover You, ” and the thrilling, soaring score that is RENT!
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://ardentheatre.org
Learn more about Steve Pacek: https://www.stevepacek.com
Today on the podcast:
Ross Beschler drops in to talk about the Wilma Theater production, A Summer Day by Jon Fosse (Yuan FoSa), directed by Yury Urnov. Onstage through June 29th. Here is my interview with Ross Beschler for A Summer Day.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://wilmatheater.org/event/asummerday/
Today on the podcast:
Playwright, R. Eric Thomas and Director, Ontaria Kim Wilson, drop in to talk about the Regional Premiere of “Glitter In The Glass”.
Chelle, a Black mid-career artist, has written a check that she's not sure her talent can cash. When the city of Baltimore takes down the Confederate monument in the park across the street from her childhood home, she has an idea. She'll apply for a grant to create a piece to replace it. Caught between the past, the present, and the future, Chelle, portrayed by Jennifer Kidwell, is catapulted into a journey that takes her back before the Middle Passage and out beyond the bounds of this planet.
“Wildly funny and thought-provoking” (CTX Life Theatre), Glitter in the Glass by multi-award winning playwright, R. Eric Thomas, is about liminal spaces, and a world on the cusp of exploding.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://theatreexile.org
Today on the podcast:
KC MacMillan, Owen Corey and Tyler Elliot, stop by to talk about the Inis Nua and Tiny Dynamite co-production of SQUARE GO, coming of age comedy builds to an emotional conclusion about masculinity, friendship, and fathers and sons. Here is my interview with KC, Owen and Tyler for SQUARE GO.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://inisnuatheatre.org/show/square-go
Today on the podcast:
Jordan Dobson and Adam Chandler-Berat stop by to talk about the East Coast Premiere of SMALL BALL, a surreal, magical, musical about basketball and teammates only six inches tall? On stage at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Here is my interview with Jordan and Adam for SMALL BALL.
Today on the podcast:
Cat Ramirez and Daniel Park drop by to talk about SPACE OPERA, a roleplaying, theatrical spectacle taking place over several days from Obvious Agency. Here is my interview with Cat and Daniel for SPACE OPERA.
ABOUT OBVIOUS AGENCY
Obvious Agency creates interactive, experiential art that ranges from the personal, to the institutional, to the ridiculous. Blending theatrical and digital arts, we create spaces where participants can co-create their own experiences through first-hand exploration of the worlds we create. Always serious, always silly, we believe that by helping create and define culture, we can create systemic and interpersonal change.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Today on the podcast:
Susan Chase drops in to talk about her upcoming production, “Mother’s Day - A theatrical Homage to the Women Who Made Us”. Here is my interview with Susan Chase for “Mother’s Day”.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://www.theatreexile.org/renters-in-exile/susan-chase
Today on the podcast:
We continue our annual coverage of the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and the 2025 The Arts Affair, May 15th at REC Philly. Here is my interview with members of the PVLA for The Arts Affair.
Oh, before we get started, stay tuned until the end of the podcast to learn how you can win two tickets to this year’s The Arts Affair on May 15th.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://pvla.org
Today on the podcast:
CJ Higgins drops in to talk about Theatre Philadelphia’s 8th Annual Philly Theatre Week. This year’s event run from April 3 - 13th. Here is my interview with CJ Higgins for Philly Theatre Week.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.phillytheatreweek.com
Today on the podcast:
Angel Sigala drops in to talk about The Hedgerow Theatre U.S. Premiere of Nora: A Doll’s House by Stef Smith, Directed by Emma Gibson. Here is my interview with Angel Sigala for Hedgerow Theatre’s Nora: A Doll’s House.
Nora: A Doll’s House follows Nora, the perfect wife and mother. She is dutiful and beautiful and always has everything in its proper place. But when a secret from her past comes back to haunt her, Nora’s life quickly unravels. Over the course of three days, Nora must fight to protect herself and her family or risk losing everything.
Smith’s adaptation takes place in distinct time periods across 100 years of history, highlighting how women’s struggles for independence have evolved but remain connected. Each version of Nora faces challenges within her marriage and personal life, confronting the limits imposed by the societal norms in each of the three eras. The overlapping narratives reveal the parallels and contrasts between our collective past and present, illustrating the complex nature of a woman’s freedom and choice. As the story unfolds, the audience witnesses how Nora navigates love, power, and identity in her quest for self-discovery and autonomy.
Following a recent run in the Broadway production of Susan Stroman’s New York, New York, regional actor Angel Sigala (they/he) makes their Hedgerow debut playing Daniel, a family friend of Nora and her husband Thomas.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION:
Today on the podcast:
We take a look at the road that brought One-Man Nutcracker to its fifth year on stage for the holidays. Chris Davis, solo artist brings all the magic of the timeless classic as one man in many roles. On stage through December 29th, here is my interview with Chris Davis for One-Man Nutcracker.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://www.realchrisdavis.com/
Today on the podcast:
Tyler S. Elliot stops by to talk about the Hedgerow Theatre production of “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” by Frank Capra, on stage through December 29th. Here is my interview with Tyler S. Elliot for Hedgerow Theatre’s It’s A Wonderful Life.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://www.hedgerowtheatre.org
Today on the podcast:
Artistic Director, Shamus, stops by to talk about the Shakespeare in Clark Park World Premiere of The Complete Works of Christmas Abridged, created by Brenna Geffers, starring Amanda Schoonover, on stage through December 29th. Here’s my interview with Shamus for The Complete Works of Christmas Abridged.
December 12-19, 2024
She'll be home for Christmas --- home alone that is. It's Christmas Eve and after a tough year one lady is determined to get into the holiday spirits. Armed with eggnog, she's going to binge drink and binge watch every Christmas story available. Elf-help be damned! Who needs loved ones when you have the Hallmark Channel?
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://www.shakespeareinclarkpark.org/christmas
Today on the podcast: Taysha Marie Canales, stops by to talk about the Wilma Theater co-production with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Comeuppance by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Extended On stage through December 14th. Here is my interview with Taysha Marie Canales for The Comeuppance.
Today on the podcast:
Artistic Director Seth Rozin and Co-Director J Paul Nicholas stop by to talk about the Interact Theatre American Premiere of MORENO by Pravin Wilkins. On stage through November 24th. Here is my interview with Seth Rozin and J Paul Nicholas for Moreno.
by Pravin Wilkins
November 1-24
American Premiere!
When Kaepernick kneels, will he?
2016. The NFL has been shaken by Colin Kaepernick’s controversial decision to take a knee during the national anthem to protest against police brutality. Superstar running back Luis Moreno, who is all about his game – and his paycheck -- has joined a new team with championship aspirations. But America’s leadership is changing, and when a painful new reality hits close to home, Luis is forced to ask whether politics have a place on the field, and if he is willing to risk his career to take a stand for his own community.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://interacttheatre.org
Today on the podcast: Simone Lawrence stops by to talk about the upcoming event, The Coronation: An All-Black Drag King Show and Art Exhibition. Featuring Philadelphia black drag kings. A celebration of black excellancé. Here is my interview with Simone Lawrence for The Coronation.
CYRUS K. STRATTON
From the Haus of Stratton’s, this King is known for his 80s & 90s excellancé and showing us the moves needed to win your hearts all over the dance floor. Cyrus comes clutch from hosting and having involvement in multiple amateur drag shows and Drag King events in Philadelphia.
https://mulletcreativeservices.com/products/the-coronation-show-ticket
https://metrophiladelphia.com/the-coronation-all-black-drag-king-philly/
A NEW PERFORMANCE BY MORGAN BASSICHIS
WITH ORIGINAL MATERIAL BY FRANK MAYA
DIRECTED BY SAM PINKLETON
MUSICAL RECREATIONS BY NATASHA JACOBS
SCENIC RECREATION BY ELI WOODS HARRISON
October 25–26, 2024
In a desperate attempt to prove they can think about someone other than themself, Morgan Bassichis revisits queer comedian, musician, and performance artist Frank Maya’s 1987 show, Frank Maya Talks. Maya was among the “first out gay comedians on network television” and on the precipice of mainstream success before his death from AIDS-related complications in 1995. This new “solo” performance humbly attempts to ensure Maya’s legacy is no longer overlooked while also resolving the bottomless queer search for laughter in times of crisis and for fame and father figures and intense attachment dynamics no matter how fleeting.
https://www.morganbassichis.com/
MORGAN BASSICHIS (They/Them) is a comedian, musician, and writer who has been called “a tall child or, well, a big bird” by The Nation and “fiercely hilarious” by The New Yorker. Their past performances include A Crowded Field (Abrons Arts Center, 2023), Questions to Ask Beforehand (Bridget Donahue, 2022), Don’t Rain On My Bat Mitzvah (co-created with Ira Khonen Temple, Creative Time, 2021), Nibbling the Hand that Feeds Me (Whitney Museum, NYC, 2019), Klezmer for Beginners (co-created with Ethan Philbrick, Abrons Arts Center, NYC, 2019), Damned If You Duet (The Kitchen, NYC, 2018), More Protest Songs! (Danspace Project, NYC, 2018), and The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions: The Musical (co-created with TM Davy, DonChristian Jones, Michi Ilona Osato, and Una Aya Osato, New Museum, NYC, 2017).
A contemporary and surprising adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic tale of horror FRANKENSTEIN, adapted and directed by Dave Ebersole. This fresh re-imagination will be staged in the historic Lathem Hall on Widener University’s campus for a limited engagement from October 10-20.
Lightbooth Blackout is partnering with The Lone Brick Theatre Company at Widener University to produce an original adaptation of Frankenstein this October.
This fresh re-imagination will be staged in the historic Lathem Hall on Widener University’s campus. Our production fuses Mary Shelly’s text and early stage adaptations with modern dialogue, an amazing cast, and an original score that will be played live throughout the show.
FOR MORE INFROMATION:
FRANKENSTEIN
https://lightboothblackout.com/
The Lone Brick Theatre Company
https://lonebricktheatre.weebly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lonebricktheatreco/?checkpoint_src=any
Local Playwright, Erlina Ortiz drops in to talk about the Philadelphia Premiere of “La Egoista” directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo on stage at Philadelphia Theatre Company in association with Edgewood Entertainment. Here’s my interview with Erlina Ortiz for the Philadelphia Premiere of La Egoista.
