B&W photo of two women in headresses and dresses standing next to each other, looking down, somber

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, November 6-12, 2025

Silent films, textile portraits, and surrealism
Two pivotal silent films screen in Philly, new exhibitions at Muse Gallery, PMA, and the MoAR, and props for sale. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
View from partway down the museum’s famous steps, looking up at the brown columned façade, with groups of people sitting.

New PMA CEO Sasha Suda fired in a wild week at Philly’s premier museum

Are we good with the griffin?
Hot takes are flying on the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s rebrand and sudden firing of CEO Sasha Suda. Alaina Johns breaks it down.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 7 minute read
Two Haitian American women sit facing a mirror, one person in front of the other, smiling joyfully, in portrait style photo

Journey Arts presents MIWA | Talie and Lunise Cerin

A multidisciplinary exploration of Haitian-American experiences
MIWA, created by two Haitian American sisters, is a film and music experience running this weekend. John Morrison previews.
John Morrison

John Morrison

Previews 2 minute read
A group cast and crew photo on a warmly-lit stage

Theatre Horizon presents Wishing to Grow Up Brightly

Exploring family through the eyes of a Korean adoptee
Theatre Horizon premiers a new musical about a Korean adoptee exploring family, loss, and identity. Mina Reinckens previews.
Mina Reinckens

Mina Reinckens

Previews 3 minute read
B&W portrait, Labold in casualwear sits on a small bench outside, during daylight, wearing sunglasses looking to his right

Stamp making with your friendly neighborhood mailperson Greg Labold

Putting a stamp on it
Mailperson and artist Greg Labold hosts a rubber stamp making workshop, and talks about his journey into a new career while rediscovering his creative work. Jimmy Viola previews.
Jimmy Viola

Jimmy Viola

Profiles 5 minute read
Lawton, a bald white man in a loose white shirt and striped kilt, gestures while he speaks.

Lantern Theater Company presents Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Shakespeare sans thrills
As the company enters its fourth decade, the Lantern Theater’s Macbeth lacks ideas and excitement. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
Rusted metal base holds a 9-foot vertical cast bronze blue-green sculpture that melds features of humans and cacti.

Grounds For Sculpture presents Salvador Jiménez-Flores: Raíces & Resistencias

A vital look at migration and identity in today’s America
At the Grounds for Sculpture, Salvador Jiménez-Flores explores Mexican immigrants’ present and historical journey to the US, highlighting struggle, justice, and resilience as many try to look away. McCaillaigh Rouse reviews.
McCaillaigh Rouse

McCaillaigh Rouse

Reviews 3 minute read
Barbosa, in a long swingy light satin dress, and Montepara, in white & black formals, balance in a dynamic pose, hands joined

BalletX presents The First Decade of its 20th Anniversary Retrospective

A ballet powerhouse goes back to the beginning
Philly’s own BalletX celebrates two great decades with a 20th Anniversary Retrospective featuring 20 dances in two programs. Melissa Strong reviews Program A: The First Decade.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 4 minute read
Munir, a Black man in a green tee, next to a utility pole with an orange Wawa crate on it, points in a dynamic pose.

Azuka and Simpatico present Khalil Munir’s 1 Pound 4 Ounces

A Philly playwright’s ode to the city that made him
For their new partnership, Azuka and Simpatico team with Khalil Munir for 1 Pound 4 Ounces, a “very Black Philly” world premiere that feels like a perfect synthesis of both companies. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 2 minute read
Brown, a Black man holding a magazine, looks nervously at Rose, a white woman, cuddling up to him on a subway seat.

Passage Theatre presents Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman and The Slave

A double bill from a pioneer of Black arts
Trenton’s Passage Theatre pairs two important early plays by Amiri Baraka, Dutchman and The Slave, in a new production that mixes exciting choices with a lack of emotional resonance. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 6 minute read
On a spacious mid-century modern set with huge windows, nine actors in formal wear pose with dramatic grace.

Resident Ensemble Players presents Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None

A chilling chestnut
Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players take on Agatha Christie’s most enduring murder-mystery classic in a sleek and satisfying production. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
Dozens of people on the floor of the planetarium watch a film of papers whirling in the sky onscreen above them.

