The Weekly Roundup, November 24-December 1
Museums and streams for the holiday
AAMP, Brandywine River Museum, Penn Live Arts, and Opera Philadelphia serve up offerings for post-holiday festivities. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Previews
4 minute read
The BSR Podcast, Season 6, Episode 6: Cameron Kelsall on the theater critic's job
Catching up with one of BSR's core theater critics
BSR podcaster Darnelle Radford gets theater critic Cameron Kelsall in the digital studio for this chat about why it's OK to narrow your focus, what the critic's job really is, and more.
Podcast
1 minute read
Klip Collective presents 'Night Forms: dreamloop'
Blending light, sound, and the night
Grounds for Sculpture and Klip Collective collaborate for an after hours multi-sensory experience created with a unique synthesis of video projection, light, and sound as a bridge between technology and storytelling. Levi Bentley previews.
Previews
2 minute read
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Delaware Art Museum reimagines its permanent collection for a new era
Same art, new eyes
After years of preparation and community engagement, the Delaware Art Museum debuts a new vision for its world-class permanent collection. Gail Obenreder visits.
Features
6 minute read
Philadelphia Theatre Company presents Lindsay Joelle’s The Garbologists
Trash talkers
The Garbologists, a world premiere from Philadelphia Theatre Company, searches for deep meaning in a dirty job but offers a fairly thin character study instead. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Saving the kindness supply chain
Life in 2021 is hard for everyone—are you making it harder?
Almost two years into a pandemic, life in 2021 is tough for almost everyone. Roz Warren says that every day, you have a chance to make it better—or worse.
Essays
4 minute read
Slavery and Abolition in Pennsylvania, by Beverly C. Tomek
The truth about slavery in the Keystone State
Pennsylvania’s abolitionist Quakers ended slavery in the commonwealth long before any other state, right? A new book from Temple University Press explains that there’s a lot more to the story. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read
The BSR Podcast, Season 6, Episode 5: Kyle V. Hiller on laying the foundations
Catching up with BSR's associate editor
BSR podcaster Darnelle Radford gets associate editor Kyle V. Hiller in the digital studio for this chat about what we build without even realizing it, the real BSR agenda, and more.
Podcast
0 minute read
InterAct Theatre Company presents The Chinese Lady
An inconvenient history
Taking from Nancy E. Davis’s meticulously researched book of the same name, Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady introduces audiences to the first Chinese woman to arrive in America for a story that’s still relevant in 2021. Jill Ivey reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Choral Arts and Philadelphia Bach Collegium present The Lost Oratorios of Giacomo Carissimi
On the ark of discovery
Choral Arts Philadelphia and Philadelphia Bach Collegium present a performance of two unpublished oratorios by Giacomo Carissimi. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Bristol Riverside Theatre presents Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew
The best of the break room
Bristol Riverside Theatre returns to live theater with this powerfully acted production of Dominique Mourisseau’s workplace drama Skeleton Crew. Josh Herren reviews.
Reviews
2 minute read
Raphael Xavier’s Swerve changes direction for Philly’s stigmatized BMX culture
From freeze moves to freeze frames
Hip hop artist Raphael Xavier turns his talents from the dance stage to the screen with production of Swerve: The Movie. In the short film, Xavier plays a BMXer who mentors a teenage rider as they both undergo transformation. Darcy Grabenstein profiles.
Profiles
2 minute read
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Also on BSR
The Weekly Roundup, November 17-24
From painting to sculptures, a double film screening, and ‘Anatomy of a Tablao’
A week decorated with contemplative paintings and sculptures, documentaries, and yes, flamenco. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Previews
2 minute read
SHARP Dance Company presents The Other Side
Dancing to make up for lost time
The SHARP Dance Company presents its fall home series The Other Side with a collection of videos and live contemporary and modern dances with a touch of hip-hop flair. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Rafael Payare
Rafael and Ricardo
Fast-rising conductor Rafael Payare made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut with a program featuring a world-premiere Clarinet Concerto that highlighted the virtuosity of Ricardo Morales. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Winter in Bellapalma and Ere the Cock Crows by Jens Bjørneboe; translated by Esther Greenleaf Mürer
Two Norwegian novels get new life in Philly
Philly poet and author Esther Greenleaf Mürer translates two novels by noted Norwegian author Jens Bjørneboe, who is less well-known here. Both Winter in Bellapalma and Ere the Cock Crows leave the reader at loose ends. Helen Walsh reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read
The Bourgeois Anarchist by Sam Gridley
Waiting for the revolution
In Sam Gridley’s new Philly-set novella, a now-privileged teacher grapples with her anarchist past as she continues to join leftwing activists. Walter Bilderback reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
The Weekly Roundup, November 10-17
Visiting ‘Hotel Williams’, Cecil B. Moore, ‘A Sankofa Dream’, and Poet-Tree En Motion
Rare plays from Tennessee Williams, a mural for Cecil B. Moore Freedom Fighters, and honoring the ancestors. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Previews
3 minute read
The BSR Podcast, Season 6, Episode 4: Alaina Johns on the art scene future
Catching up with BSR's editor-in-chief
BSR podcaster Darnelle Radford gets editor-in-chief Alaina Johns in the digital studio for this chat about how our team handled the shutdowns, what we need to watch for in the future of arts funding, and, of course, the latest at BSR.
Podcast
1 minute read
The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia presents Simone Dinnerstein
The keyboard, from Bach to Glass
The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia spans the centuries with keyboard mastery from Bach to Philip Glass, featuring pianist Simone Dinnerstein. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Azuka Theatre presents Erlina Ortiz’s Young Money
Money well spent
In Azuka Theatre’s Young Money, two women from different walks of life learn how much they have in common during a chaotic event. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
The Philadelphia Orchestra and Philadelphia Chamber Music Society each present Davóne Tines
A sermon and a song
On November 5, Philadelphia audiences had two chances to discover Davóne Tines, recently named Vocalist of the Year by Musical America. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read