Season 8 - 2023/2024
Today on the podcast:
TS Hawkins, Gabrielle Corsaro and author Tina Strawn talk about the Angel Pirate Production “the Are We Free Yet? project”. An elevated stage reading based on the book Are We Free Yet? The Black Queer Guide to Divorcing America. Here is my interview with AngelPirate Productions for “the Are We Free Yet? project
The Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl is an annual event that brings together book lovers and supports independent bookstores in the city. The idea for the crawl came from the organizer's experiences with similar events in other cities. Last year, the crawl had over 100,000 people access the Google map created for the event. This year, there are 34 participating bookstores. The crawl not only promotes bookstores but also creates a sense of community and discovery as participants explore different neighborhoods and find new books and recommendations. The conversation explores the Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl and the importance of supporting local bookstores. The guests discuss their own bookstores, Multiverse Philly and Binding Agents, and the unique experiences they offer. They also share their love for books and the joy of reading. The conversation highlights the value of book clubs and the sense of community they provide. The guests discuss the upcoming Philadelphia Bookstore Crawl and the special events and discounts that will be available. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of supporting independent bookstores and the role they play in fostering a love of reading and building community.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://phillybookstorecrawl.com
John's autobiographical museum exhibition "The Rose Garden" is now on view at the Fabric Workshop + Museum through Sept. 29. https://fabricworkshopandmuseum.org/pressreleases/fwm-presents-john-jarboe-the-rose-garden/
The stage version, "Rose: You Are Who You Eat," makes its DC debut June 5-23 at Wooly Mammoth. https://www.woollymammoth.net/productions/rose-you-are-who-you-eat/
The Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts return to the podcast with the 2024 PVLA The Arts Affair. We learn about PVLA’s year and meet the artists participating in the event. Here is our interview with PVLA for The Arts Affair.
The BSR podcast hosts, Alaina Johns and Josh Herron, discuss their experience attending three solo shows in Philadelphia: 'Johnny Depp: A Retrospective on Late Stage Capitalism' by Jenna Kuerzi and Val Dunn, 'Catholic Guilt' by Kelly McCaughan, and 'Good Person' by Brett Ashley Robinson. They provide their thoughts on each show, highlighting the themes, performances, and audience interactions. They also reflect on the progression of the shows from a focus on a famous person to a specific individual to a more introspective exploration. The hosts commend Theater Exile for supporting local artists and recommend attending the shows.
Today on the podcast, Sabriaya Shipley Theatre Philadelphia’s Executive Director, stops by to talk about Philly Theatre Week, running April 4 - 14th. Here is my interview with Sabriaya Shipley.
In this conversation, Darnelle Radford interviews artistic director Alex Burns about Quintessence Theater Group's love and war season, with a focus on the production of Macbeth.
Today on the podcast: Guest Artist, Jeffrey L. Page continues artistic relationships with Philadelphia Theatre Company’s production of “Cost Of Living” by Martyna Majok. Here is my interview with Jeffrey L. Page for PTC’s Cost Of Living.
Today on the podcast, Amanda Jensen, Co-Founder of Paperdoll Ensemble, drops in to talk about the 2023 FringeArts offering, The Pecking Order, a 70s-inspired tragicomedy highlighting the absurdity of women’s rights being thrust back in time. Here is my interview with Paperdoll Ensemble for The Pecking Order.
Season 7 - 2022/2023
IN THEIR SILENCE
(formerly, They'll Neglect to Tell You)
by TS Hawkins
directed by Reva Stover
September 15-October 1 *limited engagement
Click here for Sept. 15th - 24th; tickets available at FringeArts!
Click here for Sept. 29th - Oct 1st; tickets available at Allens Lane!
ABOUT THE PLAY
Grace is a burgeoning therapist. Merci dangles for freedom at the bottom of a bourbon glass. College sweethearts and newlyweds, they elope to Philadelphia for a fresh beginning. Stumbling into polarizing landscapes, they struggle in the margins of heart and home.
Listen to the Moodlist on Spotify!
Read about Grace & Merci's journey!
CAST
(She/They) Sabriaya Shipley as GRACE
Jaylyn Anderson as MERCI
Jameka Monet Wilson as THE CITY
CREATIVE & CREW
(They/Them) TS Hawkins - Playwright, Dramaturg, & Marketing Coordinator
Reva Stover - Director
(He/Him) Josh Hitchens - Allens Lane Art Center Artistic Director, Stage Manager, Sound Designer, & Costume Manager
CJ Higgins - Intimacy Director
Sabrena Wishart - Set Designer
Siobhan Ehresmann - Lighting Designer
Megan Edelman - Prop Management
SPONSORS
Dorothy Lewis-Hawkins, Black Theatre Alliance of Philadelphia, and Prime Act Media LLC
FRINGE RECOMMENDS:
Cannonball - https://www.cannonballfestival.org
Hum N’ Bards - http://www.humnbards.com
Mind The Gap - https://fringearts.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0S6e00000h3ZATEA2
Links:
TS POETICS: https://www.tspoetics.com/2022/09/events-in-their-silence-by-ts-hawkins.html
ALLENS LANE ART CENTER: https://allenslane.org/theater/
TIX at Allens Lane: https://allenslane.org/theater/
TIX at FRINGE ARTS: https://phillyfringe.org/events/in-their-silence/
The Wilma Theater and TCG Books present: Fat Ham (James Ijames in conversation with Amina Robinson, featuring a performance by Anthony Martinez-Briggs).
In this special in-person and live-streamed book launch event, James Ijames will discuss his Pulitzer-winning play Fat Ham, which premiered in a digital production at The Wilma and will return to the Wilma for a live production in the Fall of 2023. Mr. Ijames will be in conversation with Amina Robinson, director of The Wilma's upcoming production. Anthony Martinez-Briggs, who played Tio in the original production and will reprise the role this Fall, will perform a monologue from the play.
Live-streaming provided by the event's Media Sponsor, Broad Street Review.
LINKS:
The Wilma Theater - https://wilmatheater.org
Theater Communications Group - https://tcg.org
Broad Street Review - https://broadstreetreview.com
Get a copy of Fat Ham: https://indiepubs.com/products/fat-ham/
To watch the Live-Stream on TCG’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/eXIOJOk7zC0
(PVLA) will celebrate a milestone 45th anniversary during this year’s annual benefit celebration The Arts Affair 2023 on Wednesday, June 7th from 6-9pm at University of the Arts’ Hamilton Hall. Featuring live performances by local artists, visual art, and awards for both Volunteer Attorney and Law Firms of the Year, the event will highlight PVLA’s deep dedication to Philadelphia’s arts & cultural community.
LOCATION: Dorrance Hamilton Hall, University of the Arts, 320 South Broad Street, Philadelphia
DATE: Wednesday, June 7, 6-9pm
TICKETS: $45 (artists, students, nonprofit and public interest employees), $125 (general admission), $200 (general admission x 2), or tickets can be purchased to sponsor artists; ie. Sponsor 1 Artist ($45), Sponsor 2 Artists ($90), Sponsor 4 Artists ($180)
Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-arts-affair-2023-tickets-522560531617
More about PVLA: https://PVLA.org
_______________________________________
IG: @PhillyVLA
Twitter: @PhillyVLA
FB: @phillyvolunteerlawyersforthearts
LinkedIn: @Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
BlackStar Film Festival: https://www.blackstarfest.org/festival/
August 2-6, 2023
Kimmel Center
The Women's Coalition for Empowerment, Inc. https://www.TheWCE.org, and our upcoming event:
Philadelphia Juneteenth Wine & Arts Festival - https://Juneteenth-Wine-Art.eventbrite.com
Saturday, June 17, 2023, | 1pm - 6pm | Cherry Street Pier
ABOUT ABANDON
Luella is alone – haunted by the ghost of her son. Joshua is alone – kicked out of his house by his brother. One winter night these two people collide. Luella is looking for redemption; Joshua is looking for family. By the next morning, these two lonely souls are meshed together into an American Family in its truest sense. A world premiere by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright James Ijames, Abandon is sometimes violent, sometimes healing; with a gossamer veil that separates the worlds of the living and the dead, and shame and acceptance.
Melanye Finister (Luella, she/her) is an artist and resident company member at People’s Light, a member of Wilma Hothouse, and an artistic advisory board member at PlayPenn. People’s Light: The Diary of Anne Frank, The Matchmaker, All My Sons, Fences, The Winter’s Tale, Seven Guitars, The Return of Don Quixote, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Something You Did, Fabulation, and The Member of the Wedding. Theatre Includes: Wilma Theater, Arden Theatre Company, Flashpoint Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Venture Theatre, Temple Theaters and Walnut Street Theatre. Training: BFA, Carnegie Mellon University.
Brenson Thomas (Gabriel, he/him) is a Black and queer writer, actor, and theatre-maker. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College’s MFA Theatre program, his plays include how i got over, or…red Kool-Aid stains on bubblegum lips; What We Lost & Never Knew; and How We Return, an upcoming commission for Constellation Stage & Screen in Bloomington, IN. Brenson also writes for TV/Film, most recently on Emmy Award winner Lena Waithe’s Twenties on BET. As a performer, Brenson has collaborated with Tony Award Winner Stew, Raja Feather Kelly, Lightning Rod Special in The Appointment (FringeArts/Next Door at NYTW; Barrymore Nominee for Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical), Arden Theatre Company in the world premiere of R. Eric Thomas’ Backing Track, and Into the Woods, and with 1812 Productions for This is the Week That Is: 2020, and the Wilma Theater. When he’s not hunched over his laptop crying about blank Google docs, Brenson enjoys long walks around his beloved Philly, doing bad accents, smashing patriarchal white supremacist structures, and Beyoncé.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://theatreexile.org/shows/abandon/
Miniball is a micro-version of Cannonball Festival featuring encores of previous Cannonball shows, as well as other works not featured in the festival before, to keep the spirit of Cannonball sailing strong throughout the year. Make sure to follow @cannonballfest on Instagram and turn on notifications to be the first to hear about upcoming festivals, show announcements, pop-up programming, and more!
THE OTHER GARDENERS by Very Good Dance Theatre
What happens to (y)our gardens when we can no longer tend to them? When do the things and thoughts we leave behind become burdens, and when are they gifts? Can we both be refreshing fountains of reprieve for others, while we remember to pour into ourselves? What to do when our cup runneth over, and what to do when she's dryyyyyy ... we don't know, will you help us find out?
"The Other Gardeners" is a new project created collaboratively by Very Good Dance Theatre by and for Black artists and/or those from African lineage. "Gardeners" playfully (re)imagines what remains of Eden after its more popular residents (Adam & Eve) have moved on, and reminds us that paradise cannot be destroyed, only lost.
This project explores questions around lineage, diaspora(s), liberation, and asks all those in its midst to grapple with which burdens have been placed on them, by who, and how we can shoulder them (together). This is a Black queering of our origin stories, both a prequel and a sequel, and a conjuring of all the auto-biographies that never came to be ... or at least not yet?
Expect sobbing and laughing, remembering and visioning, dreaming and forgetting, and loving and loving and loving.
Come to learn, come to share, come to mourn, come alone (or not), leave together - connected - nurtured, just as gardens should be.
