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BlackStar Film Fest, AstroQuest, Theatre in the X, and more this month
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, August 2025
Kyle V. Hiller
August is here and summer is in full effect—you can certainly feel it in the air. There is plenty of heat happening in the area coming up this month, and this week’s roundup is capturing the highlights. This comes since we’ll be taking a break at BSR through mid-August, and we didn’t want to leave you hanging until then.
See you soon, Philly!
The Halide Project’s 10th Anniversary Celebration & Exhibition
On display through August 18, 2025
The Halide Project, 1627 North 2nd Street
Photography non-profit The Halide Project celebrates ten years with a community-driven group exhibition. The exhibit is on view in the main gallery space, in addition to an exhibition of darkroom member work in the community gallery. Visits are appointment only.
first there was a sea
Through August 16, 2025
Twelve Gates Arts Gallery, 106 North 2nd Street
A new exhibit is running at Twelve Gates, pulling inspiration from a poem by featured artist Divya Victor as the central theme. The poem discusses crossings or journeys—moments where race and religion converge to shape the lives of South Asian people in the US.
BlackStar Film Festival
July 31-August 3
Various locations and streaming online
The 14th annual BlackStar Film Festival kicks off late summer again with over 90 films from around the world and 46 Philadelphia premieres. Documentaries, features, shorts, as well as events, workshops, and more decorate the lineup.
Summer Phest 2025
August 1-2, 7pm
Hamilton Family Arts Center, 62 North 2nd Street
Join Philly Improv Theater for its annual Summer Phest, featuring guest teams, performers, and advanced students.
Jasai Theater Festival
August 1-17
Plays & Players, 1714 Delancey Street
The Jasai Theater Festival is more than just a series of original plays. Founded by Jaret and Shari Barron in tribute to their late son, Jasai, the festival is a movement for healing, a platform for underrepresented voices, and a unique blend of Black storytelling and entrepreneurship.
Dina Brodsky & Lorraine Loots: Little Italy
August 1-24
Paradigm Arts Building, 12 North 3rd Street
This new exhibition at Paradigm Gallery from Dina Brodsky and Lorraine Loots connects Philly and Italy, using travel as part of the creative process and celebrating Italian culture in Philadelphia as well as the rest of the US. An opening reception is happening on August 1.
The Great American Gunshow: Philadelphia
August 1-3 and 7-9
Safe Hub Philadelphia, 1020 East Venango Street
Team Sunshine Performance presents this original work that is an interview-informed performance exploring American gun culture, violence, and trauma.
AstroQuest
Every Friday and Sunday in August
SideQuest Theater, 2030 Sansom Street
AstroQuest is a love letter to classic science fiction adventures like Star Trek and Lost in Space, reimagining epic spacefaring tales with a comedic twist. Each performance is different: the members of the Astro Alliance and the missions, planets, and spacey mishaps will all be unique. Come out to save the galaxy with this comedy improv show that runs through August 24 every Friday and Sunday.
Shells of Liberty Oyster Bash
August 5, 3-7:30pm
Carpenter’s Hall, 320 Chestnut Street
During the Revolutionary era, oysters were the snack of choice for the Founding Fathers. And this two-part event in the Historic District features fresh oysters, free tours, family fun in the afternoon and an oyster bash for the grown-ups in the evening.
A Puppeteer with the Palsy Performs Scenes from Shakespeare, or, the Ghost in the Machine
August 7-24
Theatre Exile, 1340 South 13th Street
Instead of his usual performance of his favorite scenes from Shakespeare, the master puppeteer, along with his troupe of inanimate thespians, show sus why and how he became a puppeteer. Then, for this night only, he puts on a performance unlike any he has given before. That’s what this play by Cary Mazer promises, and it’s running throughout the month.
Revelations: An Evolution of Introspection
August 8-September 27, 2025
Crane Arts Building, Gallery 108, 1400 North American Street
Donald E. Camp and Clarence Williams are two Black photojournalists with Philly roots who experienced Hurricane Katrina firsthand—twenty years ago this August. This new exhibit at the InLiquid Gallery recounts the stories of those who endured Hurricane Katrina with photography from Williams and Camp and also features a collaboration through poetry with Philly poet and spoken word artist Ursula Rucker.
TAMEARTZ’ Hip Hop in the Park Fifth Anniversary
Saturday, August 9th, 12-9:30pm
Eakins Oval, 2451 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philly hip-hop ambassador and curator TAMEARTZ is bringing its Hip Hop in the Park back to the Oval. The free, family-friendly celebration will feature DJs, performances, local vendors and artists, food trucks, and more.
Fraternity
August 21-24
Malcolm X Park, 5100 Pine Street
Theatre in the X’s 2025 summer production is a show that examines urgent questions about power, legacy, and what it means to be a Black man in America. Set against the backdrop of an elite Black men’s social club, the play unfolds as a meeting of influential men wrestles with a provocative question: should they back a controversial political candidate who shares their identity but not their values?
Admission is free and is available to all the public in the park. Bring your own chair!
Featured image: Lorraine Loots, in collaboration with Dina Brodsky, opens 'Little Italy' at Paradigm this month. (Photo by Frances Marais.)
Image description: Portrait shot of Loots, in a cream-colored dress, holds a magnifying glass up to her left eye
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