The Franklin Institute and the Galleries at Moore College present Michelle Lopez: Pandemonium

Enter the twister of American history
Moore College and the Franklin Institute partner for Michelle Lopez: Pandemonium, an enveloping reminder that America has been here before, and it’s our turn to find a response in the wind. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
Book cover, shadows of two people in motion superimposed over the shadow of a horse. Book title, author name in large titles

MOUNTED: On Horses, Blackness, and Liberation by Bitter Kalli

Giddy on up
This new collection of essays looks into the history of Blackness and horses. Dr. Lindsay Gary previews.
Lindsay Gary

Lindsay Gary

Reviews 3 minute read

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Full view of Marian Anderson Hall stage, with the whole orchestra, Nézet-Séguin conducting, Ax playing a grand piano at front

The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Emanuel Ax Performs Beethoven

A premiere, an anniversary, and a marathon
A marathon musical outing with the Philadelphia Orchestra covered two Brahms symphonies and celebrated the 50th anniversary of pianist Emanuel Ax’s debut with the Philadelphians. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 4 minute read
Two performers sit in a brick-walled room, one has his hands up in reservation, the other open handed looking at him

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, October 30-November 5, 2025

Dancing mania, spooky season vibes, and Afrofuturism
Kyle V. Hiller rounds up the week, with offerings from African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Arden, CraftNOW, and more.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Portrait. Two performers sit on bar stool chairs in all-white room. Wong holds a violin.

BSR Classical Interludes: November 2025

Tempesta di Mare, Jasper Quartet, and more
Rounding up classical music performances in November, including offerings from Tempesta di Mare, Network for New Music, and a reimagining of Twelfth Night. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read
A person in a blue blouse, black skirt, red shoes sits in a chair in an empty room with red curtain, zig-zag lines the floor

The BSR November 2025 repertory movie roundup

Twin Peaks, Heathers, Glengarry Glen Ross, and more
More from the FIlm Society's David Lynch retrospective, Heathers in 16mm, and more. Stephen Silver previews November movies.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 5 minute read
Two dancers on stage in pas de deux, one lifting the other dancer as they do a split in the air

The Month in Philly Dance, November 2025

Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, BalletX, and more
Previewing dance performances and events happening in the Philly area this month. Camille Bacon-Smith rounds up.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Previews 4 minute read
A dancer in an all white top in a portrait shot against a blue backdrop.

BalletX opens its 20th season

A two-part retrospective starts 2025/26
BalletX celebrates its 20th anniversary with a focus on community. Camille Bacon-Smith previews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Previews 4 minute read
Collage of Susan and Darnelle smiling side by side, with a cityscape behind them, and the BSR & Hedgerow logos.

The BSR Podcast: talking with Fly Me to the Moon star Susan McKey

Go inside Hedgerow Theatre Company's hilarious season opener
Today on the BSR Podcast, Darnelle welcomes veteran Philly actor Susan McKey, who's starring in Fly Me to the Moon, Hedgerow's surprising season opener.
Darnelle Radford

Darnelle Radford

Podcast 1 minute read
Higdon & Nézet-Séguin stand together on the podium, orchestra around them, smiling and raising their clasped hands.

The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Sibelius, Higdon, and Tchaikovsky

Homegrown classical
The Philadelphia Orchestra revisited Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto for Orchestra, written for them in 2002, in a thrilling program including soloist Lisa Batiashvili in the Violin Concerto of Jean Sibelius. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 2 minute read
Morrison, in her late 60s but dressed as a teen, smiles shyly at Gil, a young man, in front of blue school lockers.

Ensemble Arts Philly and the Shubert Organization present the national tour of Kimberly Akimbo

The oldest living girl in New Jersey
The quirky and endearing musical Kimberly Akimbo comes to Philadelphia through November 2, 2025 as part of a national tour. It fits surprisingly well into the Academy of Music. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
Sepia-toned vintage photo of men in suits, ties, hats. One in the center holds a sign, all in calm protest

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, October 23-29, 2025

Waiting for Lefty, The Girls of Summer, and East Passyunk Fall Fest
A new performance from EgoPo opens their 2025-26 season, Delaware Theatre Company tells a unique baseball story, and South Philly celebrates the season of autumn. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read