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Cannonball Festival is an independently produced performing arts festival, concurrent with the Philadelphia Fringe, that presents risk-taking independent artists in back-to-back performances next to delicious lounge spaces, fostering creative collisions and community conversation. Learn more at cannonballfestival.org
Miniball Spring keeps the spirit of Fringe rolling April 6-8, 2023, with back to back performances of new works from some of Philly’s best independent artists. Learn more at cannonballfestival.org/miniball
LINKS:
Philly Theatre Week - Theatre Philadelphia
https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/2023-philly-theatre-week
Support Theatre Philadelphia
https://theatrephiladelphia.org/make-a-donation
Support Cannonball Festival | Miniball
https://www.cannonballfestival.org/donate
RECOMMENDED
Paige Phillips - The Tale of The Slaughtered Hog
https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/the-tale-of-the-slaughtered-hog
Your Sunday Best
https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/your-sunday-best
The World
https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/the-world
Annie Wilson - Always The Hour
This year, experience over 50 unique events with hundreds of shows during Philly Theatre Week! Plus, join the 2023 Philly Theatre Week Kick-Off Celebration on March 20th at the Kimmel Cultural Campus. See preview scenes, songs, and interactive performances from participating Philly Theatre Week companies.
Johnny Depp! (A Retrospective on Late-Stage Capitalism)
FERGIE’S PUB - Second Floor
Join “Johnny Depp”, preteen heart-throb turned wino forever, for a retrospective on every film in his entire career, even the ones we didn’t watch, in order to ask… what happened?
Fresh off an international tour and a lot of rewrites because of a trial, comes a satirical “press tour” that is part ritual and part drunken singalong. Johnny Depp! (A Retrospective on Late-Stage Capitalism) features throwing things at random intervals, “fabulous” prizes, and a celebrity circus we keep tuning in to.
“To watch a show like this recalls the sense of imagination that the Fringe is really all about.” – Broadway Baby
“Johnny Depp: A Retrospective on Late Stage Capitalism is both exactly what you’d expect it to be and also something else entirely.” – Deadline, UK
“We’re all f*cked, enjoy the show.”- Phindie, USA
9 collective international stars! ★★★★★★★★★
Starring Jenna Kuerzi as Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow as Johnny Depp as Late-Stage Capitalism.
LINKS:
Philly Theatre Week - Theatre Philadelphia
https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/2023-philly-theatre-week
Jenna Kuerzi
Bonnie & Clyde - Media Theatre
https://www.mediatheatre.org/shows-tickets
Support Theatre Philadelphia
The Light
Written by Loy A. Webb
Directed by J. Paul Nicholas
Featuring: Ang(ela) Bey and Abdul Sesay
February 2, 2023 — February 26, 2023
“Explosive and Exquisite” – Stage Left
Not every marriage proposal goes as planned. What started as the happiest day of a loving couple’s lives quickly unravels when ground-shifting accusations from the past surface. What The New York Times calls “compelling” and “visceral”, The Light by Loy A. Webb is a real-time rollercoaster ride of laughter, romance, and despair that uncovers how the power of love can be a healing beacon of light.
ABOUT
Dr. Kimmika L. H. Williams-Witherspoon (Dramaturg) PhD (Cultural Anthropology), M.A. (Anthropology), MFA (Theater), Graduate Certificate) Women’s Studies, B.A. (Journalism); is an Associate Professor of Urban Theater and Community Engagement and President of the Faculty Senate at Temple University. Author of Through Smiles and Tears: The History of African American Theater (From Kemet to the Americas) (Lambert Academic Publishing, 2011); The Secret Messages in African American Theater: Hidden Meaning Embedded in Public Discourse” (Edwin Mellen Publishing, 2006), she has had over 34 productions of her plays, her stage credits include over 20 productions, 8 one-woman shows and she has performed poetry in over 120 national and international venues. A contributing poet to 44 anthologies, 11 books of poetry, 9 book chapters, 10 journal articles and 2 books on African American Theater.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://theatreexile.org
Today on a podcast, I turn over the virtual studio to the team that keeps Broad Street Review running. In a sort of Year in Review, our lead editors and Executive Director share some of their media recommendations as the year draws to a close. Here is a chat with Editor-In-Chief, Alaina Johns, Associate Editor, Kyle V. Hiller and Executive Director, Neil Bardhan of Broad Street Review.
Some of BSR’s Media Recommendations:
BOOKS
Merlin Sheldrake - Entangled Life
https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life
Adrienne Maree Brown - Pleasure Activism
https://www.akpress.org/pleasure-activism.html
You Have A Match - Emma Lord
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250237309/youhaveamatch
TELEVISION
Severance - AppleTV
https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/umc.cmc.1srk2goyh2q2zdxcx605w8vtx
Derry Girls - Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/title/80238565
Power Rangers
https://powerrangers.hasbro.com/en-us
Midnight Diner - Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/title/80113541
Support Broad Street Review: https://www.broadstreetreview.com/donate-to-bsr
Odd Man Out | Part of the America Rising Series
A LIVE Immersive Experience In Complete Darkness
Para ver el sitio web en español, haga click aquí
November 30 – December 18, 2022
Odd Man Out is a captivating play that takes place in complete darkness. Created by Teatro Ciego (an Argentinian company founded by blind artists) and Theatre C (a groundbreaking immersive theatre company in NYC), this story is told unlike any you’ve ever experienced before. You’ll be led into a pitch-black room by ushers. Inside, you’ll immerse yourself in the life story of Alberto, a blind musician returning to Argentina after years of self-exile. It is, at once, a love story, a musical journey, and a multi-sensory immersion into theatre of the blind.
Performances will be in Spanish on Friday, Dec 2 at 6pm | Sunday, Dec 4 at 6pm Thursday Dec 8 at 7pm | Saturday, Dec 10 at 8:30pm | Wednesday, Dec 14 at 7pm Sunday, Dec 18 at 3pm.
This play takes place at 201 Cedar Street, Bristol, PA 19007.
General Admission. Tickets start at $35.
Season 6 - 2021/2022
This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB), the national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the
stigma surrounding mental illness through storytelling, comes to Philadelphia this fall. The show will be held at the Ambler Theater on October 9, 2022. Performances will feature area community members who live with – or have loved ones living with - mental health challenges or substance use disorders, telling their stories through personal essay, spoken word, poetry, comedy, original music, and dance.
One in five American adults face mental health issues (National Institute of Mental Health), yet the topic continues to carry shame. This Is My Brave aims to end this stigma and silence by celebrating the stories of real people living successful lives with mental health challenges. Since its first show in 2014 in Arlington, VA, This Is My Brave - The Show has featured more than 900 people sharing their stories in over 80 performances across the United States and in Australia.
Philadelphia Show Information:
Ambler Theater
108 E Butler Ave.
Ambler, PA 19002
Sunday, October 9 at 5:00 PM
Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased on This Is My Brave - The Show in Philadelphia's Eventbrite page.
All ticket proceeds will go to the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Taskforce whose mission is to decrease suicides in Montgomery County by increasing suicide prevention awareness, education, training, outreach efforts, and reducing stigma.
It will also be live-streamed and a link will be available.
Visit www.facebook.com/timbphilly for more information.
Today on the podcast, our summer series collaboration with Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s “RE-START Initiative”, draws to a close with the Initiative’s champions, Kabria Rogers and Roberta Johnson. Stay Tuned.
The RestART Organizations we heard from:
FUNDERS:
National Endowment for the Arts
Learn more about RestART!
RestART: The Arts are Back!
https://phillyfunguide.com/editorial/restart-the-arts-are-back
It is the mission of Tiny Dynamite to offer audiences new ways to experience theater and artists new ways to create it. We present high-quality plays at modest ticket prices, in an environment that is intimate, social, joyful, and welcoming.
Our principal project is A Play, a Pie and a Pint®, a form of theater that breaks down perceptions that the arts are only for special occasions: we offer inventive short plays, in unexpected spaces, served with food and beverages.
KC MacMillan
PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Kathryn MacMillan (she/her) is a Philadelphia-based theater director and arts leader who has led Tiny Dynamite since 2017. KC has directed nearly 50 productions in the Philadelphia area and beyond; recent productions include Unraveled (off-Broadway: Theatre Row), Romeo and Juliet (Commonwealth Classic Theatre Company); The Comedy of Errors (Dram Tree Shakespeare, Wilmington, NC); Grounded (InterAct); Mrs. Warren’s Profession at Lantern Theater Company, where she was the Associate Artistic Director for eight seasons; and The Revolutionists at Theatre Horizon, where she served as Guest Artistic Director for the 2017/18 season.
KC’s notable productions include recent Barrymore Award nominations for directing (Jane Austen, Abridged, Tiny Dynamite, also co-writer; The Revolutionists, Theatre Horizon); and the critically acclaimed The Beauty Queen of Leenane (named Best Production of the 2012/13 season & Best Director by Philadelphia Weekly, who called her “sensationally gifted”), The Liar (Best Production Honorable Mention that same season), Arcadia (Runner up, Best Overall Production & Best Director by Phindie Independent Critic Awards), Doubt (named one of the Best Plays of 2015 by the Philadelphia Daily News), The Breath of Life (Barrymore Award nomination: Outstanding Overall Production of a Play), The Hothouse (Barrymore nominations for Outstanding Direction & Outstanding Production of a Play), and I Am My Own Wife (Barrymore nominations for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Production of a Play and winner of the Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award). In 2015, KC was named one of Billy Penn’s Who’s Next: 16 Young Philadelphians Shaping the Arts Scene.
Email: kc@tinydynamite.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://tinydynamite.org
Learn more about RestART!
RestART: The Arts are Back!
https://phillyfunguide.com/editorial/restart-the-arts-are-back
Today on the podcast, our 8-part summer series collaboration with Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s “RE-START Initiative”, continues with Intercultural Journeys where we explore how the organization has fared during the pandemic. Here is my interview with Carly Rapaport-Stein, Executive Director of Intercultural Journeys.
OUR VISION
Intercultural Journeys boldly leverages the power of the performing arts to catalyze social change, challenge bias, and create spaces for dialogue and understanding by presenting culturally diverse voices that celebrate and affirm our shared humanity.
OUR VISION
We imagine a world of more:
more welcome, more curiosity, more empathy, and more connection.
Where more voices tell our history and shape our future,
and we create an inclusive space to be still, to listen, to watch, to dance, and to learn together;
Where recognition and respect for one and all are the starting point, and not the finish line,
and love drives our journey forward.
Learn more about RestART!
RestART: The Arts are Back!
https://phillyfunguide.com/editorial/restart-the-arts-are-back
Today on the podcast, our 8-part summer series collaboration with Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s “RE-START Initiative”, continues with Kun-Yang Lin Dancers. In our conversation, we learn how a dance company has fared during the pandemic. Here is my interview with Katie Moore-Derkits, Executive Director and Maggie Zhao, Assistant Artistic Director of Kun-Yang Lin Dancers.
Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers (KYL/D) is one of the country’s premier contemporary Asian-American professional dance companies based in Philadelphia. Hailed for its superbly trained dancers and inventive choreography, the internationally-active KYL/D’s ensemble of professional dance artists – trained in the company's unique CHI AWARENESS PRACTICE that is deeply rooted in Asian art forms, contemplative practices and philosophies. Artistic Director Lin's zen-inspired practice of dance manifests in lush works of poetic sensibility that The New York Times says "create and inhabit worlds of their own." Lin draws upon insights from his ongoing research throughout Asia and around the globe, creating a personal movement language that is suffused with strong spiritual underpinnings.
KYL/D has performed around the world, including at the Tanzmesse International Dance Festival (Dusseldorf), Busan International Dance Festival (Korea), Jogia International and AsiaTri festivals (Indonesia), Festival Internacional de Danza in Queretaro (Mexico), Victoria Theatre (Singapore), HsinChu Performing Arts Center (Taiwan).
In the U.S., KYL/D has performed at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, Interlochen Festival, Columbia Festival, Kaatsbaan International Dance, Jacob's Pillow Inside/Out, Dancing in the Streets Festival, the Painted Bride Art Center, the Annenberg Center, the Kimmel Center, the Forrest Theater, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, and Philadelphia's City Hall.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://kyld.org
Learn more about RestART!
RestART: The Arts are Back!
https://phillyfunguide.com/editorial/restart-the-arts-are-back
Today on the podcast, as part of our 8-part summer series collaboration with Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s “RE-START Initiative”, our conversations continue with EgoPo Classic Theatre as we explore how the organization has fared during the pandemic. Here is my interview with Katrina Foy, Managing Director of EgoPo Classic Theatre.
EgoPo transforms timeless works of literature into innovative and immersive theatrical events.
We re-envision the classic canon by re-introducing diverse works and re-bodying existing canonical works to ensure a wide range of voices, bodies and stories are shared on our stages.
We honor and re-awaken these classic texts through a rigorous practice fusing psychological and physical acting and staging.
We curate season-long journeys that foster an inclusive audience space for shared experiences and human connection across cultures and communities.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://egopo.org
Learn more about RestART!
RestART: The Arts are Back!
https://phillyfunguide.com/editorial/restart-the-arts-are-back
Da Vinci Art Alliance (DVAA) was founded in 1931 by sixteen Italian immigrant artists and collectors at a time when immigrants were barred from major artistic, academic, and scientific institutions. DVAA was a creative refuge where members could show their works, hold meetings, engage in social activities, and offer intellectual and cultural exchanges and events. Together, they chose as their namesake the master of the Italian Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci.
DVAA permanently moved to 704 Catharine St. in South Philadelphia in 1966. Since then, the building has housed artist studios and exhibitions annually.
In 2015, DVAA hired its first full-time Executive Director to improve the Artist Membership program. DVAA’s Artist Membership program now offers several annual exhibition opportunities for artists and critically engaged programs monthly. To build community within Philadelphia, DVAA has created a Fellowship program for underserved artists, designed an annual community art and science festival called Da Vinci Fest, and installed a permanent mural on our building.
DVAA is housed in a rowhome in the Bella Vista area of South Philadelphia. In an essay by Ricki Sablove they speak about our neighborhood as a part of Philadelphia “that sparkles with the history of its people--a history rich with the music of opera and organ grinders, redolent with the wonderful aromas of Italian cooking, and alive with the dialects brought from faraway places.” Read more about our vibrant neighborhood here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://davinciartalliance.org/
Learn more about RestART!
RestART: The Arts are Back!
https://phillyfunguide.com/editorial/restart-the-arts-are-back
Rooted in Arab arts and language, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture offers artistic and educational programming that enriches cross-cultural understanding and celebrates diversity.
“Al-Bustan,” Arabic for “The Garden,” serves youth and adults of all ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds, while supporting the pursuit and affirmation of Arab American cultural identity and playing a constructive civic role within broader American society.
Mohannad Ghawanmeh: Executive Director
Mohannad is a scholar, cineaste, educator, and culturist intimately at large. A teacher of communication and media for twenty-five years, Mohannad’s instruction has centered on the cinema, for which he has also written, produced, acted, consulted, programmed, and curated. He is co-founder of the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival produced by Mizna. Mohannad curated the first editions of the Arab American National Museum’s film festival and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Italian Film Festival, as well as the series Melnitz Movies at University of California, Los Angeles. Mohannad is well awarded and published, having earned in 2020 his PhD from UCLA in Cinema and Media Studies. His research of the cinema decidedly examines such intersecting fields as governmentality, migration, nativity, religion, theater, music, literature, industrialization, and modernity typically in the mold of cultural history. Born to Palestinian refugees and an immigrant to the United States, Mohannad has also lived in Egypt, Japan, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Mohannad thrives on conjoining education and cultural production, connecting people and places, enriching and inspiring.
To contact Mohannad please email: mg@albustanseeds.org
Learn more about RestART!
RestART: The Arts are Back!
https://phillyfunguide.com/editorial/restart-the-arts-are-back
Today on the podcast, Elise Seyfried and Denita Stevens talk about This Is My Brave, the nonprofit bringing a mental health storytelling event to Philadelphia. Here is my interview for THIS IS MY BRAVE.
This Is My Brave was co-founded in Virginia by Jennifer Marshall and Anne Marie Ames (1958-2017), two women passionate about ending the stigma surrounding mental illness, and saving lives through storytelling. In May of 2014, TIMB debuted its first ever live show in Arlington, Virginia at the Spectrum Theatre to a sold-out crowd of nearly 400.
Over the past six years, the nonprofit organization has hosted performances across the United States and in Australia, including Greenville, SC; Valparaiso, IN (Chicagoland); Denver, CO; Iowa City, IA; Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; Los Angeles, CA; Boston, MA; Lewiston, ME; Wheeling, WV; Boise, ID; New York, NY; and beyond. TIMB has been featured on the Today Show: Mind Matters with Carson Daly as well as in The Washington Post and O, The Oprah Magazine, Stage-Directions Magazine, and Health as well as many other publications. In 2019, This Is My Brave launched high school and college pilot programs.
This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB), the national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental illness through storytelling, comes to Philadelphia hosting auditions May 7, 14, and 15, 2022. The resulting performance will be held at the Ambler Theater on October 9, 2022. Performances will feature area community members who live with mental health challenges or substance use disorders, telling their stories through spoken word, poetry, music, dance, and more. No performing experience is necessary.
Register to Audition: https://calendly.com/thisismybrave-philadelphia (Participants must be age 18+).
Today on the podcast, Our Eric returns as his star continues to rise. With three plays, a book on the way and a weekly newsletter, we’ll play catch up with R. Eric Thomas. Here is my interview with R. Eric Thomas.
We’re living in the “The Ever Present”, we’re “Backing Track”, spending time with “The Folks at Home”, will soon bow to the “Kings of B’More”…, soon, we’ll be “Crying On Television”, all this and more “Previously On…”, is Our Eric, R. Eric Thomas in the virtual studio!!
Keep track of R. Eric Thomas on his website at: https://rericthomas.com
Today on the podcast, Director and Choreographer, Jeffrey L. Page talks about the Philadelphia Theatre Company production of Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney. Here is my interview with Jeffrey L. Page.
Honor. Legacy. Pride. Taking his place out front as the choir leader at an elite all-boys, all-Black prep school, Pharus Young is determined to make his mark by challenging expectations in a world steeped in deep-rooted traditions. Can Pharus find harmony among his peers while staying true to his own voice? From Tarell Alvin McCraney, the Academy Award®-winning writer of Moonlight, Choir Boy electrified Broadway with its soaring gospel, spiritual, and R&B performances.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/choir-boy/
Today on the podcast, we talk about the musical, RENT as its Farewell Tour, delayed by the pandemic, finally reaches Philadelphia. I meet with a 16-year old June Kaplan-Mayer and mother Gabrielle to talk about its generational impact over the years. Here is my interview with the Kaplan-Mayers for RENT, by Jonathan Larson.
Today on the podcast, Scott Greer drops in to talk about the toxic relationships on display in the Theatre Exile Philadelphia Premiere of “The Motherf**ker with the Hat. Here is my interview with Scott Greer.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://theatreexile.org
Today on the podcast, Bronx native sculptor, Michael Ferris talks about his first east coast exhibition at The Center for Art in Wood titled, “Extra-Human: The Art of Michael Ferris” . Here is my interview with Sculptor, Micheal Ferris.
Guest-curated by art historian Suzanne Ramljak, the collection will display a dozen of Ferris’s distinctive wood sculptures, related drawings, and painted portraits set in intricately inlaid frames. The exhibition will be available to view from November 5, 2021, through April 24, 2022 at The Center for Art in Wood, 141 N 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://centerforartinwood.org/exhibition/extra-human-the-art-of-michael-ferris/
ABOUT A QUEER CHRISTMAS CAROL
The Hum'n'bards Theater Troupe is thrilled to be partnering with the brand-new performance venue The Painted Mug Cafe to bring you A Queer Christmas Carol, a retelling of the classic ghost story by Charles Dickens...but this time every character is gay.
On Christmas Eve, notorious miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits who vow to make him see the error of his ways. Can Scrooge overcome his greed to become a good person? Is that the real problem here?
Written by: CJ Higgins & Quinton J. Alexander
Directed by: CJ Higgins
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION:
Today on the podcast, I sit down with one of Broad Street Review’s longtime contributors, Cameron Kelsall to talk about arts criticism, being a Barrymore Judge, finding the best seat in the theatre and reclaiming your time. Here is my interview with BSR contributor, Cameron Kelsall.
Cameron’s BSR Posts: https://www.broadstreetreview.com/about/people/cameron-kelsall
Follow Cameron: Twitter: @CameronPKelsall
And if you are interested in Wine Collecting - https://vindejerz.com
Today on the podcast, Associate Editor, Kyle Hiller returns to chat about the long intermission, what’s a Sidequest Enthusiast, personal mission statements and more. Here is my interview with Broad Street Review’s Associate Editor, Kyle Hiller. Listen to Kyle’s podcast: https://www.sidequestenthusiast.com/
ABOUT ALAINA JOHNS
Alaina Johns, the editor-in-chief of Broad Street Review, is a freelance writer and editor who landed squarely in what everyone says is the worst job of the 21st century. So she makes Philadelphia her classroom, writing about everything from spaceflight to toad migrations. Alaina has been a freelance journalist in Philadelphia since 2007, and specializes in covering arts and culture for publications throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond.
Today on the podcast, a moment of your time is all I ask. I sit down with Broad Street Review’s Executive Director for a look back and forward for Philly’s home for arts, culture and conversation. Here is my interview with our Executive Director, Neil Bardhan.
