Relive the 2026 Barrymore-nominated shows with this roundup of BSR reviews

Celebrating outstanding Philly-area theater artists

BSR celebrates this season’s Barrymore Award nominees, from Twelfth Night to The America Play to The Stinky Cheese Man. Revisit the nominated productions by reading their reviews, and boost the ones featuring your favorite artists.

Alaina Johns

Nov 10, 2026 · Reviews · 9 minute read

InterAct Theatre Company presents Jonathan Spector’s This Much I Know

History and culpability through a personal lens

InterAct tackles authoritarian histories, in the US and abroad, through a personal lens with playwright Jonathan Spector’s ambitious This Much I Know. C.M. Crockford reviews.

C.M. Crockford

Nov 09, 2026 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Theatre Exile presents Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries

Truly gruesome

Theatre Exile kicks off its 30th anniversary season with a time-hopping tale of two friends and the injuries and accidents they overcome. Jill Ivey reviews.

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Nov 09, 2026 · Reviews · 4 minute read

BalletX presents Loughlan Prior, Christian Denice, and Amy Hall Garner in its 2026 Fall Series

All that contemporary ballet can be

Loughlan Prior’s Prohibition-inspired Speakeasy opens BalletX’s 2026 Fall Series, a program that showcases the company’s consistent growth and artistic prowess. Melissa Strong reviews.

Melissa Strong

Nov 06, 2026 · Reviews · 4 minute read

The Arden Theatre and People’s Light present Suzan Lori-Parks’s Topdog/Underdog

The battle of Lincoln and Booth

A co-production of Topdog/Underdog from the Arden and People’s Light lacks the wit and menace that makes this play by Suzan-Lori Parks a modern classic. Cameron Kelsall reviews.

Cameron Kelsall

Nov 06, 2026 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Temple University Special Collections Present Philadelphia Unfolded

A pop-up family album for Philly’s intrinsically diverse history

With Philadelphia Unfolded, renowned pop-up book artist Colette Fu combines her work with a trove of vintage photographs showing Philadelphians from the 19th century to today. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Nov 03, 2026 · Reviews · 5 minute read

Piffaro presents At the Sign of the Crumhorn

Resonating beyond the Renaissance

For its 2026-27 season opener, Piffaro devoted a fascinating program to the innovative 16th-century composer, musician, and genius musical distributor Tielman Susato, in a concert captured for streaming. Gail Obenreder reviews.

Gail Obenreder

Nov 03, 2026 · Reviews · 4 minute read

Wharton Esherick Museum presents Jennifer Johnson: All the Time in the World

A centennial celebration of an iconic artist’s remarkable home

Wharton Esherick broke ground on his studio in Malvern 100 years ago, and the museum’s centennial celebrations culminate in a triumphant exhibition of ceramics by local sculptor Jennifer Johnson. Emily Schilling reviews.

Emily Schilling

Nov 02, 2026 · Reviews · 4 minute read

Delaware Theatre Company presents Sam Kissajukian’s 300 Paintings

One man’s journey from comedian to painter to star solo artist

Australian comedian, storyteller, and visual artist Sam Kissajukian brings his globally popular show about living with bipolar through the power of art to Delaware Theatre Company. Gail Obenreder reviews.

Gail Obenreder

Oct 27, 2026 · Reviews · 4 minute read

Opera Philadelphia and Fisher Center LAB present Suddenly Last Summer, adapted from Tennessee Williams

A surprising adaptation explores trauma and truth

The Philly premiere of Suddenly Last Summer, developed by Opera Philadelphia and the Fisher Center LAB, was a shocking cultural experience audiences will not soon forget. Linda Holt reviews.

Linda Holt

Oct 27, 2026 · Reviews · 4 minute read