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Stompin’ at the Savoy, Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s, printPHILLY! and more
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, April 10-16, 2025
Kyle V. Hiller
Rising stars, classic stories, and remembering legacies is what this week is all about. The Shakespeare classic King Lear opens at REP, and swing legend Norma Miller’s story dances onto stage at DTC. Then, Archduke takes over the Wilma and Theatre By Development workshops new plays with audience. One Book, One Philadelphia chats with Philly legend Black Thought, RAW:Philadelphia makes its return showcasing more Philly talent, and printPHILLY! gets physical.
Be good, Philly!
King Lear
April 10-27
Thompson Theatre at Roselle Center for the Arts, 110 Orchard Road, Newark DE
The Shakespeare classic comes to Resident Ensemble Players, telling the story of an aging monarch who divides his kingdom among his daughters, only to be betrayed by those he trusts the most.
CLIPPINGS: a new play festival
April 10-13
Plays & Players Skinner Studio, 1714 Delancey Street
CLIPPINGS is a night of four short plays by emerging Philly-based playwrights hosted by Theatre By Development, a new theater company in the city founded by UArts alumni that focuses on championing new work and upcoming artists in the Philly theater scene. Audiences are encouraged share feedback and participate in dialogue over the works.
One Book, One Philadelphia Kickoff Celebration
Friday, April 11, 7:30pm
Parkway Central LIbrary, 1901 Vine Street
The 2025 season of One Book, One Philadelphia starts with a conversation with Tariq “Black Thought’ Trotter of The Roots fame and his book The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are. Maori Karmael Holmes of BlackStar projects will moderate, and a book signing follows the presentation.
printPHILLY! 2025
Saturday, April 12, 10am-4pm
Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street
The third annual printPHILLY! takes over the Parkway Saturday, featuring dozens of organizations and independent artists. See the full lineup online.
RAW:Philadelphia 2025
Saturday, April 12, 3pm
So Exclusive, 914 West Girard Avenue
International indie arts event RAW is back in Philly this weekend, featuring local emerging artists in film, fashion, music, visual art, performing art, hair, makeup, and photography. This year’s edition is being billed as Unfiltered: Pure Expression, and the full lineup can be seen online.
Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s
April 12-September 1, 2025
Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
This new exhibit at the PMA that features over 250 works made throughout the transformative and tumultuous decade of the 1940s. From practical wartime fashions to commonplace materials jewelry, to paintings, prints, photographs, and more that looks at the intersection of art, World War II, and abstract expressionism from that period.
Archduke
April 15-May 4
The Wilma Theater, 265 South Broad Street
Rajiv Joseph’s Archduke comes to the Wilma starting on Tuesday, April 15 (with opening night set for Friday, April 18). The story is centered around a humanized glimpse into the catalyst of World War I and the three men who fired the opening shot. It follows three boys suffering from tuberculosis in Belgrade who are recruited by a mysterious organization with promises of glory, purpose, and a sandwich and find themselves on a mission to assassinate the heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Stompin’ at the Savoy
April 16-May 4
Delaware Theatre Company, 200 Water Street, Wilmington, DE
Stompin’ at the Savoy brings swing back to the stage with a musical honoring the legacy of swing dance legend Norma Miller. Featuring new arrangements of iconic songs by big bands, Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Webb, Benny Goodman, and more, the world premiere performance follows Norma Miller and the pursuit of her big dreams of becoming a dancer at the Savoy Ballroom in 1930s Harlem.
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