Wanna get involved with Broad Street Review? Head on over to our website at www.broadstreetreview.com and click “Get involved” at the top. While you’re there, help keep us running and click “Donate” to find out how. Connect with us on social media, on Facebook and Twitter @broadstreview. Thank you for helping to keep the conversation going.
Today on the podcast, Producing Artistic Director Deborah Block and Board Chair Desiree Salera talk about 25 years in Exile. What to expect for this season. How a pandemic called for adjustments and what the future of Theatre Exile might look like in 25 years. Here is my interview with Deborah Block and Desiree Salera.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://theatreexile.org
Join us in The Wasp’s Nest, a devised sitcom-style presentation about a zany group of magical beings. A motley crew of Pearl, Fiorella, and unlucky Lucifer struggle with a seemingly simple task: what to do with a community garden? Spoiler Alert! It gets messy.
Peppered with "commercials" of the most devilish sort, this show is the culmination of over a year of research, improvisations, writing exercises, and character development. Created almost entirely via Zoom, this digital presentation deals with themes including politics, power, the prison-industrial complex, sex and gardening.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://paperdollensemble.com and https://fringearts.com/event/the-wasps-nest/
Season 5 - 2020/2021
Today on the podcast, R.Eric Thomas stops by to talk about the family-friendly “The Ever Present”, a piece that aims to shine a light on our collective history as the world continues to change. Here is my interview with R.Eric Thomas.
Today on the podcast, Connor Hogan stops by to talk about the FringeArts offering, “Gilligan Gigs Again”, a trivia cabaret on radical self-acceptance. Here is my interview with Connor Hogan.
BONUS: Editor-In-Chief, Alaina Johns talks Accessibility in our first BSR Editorial Corner!!
Today on the podcast, Artistic Director, Brian Sanders talks about the new interactive video-game-style experience, “Dragonbutter”, presented by Brian Sanders’ JUNK. Here is my interview with Brian Sanders.
Begin your journey in an 8,000 square foot abandoned laboratory building, at 2nd and Spring Garden streets, where expert researchers are trying to understand what the mysterious Dr. Livingston was working on and determine if there is anything to salvage before the building is demolished. You will quickly find clues from nonsensical scribblings that Dr. Livingston was not only a considerable genius, but also an impractical man teetering on insanity.
An interactive exhibit of images, objects, video, and live performance from the theatrical practice of Logan Gabrielle Schulman and Benjamin Behrend will be presented at the Old City Jewish Arts Center (OCJAC) throughout June, and opens the First Friday of June (6/4) at 5pm. It features filmed performances and multimedia art objects from “the theatre of grief,” a series of four theatrical works created over the last three years in the wake of the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting in Pittsburgh, PA in 2018.
Additionally, OCJAC is ecstatic to present an original performance adapted from rituals within Schulman and Behrend’s theatrical practice over four showings, two per night, on Friday June 25th and July 2nd at 5:30pm and 7pm, featuring live musical accompaniment, dance, and puppetry. Between the two performances, at 6pm, there will be a conversation with the performer, artists Schulman and Behrend, and Aleida Garcia, a Philadelphia community leader, victim advocate, and the founder of the National Homicide Justice Alliance. In describing their aims, Schulman said they hope that their works function to both encourage active reflection in the viewer, as well as activate them to move towards justice and common sense gun legislation. “Sadly, gun violence has become so widespread and commonplace in the U.S. that it is almost too easy for someone to move on with their day after learning of an instance of violence,” says Schulman. “These performances and associated visual works seek to force the audience to reckon with the ripple-effect of each and every single loss — how a single family’s existence is irrevocably upended at the loss of a child.”
Today on the podcast, director Ozzie Jones drops in to talk about the production of “Pass Over”, written by Antionette Nwandu, co-produced by Theatre Exile and Theatre in the X. Here is my interview with Ozzie Jones.
Today on the podcast, LaNeshe Miller-White, Executive Director of Theatre Philadelphia stops in to talk about the 2021 installment of Philly Theatre Week presented April 22nd through May 2nd. This is the first interview I have had with LaNeshe since accepting the position of Executive Director in August 2020. Here is my interview with LaNeshe Miller-White for Philly Theatre Week. Stay Tuned!
Today on the podcast, Thaddeus Phillips talks about his latest theatrical experience, Zoo Motel, a quarantined experiment that explores what is possibile in virtual live performance. Get your room key, locate the ice machine, here is my interview with Thaddeus Phillips. Stay Tuned!
Today on the podcast, a virtual dinner and a show from devising artists Francesca Chilcote and Connor Hogan. Here is my interview for Dinner.Exclamation.Point. - Franny and Connor write a cookbook. Stay Tuned!
Tired of figuring out what to cook for dinner? Bored with everything Netflix has to offer? Then Francesca Chilcote and Connor Hogan have just the show for you. In Dinner! Franny and Connor Write a Cookbook, two food-obsessed friends help you concoct a meal from the ingredients deep in your pantry while serving up a generous portion of laughs. And, as it is performed over Zoom, you don't even need to dress up to join us for Dinner!
Today on the podcast, I meet with Briyana D. Clarel, co-curator of this season’s DG (JAM) a Directors Gathering. This year brings together black directors to connect and collaborate in a one-day virtual event. Here is my interview with Briyana D. Clarel.
Today on the podcast, Chris Davis talks about 2020 and ending it with a virtual presentation of One Man Nutcracker. This year has brought many unexpected realizations to the main stage while we continue our Intermission. It is just not the holiday season without a production of The Nutcracker in some way. Here is my interview with Chris Davis.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION:
http://RealChrisDavis.com
Today on the podcast, playwright Jeremy Gable drops in to talk about the World Premiere of D-Pad at Theatre Exile. Directed by Brey Ann Barrett, the production follows a woman who struggles with relationships and isolates herself in the world of gaming. We also nerd out about the gaming world, its pros and cons and a near-future when we can share the same space again. Here is my interview with playwright Jeremy Gable.
Today on the podcast, Ben Behrend and Logan Gabriel Schulman talk about the 2020 Philly Fringe Festival production of “welcome To The Shiva House”. This virtual is a take on a Jewish celebration of life that brings loved ones together. In this moment, nothing is as it should be. Here is my interview with Ben Behrend and Logan Gabriel Schulman.
For Tickets and Information: https://fringearts.com/event/welcome-to-the-shiva-house/
Season 4 - 2019/2020
Today on the podcast, James Jackson of Light Thief Productions, has been a part of some of the most consuming conversations being had in Philadelphia in the first half of 2020. So, I sat down for a chat with James. Here is my interview with James Jackson.
When Quaker Oats Company announced the retirement of the Aunt Jemima brand, my first thought was to talk to playwright, Brie Knight, whose play titled, “Pancake Queen” told the story of Nancy Green, the woman hired to portray the figure.
The play received the 2015 Sue Winge Playwriting Award from Villanova University, was featured in PlayPenn’s 2017 Conference, and received its first reading as part of the inaugural Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival.
Here is my interview with Brie Knight.
Today on the podcast, we explore Stage Combat with Brittany Holdahl and Oliver Donahue of Argent Combat. We talk about how to engage a community who works closely together, remotely. Here is my interview with the team behind Argent Combat. Stay Tuned!
Today on the podcast, the team behind the Going Viral Festival talk about how the idea cam about, what they think will be the new normal, whether we will learn from this and how to keep sane while staying in place. Stay Tuned!
Today on the podcast, President and Artistic Director, Sarah Stolfa talks about the origins of the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, celebrating Ten Years with several events, looking back on the early days and programs that helped to shape the value of PPAC since 2009. Here’s my interview with Sarah Stolfa.
ABOUT PPAC
Philadelphia Photo Arts Center is an artist-focused institution rooted in Philadelphia that supports the study, production, and exhibition of contemporary photographic practices for a broadly diverse audience.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://philaphotoarts.org
Stephanie Hodge talks about the Philadelphia Premiere of PTC’s “Everything Is Wonderful”.
ABOUT EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL
An Amish couple exhibits an act of unfathomable forgiveness after their two sons are killed in a car accident. Upholding the tenets of their faith, they take in Eric, the wayward young driver of the car. But the accident brings home their eldest daughter, Miri, who was excommunicated five years earlier, and Eric’s presence cracks open the family’s secret history. As the family struggles to cling to their way of life, they are forced to find a way forward inside their insular community, practicing mercy and forgiveness to heal the wounds of the past.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org
Today on the podcast, Jacqueline Goldfinger stops by to talk about her production, “Babel”, on stage at Theatre Exile and tour the country as a commissioned piece from the National New Play Network. We also talk about her playwright it development offering, “Page By Page”. Here’s my interview with Jacqueline Goldfinger.
BABEL was commissioned by National New Play Network with funding from The Smith Prize for Political Theater. www.nnpn.org.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: http://theatreexile.org
Today on the podcast, Jerrell L. Henderson calls in to talk about THURGOOD by George Stevens, JR, featuring Johnnie Hobbs, JR.
Today on the podcast, Nichalas L. Parker (Shrek) talks about Walnut Street Theatre’s production of Shrek The Musical. We talk costumes, dance numbers, the Thanksgiving Day Parade and memorable moments both on and offstage. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, we meet Rashaad Newsome, interdisciplinary artist whose exhibition, “Black Magic” is being presented at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. Here is my interview with Rashaad Newsome.
Today on the podcast, Hannah Tsapatoris McLeod and Meryl Lynn Brown talks bout the origins of Bridge PHL Theatre Festival. We will also explore one of the offerings of the festival, an adaptation of The Trojan Women by Euripides. Here is my interview with Bridge PHL Theatre Festival.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION:
Today on the podcast, Founder and Chairman, Dan Rottenberg talks about the origins of Broad Street Review, his long career as a journalist and future plan. Here is my interview with Founder and Chairman Dan Rottenberg.
The Antidote has created an unapologetic love letter to David Lynch - Red Lodge, Montana - for this year's Fringe Festival (September 7-15). Co-created by the ensemble - including Philly favorite Amanda Schoonover, Anthony Crosby, Kelly McCaughan, Josh Hitchens, and others - the show is a live-action nightmare staged in the former girls' locker room at Bok in South Philadelphia.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://www.findtheantidote.org
On today’s podcast, Edinburgh Festival Fringe offering “Trump Lear” is discussed with creator David Carl aka David Carl. Will this piece be the formula for a successful fringe production? Here’s my interview with Trump Lear’s David Carl.
On today’s podcast, Almanac Dance Circus Theatre brings the wildly popular XOXO Moongirl to Edinburgh Festival Fringe. After taking the production to Mexico, Nicole Burgio and Melanie Hsu settle into their space at Assembly Festival for this experience. Here is my interview with Nicole Burgio and Melanie Hsu of XOXO Moongirl.
