This feels like a tough newsletter to write on this Tuesday night, Election Day. Who knows what'll happen in the hours between my writing this and you reading it on Wednesday? This election has made me so anxious that I feel like my brain is a wobbling gelatin salad, the mid-century kind full of weird veggies and hot dog bits.
Regardless of the outcome, here's what we know. Philly's cultural community is going to be here. The BSR team is going to be here, doing our work, and artists are going to be here, doing their work. We need our artists. They need us. We on the BSR team will not stop fighting for the values of curiosity, respect, and inclusion. If that sounds good to you, support us and keep on reading!
This week, we have some timely reviews. Hamilton is back in town, just as Philadelphians contemplate America's origins in another high-stress election cycle, and our outsize role in today's Presidential politics. Don't miss the review by An Nichols. I also love Pamela J. Forsythe's review of a new exhibition at Woodmere: a retrospective of social worker turned photojournalist Harvey Finkle, whose camera documented 50 years on the front lines of American protests. We've also got reviews of Lynn Nottage's popular Intimate Apparel at the Arden and Red at Theatre Exile, plus Crystal Sparrow's sensitive take on The Future of Clay.
Keep breathing. The care we have for each other in our community doesn't depend on political outcomes. Thanks for carrying on, and for reading BSR. And if you want to catch me in person tomorrow (Nov 6), join us at CultureWorks in the Philadelphia Building from 1-2pm for a conversation on arts, journalism, and politics. RSVP here.
Alaina Johns
BSR editor-in-chief
