Welcome to the latest exclusive monthly tips for our subscribers!

It's time for our monthly BSR in the Wild update! The first Friday of every month we bring you our hottest tips on what's on our radar, through three sections: Find Us!, Neil's Nod of the Month, and Recommended Reading.

Find Us! is exclusive subscriber tips on which events and exhibitions our staff is heading to in the coming month. There's a lot happening, this month as always, and we love to provide these tips.

Neil's Nod of the Month is a look forward to the upcoming BSR story or review I'm most excited to read.

Finally, Recommended Reading is a quick, subscribers-only tip to contextualize the work we have coming up, placing upcoming articles in dialogue with past stories, because our arts and culture scene is an ongoing citywide conversation that you're a part of, too.

If you're enjoying this series, let us know! And don't forget, as a reader you can support our writers in multiple ways. Be sure to support our staff with a donation. Send an article to a friend. Follow our dynamic content on Instagram. Are you caught up on our podcast? Feel free to email me with your own October picks!

Read on for October's inside scoops.

Sincerely,
Neil Bardhan
BSR executive director

Find Us!

We had a blast in September's Fringe season and look forward to a shift in gears for October. As usual, you'll see some familiar names alongside new ones. We cover a wide range of experiences in our region. Read on, and be sure to tell us what you're seeing this month.

FIND NEIL
Lisa Congdon: Ode to Kyoto/Martha Rich: It's Wild Here opening reception
WHEN: Friday, October 6, 6:00pm (show runs through October 29)
WHERE: Paradigm Gallery, 12 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA
I've been a fan of Philly-area Martha Rich's work mostly through social media. Her pieces are vibrant and pleasurable. My wife Kelsey has long enjoyed the work and words of Lisa Congdon, whose works pair beautifully with Rich's. Luckily for us and for you, Paradigm Gallery has a new dual exhibition this month of these artists. The opening reception itself is free, and there's an author talk beforehand with $25 tickets.

FIND ALAINA
Bonez
WHEN: Saturday, October 7 at 2pm (show runs through October 15)
WHERE: People's Light, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA
WHY: This "social horror" play following four Black men gathering to "slap bonez" (play dominoes) in a high-rise apartment takes a supernatural turn: "childhood demons are revealed, causing the men to question what they think they know about masculinity, intimacy, and what makes a man." It's written and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III. I enjoy horror, social commentary, and keeping up with new work by our region's playwrights.

What’s that knocking on the wall? (From left) Elijah Jones, Eric Robinson Jr., Keith A. Wallace, and Johns Clarence Stewart in ‘Bonez’ at People’s Light. (Photo by Mark Garvin.)

FIND ALAINA
The Audio Description Learning Network free training session
WHEN: Tuesday, October 10 from 6-8pm
WHERE: Online (Zoom)
WHY: This exciting program aims to increase the availability of audio description at local theaters, which makes cultural events more accessible to blind or low-vision audiences. The Audio Description Learning Network is launching an audio describer recruitment and training initiative to increase the number of audio describers working in our region. The program is kicking off with two free public audio description training sessions (one on Zoom, and one in person on October 13) open to anyone interested in finding out more. I'm sure I'll learn a lot here to apply to BSR's ongoing mission for accessibility in arts coverage.

Truth and Justice panel discussion at FRIEDA
WHEN: Wednesday, October 11 at 6pm
WHERE: FRIEDA, 320 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
WHY: The event is happening in conjunction with FRIEDA's current exhibition (opening today), A Closer Look: Manuel Hernandez, the artist's first solo show as well as his first Philly show, which "redraws the history of his ancestors and reconnects with his Indigenous roots from a Latinx perspective." The October 11 panel will "discuss the importance of storytelling and art in the uncovering and advancement of truth and justice," featuring Indigenous Peoples' Day Philly cofounder Mabel Negrete, Eugene Black Crow Sr., Katherine Bahena-Benitez, and Nachi Conde-Farley. After the panel, attendees will sit down to dinner together in the gallery space.

B. PHL
WHEN: Friday, October 13
WHERE: Location 215, 990 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA
WHY: B. PHL, an annual festival and creative gathering produced by Amplify Philly, brings local thinkers, artists, entrepreneurs, and other community movers and shakers together for keynotes, meetups, workshops, live entertainment, and food and drinks. This year's theme is "creative being/thinking", featuring keynotes from YOWIE founder Shannon Maldonado and Timbaland. Sessions include conversations and workshops for folks in the film, music, design, and hospitality business. I want to catch some of these!

FIND NEIL
Mastering Year-End Messaging: Leveraging the Power of Email for Social Impact
WHEN: Wednesday, October 18, 3:00pm
WHERE: Online
WHY: We are, as ever, hard at work to ensure the operational aspects of Broad Street Review. Our year-end fundraising efforts serve us--and our community--in numerous ways, not just financially, and I am sitting in on a series of webinars about the state of the industry. The topic might not be the most exciting for folks, we understand. Nevertheless, as a non-profit organization, we have a lot of work to do! Don't forget that a monthly donation of $10 is incredibly valuable for us. And keep your eyes on your inbox: we'll have exciting updates on new ways to support us soon!

Emily Schilling and Alaina Johns met up at the Wilma to see '10 Days In a Madhouse' as part of O23

Neil's nod of the month:

Gail Obenreder covers a tremendous spread of offerings across Delaware. I'm eager to read her review of Winterthur's new exhibition of Ann Lowe's couture gowns. Fashion doesn't regularly make an appearance on BSR, and I admit I don't have much of a vocabulary around it. Luckily, Gail's writing is always spot-on and a welcome education. This exhibition deserves special attention as it highlights the work of a 20th century Black dressmaker; Lowe has received little recognition historically.

A number of BSR folks regularly get together to discuss our work and our community beyond our pages.

Recommended Reading

Fat Ham returns to the Wilma in November. Hanae Mason reviewed the filmed version of James Ijames's Pulitzer-winning play for us in 2021. It's exciting to see this play come home, especially with the numerous accolades Ijames has deservedly received. Have you listened to our podcast episode from the Fat Ham book launch interview? It features director Amina Robinson in conversation with Ijames.