Season 3 - 2018/2019
On today’s podcast, Musician, Jean-Francois Alcoléa talks about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe offering, Right In The Eye, a live musical production featuring the works of Georges Méliès, the inventor of cinema and special effects. This production, featured at the French Institute in Edinburgh, tours all over the world. Here is my interview with Jean-Francois Alcoléa.
On today’s podcast, Jenna Kuerzi talks about creating a through line between Johnny Depp and Late-Stage Capitalism. Featured as part of Philly Theatre Week. Now, making its International debut! Here’s my interview with Jenna Kuerzi.
On today’s podcast, meet some of the founders of #FreeFringePhilly, a free version of the Fringe Festival (Unaffiliated). You got a show you want to make? Do it. Here’s my interview with #FreeFringePhilly.
On today’s podcast, we caught up with Gabriela Sanchez and Erlina Ortiz of Power Street Theatre Company. We discuss Teatro Al Fresco, MinorityLand and how Power Street continues to engage the community. Here is my interview with Power Street Theatre Company.
On today’s podcast, I talk to Neil Bardhan who steps into the role of Executive Director. We talk about his educational background, improvisation and storytelling and the goals set for the future of Broad Street Review. Here is my interview with Executive Director, Neil Bardhan.
On today’s podcast, Associate Editor, Kyle V. Hiller stopped by to talk about his start in journalism, what makes him unique and his own podcast “Casual Misfits Radio”. Here’s my interview with Kyle V. Hiller.
On today’s podcast, Richard Chan and Bi Jean Ngo talk about Interact’s production of “The Great Leap” by Lauren Yee. The aftermath of The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution lay the foundation for a rival Basketball game 18-years in the making. Here’s my interview with Richard Chan and Bi Jean Ngo. Stay Tuned.
On today’s podcast, Alaina Johns, Editor-in-Chief, talks about her role at Broad Street Review. We discuss getting into journalism, dealing with feedback and finding a balance when not curating the intersection where art and ideas meet. Here is my interview with Alaina Johns.
On today’s podcast, playwright Emily Acker, who you may know as a founding member of Orbiter3, talks about Azuka Theatre’s world premiere of “Boycott Esther”, an urgent response to the #metoo movement. We discuss the pros and cons of social media, and conversations that shaped the piece. Here’s my conversation with Emily Acker.
On today’s podcast, meet Austin Nedrow who plays Christopher Boone in Walnut Street Theatre’s production of “The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime”. You may remember the Broadway hit or the 2017 One Book Philadelphia focus on Mark Haddon’s book turned play by Simon Stephens.
I spoke with Austin about turning 18 on opening night, being a triplet, college plans and juggling the demands of a regional production all while finishing senior year of high school. So, what are you doing with your life? Here’s my interview with Austin Nedrow.
On today’s podcast, I head to Rose Valley to experience Hedgerow Theatre’s adaptation of Herman Mellville’s Moby-Dick directed by Kittson O’Neil. How do the themes of vengeance and persuasion speak to the society we live in today? Robert Smythe, who plays Ahab, is my guest. Pity Ahab. Pity Starbuck. Pity them all. Here is my interview of Hedgerow Theatre’s production of Moby-Dick.
On today’s podcast, we caught up with James Ijames, director of August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean” at Arden Theatre Company. James makes everyone think a little bit deeper about the intentions of characters and the worlds they inhabit. We talk about crafting a vision on an already layered piece, sharing that vision with an amazing design team, audience responses and the through-lines of Wilson’s work.
On today’s podcast, we meet Niya Colbert to talk about Theatre in the X’s production of “The Colored Museum” at the African American Museum of Philadelphia which, sold out as soon as tickets became available. We also learn about how the X makes its mark on the community and a little background on Niya. Part of Philly Theatre Week. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, we visit The Proscenium at The Drake to talk about Interact Theatre Company’s production of “HYPEMAN: A Break Beat Play” written by Iris Goodwin and directed by Ozzie Jones. Kyle Glenn (Pinnacle) and Bianca Sanchez (Peep One) sit in to break down this piece and talk a bit about hip-hop culture and its connection to their lives. We even get a sample rap from the piece as a tease at the end. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, Johnnie Hobbs Jr. and Jessica Johnson stop by to talk about David Mamet’s “Oleanna”. We discuss a challenging piece as society continues to talk about privilege and power, sexual assault and rape. No talkbacks for this piece. Deb Marcucci’s direction places this production in new light. Stay Tuned.
On today’s podcast, we sit down with Director Kathryn MacMillan to talk about Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal”. Beginning in late 70’s London, the story is told backwards to reveal the clues that were hidden in plain sight the open doors that expose the lies that bind together a triangle between Emma, Robert and Jerry in a piece that is presented in the middle period of Pinter’s career and his masterpiece. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, I return to Plays and Players Theatre for another helping of 1812’s This Is The Week That Is! Celebrating the 13th production of this Philadelphia staple, I sit down with Justin Jain and Sean Close to talk about this year’s crazy and what to expect from the production and the recognition from The American Theatre Wing. We even weigh in on the Turkey Pardon. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, we head over to Arden Theatre Company to chat with Grace Gonglewski who plays Nora in Arden’s production of A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath, directed by Tracy Bridgen. Part 2 picks up 15 years after the original piece only, written over 100 years later. How’s that for layering. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, we head over to Philadelphia Theatre company to talk about the return to season programming with new Producing Artistic Director, Paige Price, who enters her second season with a more than qualifying resume. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, we make our way to The Sedgewick to chat with Quintessence Theatre Group about the current production, “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, adapted and directed by Alex Burns. We are also joined by Michael Zlabinger (Victor Frankenstein) and Hannah Wolff (Elizabeth Lavenza) who break down the world we enter into as the Sedgewick is transformed into a warehouse where the story plays out. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, I caught up with one of the most dynamic and ever-present people in our community today. Christina May, known as “Mz. Frizzle”, lights up a room and wraps us all in a blanket of her love and unflinching support of the creation of art in many forms. You cannot miss Mz. Frizzle in a creative space. It’s as if an unexpected gift entered the room. Stay Tuned!
On today’s podcast, Terry Brennen drops by to talk about the origins of the Tribe of Fools production, “Fly Eagles Fly” which, presents a verses of who’s a true fan and a #NotRealFan. We use that as a platform to talk about fandom and community. Philadelphia is a unique city and our love for the game is very special. Whether you are a theater geek or a sports nut, fandom blurs those lines. Stay Tuned!
Season 2 - 2017/2018
Four men of color pull up to a mic and talk diversity, inclusion and race in the Philadelphia Theatre Community. While this is not a complete reflection of our cultural makeup, these voices paint a picture that may not be as clear to all but, are views through a lens that is worth a look. This, I hope, will be the start of many conversations that bring to light the extremely complex mission of a great cultural community as change is demanded and the conversation continues. Today, I am joined by Terrell Green, Ozzie Jones, and Brian Anthony Wilson. Stay Tuned.
BSR Podcast Recording - The New Normal in Arts Journalism
“The New Normal in Arts Journalism.” Panel discussion featuring Chris Jones, John Moore, Michael Riedel, Wendy Rosenfeld, and John Timpane; Jackie Goldfinger, moderator. Presented by Philadelphia Theatre Co.
November 11, 2017 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. (at Lombard). (215) 985-0420 or philatheatreco.org.
Health and wellness are a huge part of everyday life. Of course, we know that the life of an artist can be an adventure. If only there were a team of dedicated artists who understand the plight and has a direct focus on the maintenance required to be a working artist. That is what I sought to find out when I sat down with Theatrical Trainer, a Personal Training Company by Theatre artists, for theatre artists and beyond. With the understanding of be working artists combined with health and wellness practices, all signs point to, let’s find out. So, here’s our interview with Theatrical Trainer at Rep Radio, Studio D, for The Drake. Stay Tuned!
Theatrical Trainer is a theatrical conditioning and In-Home Personal Training company located in Center City, Philadelphia.
With the help and support of our staff at Theatrical Trainer you'll get personal training in the comfort of your own home or local park and get results without the commitments or expense of a gym/studio. Workouts are fun, challenging, convenient, semi-private/private, affordable and completely safe. Our staff not only provides general personal training, but workshops, movement coaching and choreography as well. We service the theater and film industry, both conditioning actors and providing physical theater training to your cast, educational program or company.
Theatrical Trainer's staff are both educated in theatrical practice, many performing artists themselves, as well as certified and insured fitness professionals.
For more information, visit http://theatricaltrainer.com
So, I am pretty organized. To a point that I prefer to do only one interview a day. I want to make sure that if anything comes up, I have more than enough time to adjust to any changes. So, I scheduled this interview with Dito van Riegersberg about 1812’s production of Buyer & Cellar. I only knew about the play because my time in NYC would include passing the theatre this production was in on many occasions. A one-person show was so engaging that it was sold out most nights and continued to be extended.
ABOUT BUYER & CELLAR
Just fired from a stint working at a California theme park (mouse ears, anyone?), Alex More is an underemployed actor looking for a new gig when, out of the blue, the biggest piece of theatre in the world just happens to find him.
Welcome to Barbra Streisand’s private shopping mall. We hope you enjoy your visit.
LEAPS OF FAITH AND OTHER MISTAKES
From the company behind Exile 2588 comes a re-envisioning of Almanac’s acclaimed tale of sublime human idiocy, isolationist seafarer cults, & the absurdity of believing too hard. Breathtaking acrobatics & earnest theatricality combine with brand new live music. What do people do when they find themselves lost at sea?
ABOUT ALMANAC DANCE CIRCUS THEATRE
Called “The little dance theatre troupe that could” by Philadelphia's City Paper, Almanac was founded in 2013 by Nick Gillette and Ben Grinberg, graduates of the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training, with Adam Kerbel, a graduate of the Headlong Performance Institute. The company pursues present performance at the edge of what is possible, through playful honesty.
Since its founding, Almanac has performed for tens of thousands across eleven states and in Mexico, from street fairs to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, elementary school assemblies to private parties and events. They were selected as 2013-2014 Fresh Tracks Artists at New York Live Arts, were the first resident company at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, and are artists-in-residence at Mascher Space Co-Op. Their work has been presented by FringeArts, NYU Skirball Center/Circus Now!, Trinity Rep, the International Festival of Contemporary Dance of Mexico City, the Faux/Real Festival, Colgate University, Reading Terminal Market, Bearnstow, Pig Iron Theatre Company, the University City District, Automatic Arts, and New York Live Arts, among others.
On today’s podcast, I met with Kash Goins before a rehearsal of the GoKash OnSTAGE production of 74 Seconds…toJudgement, in residence at Arden Theatre Company. The Philadelphia based African American theatre company, established in 2008 by producer Kash Goins, seeks to make space for stories that speak to our collective state of being. We use our passion to reach out, sometimes in desperation, to build understanding and connect the humanity we all share. We seek to help stimulate dialogue which heals and enlightens. GoKash OnSTAGE presents independent, published and world premiere theatre productions.
