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A black and white photo of MLK, straight faced, a microphone in front of him in an outdoor setting.

The Weekly Roundup, January 12-19

Finding the blueprint with MLK speeches

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, Kyle V. Hiller considers what the blueprint will be for 2022 and beyond via a series of speeches from the civil rights activist.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Articles 7 minute read
Festive fireworks frame around text that reads: The Weekly Roundup: A 2021 Retrospective...A year of contemplation at BSR.

The Weekly Roundup: A 2021 retrospective

Contemplating some of this year’s favorite BSR stories

Kyle V. Hiller writes about some of his favorite stories published by BSR this year in the final weekly roundup of the year while contemplating 2022 and beyond.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Articles 11 minute read
Adrienne Kennedy doesn’t ignore the persistence of inequity within mixed-race relationships: Maya Jackson and Michael Sweeney Hammond in ‘He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box.’ (Photo courtesy of Round House Theatre.)

McCarter and Round House Theatre present Adrienne Kennedy’s ‘He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box’

Dreams and nightmares

An online festival dedicated to the life and legacy of playwright Adrienne Kennedy commences with ‘He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box,’ a lyrical and brutal chronicle of interracial romance in the segregated South. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Articles 4 minute read
Radha Blank creates and stars in ‘The Forty-Year-Old Version,’ a complex and vulnerable underdog story. (Image credit: Jeong Park/Netflix 2020.)

Netflix presents Radha Blank’s ‘The Forty-Year-Old Version’

The power of your own voice

Radha Blank’s semi-autobiographical film debut, ‘The Forty-Year-Old Version,’ follows a Black woman playwright as she balances the production of her new play in the predominantly white New York theater scene, and her desire to become a rapper. Kelly Conrad reviews.
Kelly Conrad

Kelly Conrad

Articles 3 minute read
An awakening among the greens: Stanley Glover and Roderick Phifer in Robbie Fairchild’s ‘The Cycle.’ (Image courtesy of BalletX.)

BalletX Beyond presents ‘Saudade,’ ‘The Cycle,’ and ‘New Heights’

Dancing with the camera

BalletX dances with the camera in three very short films that explore collaborations between choreographers, dancers, filmmakers, and the urban and natural landscapes of the city and its exurbs. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Articles 4 minute read
Dissident soldiers have been protesting American conflicts from colonial times the War on Terror. (Image courtesy of The New Press.)

‘I Ain’t Marching Anymore: Dissenters, Deserters & Objectors to America’s Wars’ by Chris Lombardi

Dissenting soldiers

'I Ain’t Marching Anymore' explores the long history of protests by US military members. Elisa Shoenberger reviews.
Elisa Shoenberger

Elisa Shoenberger

Articles 3 minute read
Two discussion panels at PAAFF explored Asian American cinema from the industry’s early days through the present. (Image courtesy of PAAFF.)

PAAFF 2020: Panels on Asian American cinema are free to stream

Movie magic and history, through an Asian American lens

A new resource for film fans and a magic show were part of this year’s Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. Both events are still available to stream free online. Rachel Bellwoar tuned in.
Rachel Bellwoar

Rachel Bellwoar

Articles 3 minute read
Langston Hughes stood his ground before Congress. (Image courtesy of REP.)

Resident Ensemble Players present Carlyle Brown’s ‘Are You Now or Have You Ever Been…’

The poet's testimony

An audio production of ‘Are You Now or Have You Ever Been,’ from the University of Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players, sheds light on the moment poet Langston Hughes faced the senate inquiry that led to the Red Scare. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Articles 2 minute read
Sex, gender, dance, and music in a cinematic blender: Or Schraiber and Bobbi Jene Smith in ‘Aviva.’ (Image courtesy of Outside Productions.)

The Annenberg Center presents Boaz Yakin’s ‘Aviva’

Love plus four

Sex, gender, and dance collide in ‘Aviva,’ a film about love and identity written and directed by Boaz Yakin, with choreography by Bobbi Jene Smith, formerly of Batsheva Dance Company. Melissa Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Articles 5 minute read
Jeremy Denk loves the piano, but it’s not the same without an audience. (Photo by Shervin Lainez.)

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents Jeremy Denk

Bringing the concert hall to you

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society’s reimagined fall season brings live recitals from world-class artists, like pianist Jeremy Denk, directly to viewers at home. Cameron Kelsall considers.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Articles 4 minute read