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Go behind the scenes at Quintessence, Curio, and Relic Theatre Company
The BSR Podcast: Dive into October theater with Fire!!, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, and Spring Awakening
Darnelle Radford
Join Darnelle for this conversation with New York-based actor Kaisheem Fowler-Bryant, who is in town to play Wallace Thurman in the world premiere of Fire!! at Mt. Airy's Quintessence Theatre Group. This show is inspired by a real-life magazine published in 1926. It was America's first all-Black literary magazine, and though it only lasted one issue, it had a major impact with contributing writers like Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Aaron Douglas, Richard Bruce Nugent, and Gwendolyn Bennett.
Fowler-Bryant takes us inside the rehearsal process, explaining how the cast brings the show into their own bodies, and what it was like to imagine people like Hurston and Hughes before they were literary giants in the eyes of the greater world. Don't miss the BSR review of the show: critic A. Lewis says "the talented cast and crew unite to create a work of art that’s visually stunning, emotionally resonant, and intellectually stimulating."
Get your tix: Fire!! runs at the Sedgwick Theater through November 2, 2025.
Multi-hyphenate artist and director Damien Figueras joins Darnelle in the virtual studio for this conversation all about Curio's production of Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. Figueras shares the path he took to his career today, which started with running a sound board in college, and how Curio took a chance on him as a relatively unknown artist. He spills the hijinks behind this zany show, which is an homage to the Bram Stoker classic in the style of Monty Python and Charles Ludlam.
Don't miss the BSR review: critic Josh Herren says "the ensemble of five leans fully into the mayhem, each bringing commitment, comic precision, and a sense of mischief to their roles."
Get your tix: Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors runs at Curio in West Philly through November 1, 2025.
Darnelle dives in with the founders of Relic Theatre Company, Kendyll Young and Grant Struble, to hear about their inaugural production, Spring Awakening. They discuss their journey to establishing a new company in Philly, including the ins and outs of branding, our current theater landscape, and the need for community support and opportunities for local artists.
Get your tix! Spring Awakening runs through October 26, 2025 at Christ Church Neighborhood House.
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