ABOUT 74 SECONDS…TO JUDGEMENT
What is “Justifiable Homicide”? What roles do paranoia, race, and fear play in a split decision to kill? Should social class, personal histories, or individual assumptions factor into a months’ long evaluation of justice? Is there enough space for the application of law in a killing which takes seconds to commit? Who are we, who decide? How are we to decide?
In the next installment of his justice series, “Seventy IV Seconds… to judgment”, Kash Goins introduces us to a jury of 6 who have been deadlocked for over a week. In an attempt to uncover the truth buried in the facts as presented in the case, the youngest juror who is not much different than a central figure in the killing, offers a unique tactic. An exercise purposed to move the jury beyond feelings which are buried beneath the cover of what they’ve come to accept as their personal truths. To be heard. To listen. To process the law as instructed.
On today’s podcast, Dany Guy talks about his time at Interact Theatre Company as Director of Operations as he begins to transition into his new role as Managing Director of 11th Hour Theatre Company. From Intern to Director, Dany’s growth is similar and so valuable to our community and that is why we gave him time to talk about it.
ABOUT DANY GUY
Hails from Massachusetts and started with InterAct as a production intern for the 2009/2010 season. As an intern, he assistant stage managed the Barrymore-nominated production of Lee Blessing’s WHEN WE GO UPON THE SEA, which was moved Off-Broadway to 59E59 Theatre. This is his 7th season working with InterAct. Other Philadelphia credits include: Tribe of Fools ZOMBIES…WITH GUNS!, TWO STREET, ANTIHERO, SHUT YOUR WORMHOLE, HEAVY METAL DANCE FAG (Production Manager) and DRACULA (Stage Manager); Shakespeare in Clark Park: WINTER’S TALE (Production Manager); Simpatico Theatre Project THE AMISH PROJECT (Lighting Designer), THE LYSISTRATA PROJECT, A BRIGHT NEW BOISE, THE BLACK MONK, THE MEEP PROJECT (Production Manager); Enchantment Theater Company’s THE VELVETEEN RABBIT national tour and HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON (rehearsal A.S.M. and A.D.). He currently serves on the board of Tribe of Fools and as a Barrymore Nominator. Daniel graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2008 and recently received his M.S. in Arts Administration in June from the Drexel University Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, where he was the 2014 recipient of the Karen Murdoch Scholarship for Visionary Leadership in the Arts.
“I can’t believe I get to go to work with this amazing group of people. They’re like family and they push Art-Reach further every day.” - John Orr, Executive Director, Art-Reach
ABOUT ART-REACH
Founded in 1986, Art-Reach was born out of an equal desire to fill theater and performance spaces to capacity and increase participation in the arts for people with disabilities. Art-Reach set out to make unfulfilled tickets available to people who never had the opportunity to see a play, dance performance or go to a museum. A wide gap existed between the disability community and the cultural engagement sector. Art-Reach was founded to bridge this gap.
Season 1 - 2016/2017
Eppchez!, who plays Max in Simpatico Theatre Company's production of Taylor Mac's Hir, is a nonbinary transgender Latinx performer who brings a wealth of talents to Philadelphia.
An Amherst, Massachusetts, native, Eppchez! (who uses the pronouns ey and eir) has worked with Pig Iron Theatre Company, the Mediums, and other groups with a focus on devising new work. Ey studied theater and writing at Wesleyan University. A playwright, choreographer, director, designer, puppeteer, songwriter, and vocalist, ey is also artistic director/conductor of Alma’s Engine, a process-focused creative ministry and self-producing platform for realizing eir work in music and theater. Among eir works is the album Self-Realized-Nation; A Song Cycle of the Occupation (2013), the original plays Junk Redemption (2012) and They Extract! (2014 and 2016), and a site-specific musical staged in Bartram’s Garden, Train-ing: A Duet (2017).
To read Wendy Rosenfield's review of Hir, click here.
On May 15, 2017, Broad Street Review, in cooperation with the University of the Arts' Corzo Center for the Creative Economy and with support from the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, hosted a panel discussion titled Arts Funding: Who Should Pay? Initially, the discussion was supposed to examine funding in light of impending cuts to the federal arts budget; surprisingly, those cuts didn't happen. Even more surprising, our panelists mostly looked at the NEA as a nice bonus, but nothing to hang their shingles on.
Different disciplines, similar issues
Listen in as moderator and Broad Street Review editor-in-chief Wendy Rosenfield, Art Sanctuary executive director Valerie Gay, PHIT Comedy founder Greg Maughan, Art-Reach executive director John Orr, Headlong Dance Theater co-founder and co-director Amy Smith, and WRTI host, composer, and frequent BSR contributor Kile Smith discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with running an arts-focused business and watching its bottom line.
If you enjoy what you hear and read here at BSR, why not help us meet our arts funding challenges and make a donation or become a Friends of BSR member? Donate here.
On this podcast, on a beautiful night in Old City, I caught up with playwright, director, teacher, and actor James Ijames, whose latest play, WHITE, is enjoying a critically acclaimed world-premiere production at Norristown's Theatre Horizon. Meanwhile, this Barrymore and F. Otto Haas Emerging Artist Award winner's The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington opened at the Ally Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 30, 2017; another, Kill Move Paradise,opens at New York's National Black Theatre on May 31, 2017. Ijames also recently won the $50,000 Whiting Award for "emerging writers who exhibit great promise."
"A jazz guy"
Philadelphia audiences already know he's delivered on that promise. Here we discuss the creative process and how Ijames's work was enhanced after development at PlayPenn's new-play conference. We also touch on provocation in art, a playwright's responsibility to their audience, and the Whitney Biennial's Emmett Till controversy. While WHITE traverses some rocky territory, it's very funny. Ijames explains, "I'm a jazz guy, not a blues guy." So what play does Ijames really adore? The answer may surprise you.
For Wendy Rosenfield's review of WHITE, click here.
Scottish playwright Stef Smith isn't yet 30, but her plays show a power beyond her years. Philadelphia's Inis Nua Theatre Company, which focuses specifically on presenting contemporary work from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, is a perfect fit for her unique voice.
Here, we speak with Smith and director Claire Moyer about Inis Nua's production of Swallow. Smith's tale about a trio of lonely adults all in the midst of life-changing events finds a kind of universality in alienation from the modern world. Smith has received an Olivier Award for her play RoadKill and is an associate artist at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is the third play Moyer has directed for Inis Nua. Together they discuss the play's symbolism, getting into the heads of these characters, and the reactions from audiences around the world.
To read Mark Cofta's review of Swallow, click here.
On this podcast, award-winning Philadelphia-based playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger talks about her newest production, The Arsonists. This "play with music" marks the third and final installment of her Southern Gothic trilogy, after The Terrible Girls and Skin and Bone. A National New Play Network (NNPN) rolling world premiere, it will open first under the aegis of Azuka Theatre Company and then head to theaters around the country.
Swamp things
Goldfinger grew up in rural Florida and, captivated by the region's literature and music, decided the Southern Gothic form was worefully underutilized onstage. The Arsonists, inspired by Sophocles's tragedy Elektra, follows a father-daughter arson team who reside deep in Florida's swamplands. A live band will play during the show and, on certain nights, give concerts afterward. Here, Goldfinger discusses how the play and its predecessors came to be, NNPN's rolling premiere process, and much more.
This week, we grabbed our magnifying glasses and followed the clues to New Paradise Laboratories' site-specific mystery Gumshoe, which takes place deep in the bowels and throughout the corridors of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Afterward, we went even further and tracked down the company's innovative founder and artistic director, Whit MacLaughlin.
On the case
MacLaughlin, who arrived in Philadelphia after more than 20 years with the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, brought New Paradise Laboratories' (NPL) founding ensemble here in 1996. Some of the company's members have gone on to become this city's most recognizable onstage faces (Lee Ann Etzold, Jeb Kreager, Matt Saunders, Mary McCool), and the company and its members have also seen much success in New York (NPL won an Obie Award for 2000's The Fab 4 Reach the Pearly Gates) and elsewhere. NPL has created roughly one original work per year since its founding, and this year, they've paired with the Free Library and Rosenbach Museum to present Gumshoe. Listen in to learn the difference between fact, fiction, and falsehood, and -- perhaps most importantly -- how to escape a maze.
On this podcast, PlayPenn artistic director Paul Meshejian discusses the PlayPenn Annual Conference. I spoke with Meshejian in 2013 about the conference; since then, many plays that have been workshopped there have helped shaped the national conversation around contemporary theater. These new plays transfer from the conference to regional stages, and J.T. Rogers’s drama Oslo, about the negotiations surrounding the Oslo Accords, opens on Broadway April 13, 2017, featuring New Paradise Laboratories founding member and longtime Philly actor Jeb Kreager.
The highlight reel
PlayPenn describes itself as "an artist-driven organization dedicated to improving the way in which new plays are developed. Employing an ever-evolving process, PlayPenn creates a relaxed tension within which playwrights can engage in risk-taking, boundary-pushing work free from the pressures of commercial consideration."
Some of the conference's esteemed graduates and awards include:
MacArthur Fellowship: Samuel D. Hunter (PlayPenn 2010)
Whiting Award: James Ijames (PlayPenn 2013, 2015)
Guggenheim Fellowship: Gabriel Jason Dean (PlayPenn 2013), Jordan Harrison (PlayPenn 2005), J.T. Rogers (PlayPenn 2005, 2009, 2015)
Lilly Award for Playwriting: Lucy Thurber (PlayPenn 2005)
Pew Fellowship: James Ijames (PlayPenn 2013, 2015)
Sky Cooper Prize for American Playwriting: Samuel D. Hunter (PlayPenn 2010), Martin Zimmerman (PlayPenn 2012)
American Theatre Critics Association's Osborn Award: Jonathan James Norton (PlayPenn 2012)
Susan Smith Blackburn Prize: Sheila Callaghan (PlayPenn 2005)
Terrence McNally New Play Award: James Ijames (White, 2015)
Barrymore Award for Best New Play: R. Eric Thomas (Time Is on Our Side, PlayPenn 2015), Michael Hollinger (Ghost-Writer, PlayPenn 2009), Jacqueline Goldfinger (Slip/Shot, PlayPenn 2011)
Top 10 Plays, New York Times: J.T. Rogers (Oslo, PlayPenn 2015; Blood and Gifts, PlayPenn 2009)
Top 10 Plays, Time Magazine: J.T. Rogers (The Overwhelming, PlayPenn 2005)
On this podcast, we meet Mindy Dougherty, co-founder with Dan Dunn of Midtown Village's musical-theater training program Music Theatre Philly. Both Dougherty and Dunn have Broadway bona fides, and they have worked on some of the region's best-known stages. The company offers a unique blend of classes for both children and adults with "quadruple threat" aspirations: acting, voice, (several types of) dance, and music (guitar and piano).
