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Darnelle Radford takes you behind the scenes with two popular artists of the 2025 Philly Fringe.
The BSR Podcast kicks off Season 10 talking with Rayne and Chris Davis
Darnelle Radford
We kick off 10 YEARS(!!!) of the BSR Podcast with a pair of conversations featuring two exciting artists in this year's Fringe Festival. Rayne (also known as Angela Bey) and Chris Davis sit down with Darnelle Radford for a behind-the-scenes look at their popular productions and what inspired them.
Rayne's new heaven new earth, "a revisionist history with live music," is an Afrocentric adaptation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra that debuted as a sold-out one-night event at Philly Theatre Week and now returns for two developmental readings at the Proscenium at the Drake (part of Philadelphia Theatre Company's Text and Dramaturgy Cohort at the Cannonball Festival, a hub of this year's Fringe).
This new play is commissioned and produced by Cannonball, Shakespeare in Clark Park, and Upstream Performance Collaborative. Shamus directs, with live music by Karen Smith. The show "blends ancient history with poetic futurism. When peace demands war, which will you become, and for whom?"
In this conversation, Rayne examines why she, as a Black Philadelphian, is particularly interested in unpacking "why folks are so up in arms about the idea of a Black Cleopatra," and why we need to reimagine Antony and Cleopatra today. Listen above or on Apple Podcasts.
new heaven new earth readings are happening on Monday, September 1, and Tuesday, September 16, at the Proscenium at the Drake. Get your tickets now.
Davis debuted his solo show, The Presented, at the 2018 Philly Fringe and then took it to the Edinburgh Fringe the next year. It's a show about what it means for an artist to be "chosen" and "why that pursuit might drive you to madness." As the Trump administration punishes artists nationwide by rescinding federal grants, Davis knew it was time to revisit his show to "address the challenges of making art in 2025" and ask where we go from here. MK Tuomanen directs.
In this conversation with Radford, Davis talks about developing the show and updating it for 2025, and the things he does to break outside of the Philly arts bubble to bring new people in, like inviting friends at the gym to his show. He is committed to making his shows as accessible as possible to everyone, with pay-what-you-can tickets starting at $5. Listen above or on Apple Podcasts.
The Presented runs September 6-28, 2025, at West Philly's Studio 34. Get your tickets now.
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