The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, May 14-20, 2026

Read the Revolution with Laurie Halse Anderson
Thursday, May 14, 6:30-7:30pm
Museum of the American Revolution, 101 South 3rd Street

New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson visits Philly in the Museum of the American Revolution’s Read the Revolution Speaker Series this week. There, she’ll discuss her process of research and writing historical fiction for young readers, including her 2025 novel Rebellion 1776.

The Philly Killer: Legionnaires’ Disease and the Past and Future of Infectious Disease
Opening Friday, May 15
Mütter Museum, 19 South 22nd Street

The Philly Killer is an exhibition that explores the outbreak of an unidentified, deadly pneumonia in Philadelphia during the 1976 bicentennial celebrations—an epidemic that is now largely forgotten. A panel discussion opens the exhibit on Friday, May 15, in partnership with The Pulse at WHYY.

Spring PHEST
May 15-16
Hamilton Family Arts Center, 62 North 2nd Street

Get ready for a curated weekend of indie comedy improv featuring standout teams and special guests from Philadelphia and beyond. Each night has a different roster, so maybe you can check out both if you’re feeling like you need an extra set of laughs.

Turning Points: Perspective, Composition & Storytelling
Saturday, May 16, 2-5pm
NoName Gallery, 8127 Germantown Avenue

This three hour workshop is meant for photographers—aspiring, beginning, and hobbyists—who are ready to sharpen their perspective. A 90-minute interactive class and a 90-minute guided photo walk.

Love, Fierce Love
May 16-June 12
Allens Lane Art Center, 601 West Allens Lane

Love, Fierce Love is a multimedia storytelling exhibition by oral historian, cultural curator, and socially engaged artist Julie Rainbow. Through black-and-white portraiture and intimate oral histories, this exhibit explores the enduring power of African American love through the lived experiences of couples who have sustained long-term relationships. The opening reception is Saturday, May 16 at 5-7pm.

WE THE PEOPLE: Preserve Our Right to Clean Water
May 16-August 1, 2026
Fairmount Water Works, 640 Waterworks Drive, Philadelphia

The exhibition invites visitors to engage in thought and discussion sparked by our constitutional right to clean air and water, and to the importance of preserving the natural, historic, and aesthetic values of the environment. This exhibition encapsulates these ideas in fine art, dance performances, and interactive displays set throughout Fairmount Water Works. An opening night reception happens on Thursday, May 14 at 4:30-6:30pm, with curator talks on May 16 and 30, June 13 and 27, July 11 and 18, and August 1.

Philly Jewish Music Festival
Sunday, May 17, 12-10pm
2300 Arena, 2300 South Swanson Street

The first ever Philly Jewish Music Festival debuts this weekend, headlined by Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu and featuring national and local Jewish performers.

The America Play
May 19-31, 2026
The Wilma Theater, 265 South Broad Street

The Wilma concludes its 2025-26 season with a production of The America Play by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. The play explores fractured stories that shape our nation and serves as a meditation on history, memory, and mythmaking. The play follows the Founding Father, a grave digger and Black Abraham Lincoln impersonator, who runs a surreal tourist attraction where visitors can meet other historical lookalikes.

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