Spring is here officially, but we still don't know whether to expect temps in the 70s (or higher?), or to keep our hats and scarves on hand for a freeze. Sounds about right for Philly. I hope you have room to have your t-shirts out alongside your winter coat, and you're stocked up on allergy meds.
This week's reviews
This week, our writers are heading to an intimate living-room show from TheatreXP (a contemplative Donald Margulies play succeeds there, says critic SaraKay Smullens), Marin Alsop's latest outing with the Philadelphia Orchestra (yes, we still need to root for women conductors, Linda Holt says), and the 2026 Spring Series from BalletX, featuring a trio of works by Matthew Neenan (Melissa Strong reviews). I take in one of the three Philly GRIT shows onstage at Theatre Exile this week. I was intrigued by the premise of Bastion Carboni's one-man show about a travel influencer with tickets to Purgatory. Here's my review.
We also welcome film writer Elijah Fischer to BSR with his survey of Philly film clubs. If you check out the list, I pretty much guarantee you'll find something you're interested in. Did you catch Camille Bacon-Smith's feature on Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers last week, ahead of the company's goodbye performance this weekend? PLUS: Darnelle is back with the latest episode of the BSR Podcast, interviewing DemBruceGals. Have you seen them out on the Philly theater scene?
Readers Decide update
In case you missed our announcement on Monday night, we are thrilled to say that we met the initial $10K goal of our first-ever Readers Decide campaign. Thank you to everyone who's donating, everyone who's sharing the campaign, and everyone who cares about the future of arts journalism. Since the response has been so strong (111 donations so far!), we're keeping the campaign open through its originally planned finish on March 31. That means you still have one week to join the campaign and show your support for our journalism. Instead of just funding the spring, we now have a chance to secure the summer, too.
We'll be celebrating with a virtual event for all of our donors (if you're a Friend of BSR, Local Media Champion, or a Readers Decide campaign donor, a free promo code is coming your way, if it hasn't arrived already). The event (an informal virtual session with executive director Neil Bardhan and editor Alaina Johns) is still open to anyone who donates to BSR in March. You can register three ways: donate $10, $60, or $240 through the ticket page. (Folks who buy a $60 ticket become Friends of BSR, and folks who buy that $240 ticket become Local Media Champions.) It's just one more way to engage with the campaign, and let us get to know you. RSVP here.
Coming soon: the editor's calendar
This Friday morning, look out for our monthly BSR in the Wild mailer. I think my April calendar might be setting a record both for the number and variety of events I'm hoping to attend, and I'm going to share all my picks with you, to help you plan your spring.
Alaina Johns
BSR editor-in-chief