Mind the gap
About 20 years ago, Dougherty noticed a gap between what she learned in Philadelphia's performance-training programs and the skills she saw in students coming out of a comprehensive independent program in Pittsburgh. She worked and attended graduate school in New York, but when she returned home to Philadlephia, she realized nobody in this city had stepped in during the intervening years to fill that gap. That's where Music Theatre Philly comes in, and Dougherty hopes it will help create this city's next generation of great stage talent.
On today’s podcast, we interview Thomas Choinacky to talk about his new work, A User’s Manual. Choinacky is the founder, producer, and co-curator of SoLow Fest, an 11-day festival of solo experimental performance in Philadelphia. He is also a company member of Applied Mechanics, a devised, collaborative theater ensemble. At the time of the interview, Choinacky was on location at Washington College in Maryland with Applied Mechanics for a residency of their FringeArts production, FEED.
Step into my parlor
A User's Manual is a solo performance designed to respond to the body's constant manipulation by the architecture that surrounds us. Drawing attention to structures, sounds, textures, and history, each site-specific performance catalogues the memory of its place. In Choinacky's own words, he attempts to make "visible how humans are constantly affected by the surroundings we pass through and by the architecture we build." This interview goes deep into Choinacky's philosophy of creating a performance and considers the spaces we occupy.
InterAct Theatre Company's world premiere of Mary Tuomanen's MARCUS/EMMA brings together Jewish immigrant and anarchist Emma Goldman and Jamaican immigrant and pan-African movement leader Marcus Garvey. Both were turn-of-the-20th-century activists deported from the United States, and in Tuomanen's drama, they meet in a sort of purgatory for a no-holds-barred, sex-fueled, bloody-minded battle to rekindle the smoldering flames of their legacies.
In this REP Radio interview, Akeem Davis, who plays Garvey, and Susan Riley Stevens, who plays Goldman, discuss what their characters' lives and actions mean today and how much more relevant they've become since the presidential election. You might even say the world has turned into the show's director's notes! The play is also intensely physical, and the actors discuss how they prepared for their roles, the many contrasts between their characters, and the way those contrasts are highlighted by InterAct's design team.
Stevens has been acting professionally in Philadelphia since 2001, won a 2007 Barrymore Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in Act II Playhouse's production of Bad Dates. She also happens to be married to another Philly favorite, actor Greg Wood. Davis arrived in Philadelphia in 2011, has appeared on area stages almost constantly since then, and in 2015 won the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Artist.
On today's podcast, we met with Stephanie Feldman, Philadelphia writer and coordinator of the Philadelphia chapter of Writers Resist. This movement is designed to engage a community of authors, poets, filmmakers and the like to use their talents and shine a light on the fundamentals of democracy. Writers Resist will host a rally this weekend at the National Museum of American Jewish History with a plethora of local writers slated to speak.
The Writers Resist movement rapidly coalesced after poet Erin Belieu posted on Facebook, "We will not give in to despair. We will come together and actively help make the world we want to live in. We are bowed, but we are not broken."
Belieu's call for writers to organize local events in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day has already resulted in more than 50 events throughout the United States and around the world, including a flagship New York City event co-sponsored by PEN America, and additional events in Boston, Los Angeles, Oakland, Austin, Portland, Omaha, Seattle, London, Zürich, and Hong Kong.
Stephanie Feldman is one of the Philadelphia rally's organizers, with Alicia Askenase and Nathaniel Popkin. She is also a novelist, and a professor of fiction writing at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
For today’s podcast, I made my way to South Philly to hang out with 11th Hour Theatre Company. We talked about the upcoming production of LIZZIE, with music by Steven Cheslik-Demeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt, lyrics by Steven Cheslik-Demeyer and Tim Maner, and book by Tim Maner. The show's director, Kate Galvin, and its Lizzie, Alex Keiper, take us back to 11th Hour's Next Steps Concert Series, when they first presented the musical, and we return to the present as they prepare to present the full production with some uniquely 11th Hour touches.
Perhaps you recall the dark rhyme, "Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks/When she saw what she had done she gave her father 41." LIZZIE takes a new look at the multiple controversies surrounding the 1892 murder of Borden's stepmother and father. We also talk about the company's trip to Borden's home in Fall River, Massachusetts, the power (or lack of power) of women past and present, an artistic focus for 2017, and what 11th Hour is looking forward to in the new year.
Stay tuned.
On this podcast, we interview White Pines Productions artistic director Benjamin Lloyd. Lloyd, a B.A. and M.F.A. Yale drama grad, has been a fixture as a Philadelphia actor for decades. He founded White Pines in 2009. The company operated out of the Elkins Park Gilded Age mansion Elkins Estate until 2012.
Since then, the company has moved to a storefront in Elkins Park's bustling business district, where they offer classes to adults, children, and people with special needs; produce original work; host a long- and short-form improv-based dinner theater with a three-course meal; host the Bright Invention improv ensemble; and offer off-site training programs. Here, Lloyd discusses his new model for arts organizations, the role companies like his serve in their neighborhoods, and the guiding philosophy behind White Pines's "community-based performing arts studio."
On this podcast, we are joined by Two Walkens: Susanne Collins and Kevin Meehan. We talk about the origins of the devised theater performance duo's mashup, explore some iconic standouts from Christopher Walken's expansive body of work, and we even get a sample of the show.
Two Walkens, a world premiere, takes a few of Walken’s best-known big- and small-screen appearances, and combines them with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic children's book The Little Prince to see if this town really is big enough for the both of them. The show asks the timely question "How do we cope when the world outside gets to be too tough to handle?" Pick your weapon of choice.
Collins and Meehan are Philly theater veterans, but this is their first creation together.
On this podcast, I chat with Steve Pacek, featured in Theatre Horizon’s production of William Finn and James Lapine's musical A New Brain. It’s been four years since Pacek won the 2012 F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theater Artist and the same amount of time has passed since he last chatted with us. Let’s play catch up!
About A New Brain
Tony Award-winners Finn (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and Lapine (Into the Woods) based this musical comedy on Finn's life threatening battle with a deadly diagnosis of arteriovenous malformation. The show, similarly, explores one man’s quest for a second chance at life. After a children’s television songwriter receives a life-changing diagnosis, he struggles to come to terms with his creative ambitions and family relationships. In an unforgettable performance, Pacek leads a cast of Philadelphia’s top vocalists through this gorgeous musical about how we spend the time we are given.
On today’s podcast, we catch up with Theatre Exile producing artistic director Deborah Block to talk about Theatre Exile’s 20th anniversary season. We start off with congratulations on Exile's 13 Barrymore Award nominations (which Monday night became five wins for their production of Ayad Akhtar's The Invisible Hand:Production of a Play, Direction of a Play (Matt Pfeiffer), Leading Actor in a Play (Maboud Ebrahimzadeh), Supporting Actor in a Play (J. Paul Nicholas), and Sound Design (Michael Kiley).
We also focus on Exile's next production, Rajiv Joseph's Guards at the Taj and tease with the rest of the season, which includes John Pollono's Lost Girls, and Tracey Scott Wilson's Buzzer, It’s always a pleasure to chat with Deb. I hope you are as excited about their 20th season as I am.
On this episode of the Broad Street Review/REP Radio podcast, we discuss 1812 Productions' annual political satire This Is the Week That Is (TIWTI). Meet Sean Close and new cast member Nia-Samara Benjamin, both of whom appear in TIWTI's "Election Special." Can you guess what we talked about?
Why should Saturday Night Live have all the fun this election cycle? Host Darnelle Radford, Benjamin, and Close give you the local lowdown on how to suck up all the year's dirty politics without getting sick.
On this week's podcast, Darnelle Radford interviews Casabuena Cultural Productions founder Mariangela Saavedra about the Mt. Airy company's inaugural entry into the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. The Church Bells All Were Broken, a world premiere by Philadelphia playwright Dave Ebersole, is a fictitious story inspired by the real Westboro Baptist Church and its members. It challenges the audience to see all sides with the assistance of humor, music, and drama.
Jeff and Melissa are part of the infamous MacArthur family, a family known to take their religious beliefs to the extreme by picketing funerals with their offensive signs and parodies of pop songs. They take their messages — “God hates fags” and “America is doomed” — all over the country and even to the Supreme Court. But when Jeff decides to come to terms with his sexuality his whole life changes. He tries to maintain his faith while his family makes him an outcast. Will his sister, who loves him dearly, be able to pull him back into the fold, or will she finally see that she is really part of a cult fueled by hate?
On today’s podcast, we meet Erlina Ortiz. She is a graduate of Temple University and the Resident Playwright of Power Street Theatre Company. We come to know her because she has been selected as one of the 2016 Amtrak Artist Residency recipients. She will travel the country by train and let the beauty of our nation inspire her next piece. Stay Tuned!
About Erlina Ortiz
Erlina Ortiz is a self-defined "everything" artist, and Power Street is the perfect avenue for her to explore all her different passions in the theater. Erlina graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in theater and a concentration in acting. She began dabbling in playwriting and directing when she started working with Power Street. The company produced two of her full-length plays in 2013 and 2014, and her newest work, She Wore Those Shoes, which addresses military rape culture, will receive a full production at the Iron Factory in October, 2016. As an emerging Latina-American playwright, Erlina’s voice is unique and important to the growing landscape of theatre in America and will only continue to become more relevant.
On today’s podcast, we are joined by Shoshanna Ruth Green and Cubby Altobelli of burlesque troupe The Seven Deadly Seas for a little scripted "yes, and-ing." We talk about their upcoming production, The Greater of Two Evils, on the barquentine Gazela, which is once more ready to board after a two-year repair hiatus.
The show, a full-length burlesque play, takes a look at present-day politics through the eyes of real-life pirates Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonney, and Mary Reed. At this theater-in-the-round and under-the-stars experience, our antiheroes drink, fight, sing, and, yes, strip. The Seven Deadly Seas are an offshoot of the much-loved and dearly departed Cabaret Red Light. Proceeds from this show will help support the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild’s efforts to restore and maintain the historic Tall Ship Gazela and Tug Jupiter.
In our first podcast with Rep Radio, host Darnelle Radford interviews Tina Brock, artistic director of Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium (IRC), about Into the Absurd, the company's recent staged reading of Samuel Beckett's and Harold Pinter's radio plays. IRC is committed to producing classic absurdist theater, as reflected in their company motto: "We bring good nothingness to life."
Into the Absurd featured Beckett's "Rough for Radio II" and Pinter's "Family Voices." In this podcast, Radford and Brock discuss the relevance of a radio play in today's multimedia-saturated environment. They also look at absurdism in the context of today's political climate. It should surprise no one that absurdism is still a pretty good fit in 2016.