Whether it's world premieres or Philly premieres, our critics have been busy.

Yesterday the temperature in Philly got a little above 40, which felt so balmy that my dog and I had taken three good, totally ice-free walks by dinnertime, even though the BSR deadline was on. Whether you stay in or bundle up, we hope you're doing whatever you need to get through the short days and long weeks of February. Here's what our writers have been up to.

Have you noticed a shift in discourse recently about terms like "people of color"? Kyle says oversimplified terms like this "will continue to create rifts, stunt our capacity for understanding the nuances of communities and cultures, and limit the scope of the American narrative."

This play premiered on the West Coast in 2017 and is set several years ago, but it still packs an up-to-the-moment wallop, theater critic Kirsten Bowen says.

This performance from the recently rebranded Philadelphia Ballet demonstrates the benefits and drawbacks of a program entirely composed of commissioned world premieres, says dance critic Camille Bacon-Smith.

Theater critic Cameron Kelsall says this production of a Sophocles work you'll rarely see onstage is unexpectedly absorbing and timely.

Fans of real-life scares rejoice. Book reviewer Josh Hitchens says this smart and deftly written journey through the darkest corners of our corner of Pennsylvania will keep you up at night.