Reviews

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Page 21
A female actor in black seriously addresses audience members seated in a bar, pointing one finger at them.

Philly Fringe 2023: Spanking Macbeth and Macbeth in a Bar

Where Shakespeare’s never done
The 2023 Philly Fringe takes on Macbeth in two different shows: Spanking Macbeth, an original play, and Macbeth in a Bar, a restaging at Lilly’s Ferry. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 4 minute read
A performer in casualwear in movement, their head tilted back and face expressive, a full band in the background

Philly Fringe 2023: Urban Arts Movement presents Vincent Johnson’s Stank upon a Time: A Story about Funk

A lesson on the blues
Stank upon a Time is a transgressively absurdist exploration of the culture of Black music, from blues to funk, as the soundtrack of revolution and its survival and commodification in the present. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Reviews 3 minute read
Tyson, in colorful button-down & wide blue capri pants, wades in a reedy waterway created onstage.

McCarter Theatre Center and Berkeley Repertory Theatre present Eisa Davis’s Bulrusher

Something in the water
A new production of Eisa Davis’s Bulrusher at McCarter Theatre Center delivers on the playwright’s vision: welcoming, submerging, and transforming us. Jeannine Cook reviews.
Jeannine A. Cook

Jeannine A. Cook

Reviews 4 minute read
McLenigan, in historic priestly black suit, prostrates himself across a table to a smiling O’Hare, in a lacy costume dress.

Lantern Theater Company presents Molière’s Tartuffe

Scandals, scoundrels, and rhyme
The Lantern Theater takes Richard Wilbur’s definitive 1963 translation of Molière’s 1664 play, Tartuffe, sets it in the Belle Époque and sets a high bar for the 2023-2024 theater season. Jill Ivey reviews.
Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Reviews 3 minute read
In the foreground, Chang, in gray, moves gracefully with arms extended; ensemble and audience members sit and move behind her

Philly Fringe 2023: Susan Marshall and Mimi Lien present Rhythm Bath

A sensory delight
An inclusive dance installation presented in partnership with Temple’s Institute on Disabilities offers interdisciplinary delights at Christ Church Neighborhood House in this year’s Fringe. Eileen B. Fisher reviews.
Eileen B. Fisher

Eileen B. Fisher

Reviews 3 minute read
Photo of 3 cast members performing on a sunny day, with a low wooden stage showing The Dumps and overhanging trees.

Philly Fringe 2023: Rough & Tumble Productions presents Magic Trash Day

A fresh twist on the dump
Through creative storytelling, contemporary dance, and clowning, Magic Trash Day tells the story of one kid’s fantastical emotional journey down into the dumps. Helen Walsh reviews.
Helen Walsh

Helen Walsh

Reviews 3 minute read
Grinberg, on his knees, faces the shirtless Header in a moment of sexual tension, next to a single lamp.

Philly Fringe 2023: Ben Grinberg and Hazem Header in Fix Me

What some say we shouldn't see
An arresting backstory grounds this able mix of contemporary dance, acrobatics, and theater from Ben Grinberg and Hazem Header in this year’s Fringe. Eileen Fisher reviews.
Eileen B. Fisher

Eileen B. Fisher

Reviews 3 minute read
Against a fanciful watery background, Haro poses regally with his guitar on a stool, wearing green-framed sunglasses.

Philly Fringe 2023: James Haro presents GO AHEAD

Pop-punk, heartbreak, and belonging
James Haro joins this year’s Cannonball Festival with GO AHEAD, an interactive solo show incorporating poetry and live pop-punk on heartbreak, love, and belonging. Crystal Sparrow reviews.
Crystal Sparrow

Crystal Sparrow

Reviews 4 minute read
A woman stands against a yellow backdrop with black text reading The Yellow Wallpaper, groped by hands painted the same.

Philly Fringe 2023: Humble Materials presents The Yellow Wallpaper

A descent into sanity
Humble Materials takes on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s classic feminist short story with theater, dance, and impressive makeup in this year’s Fringe. Jill Ivey reviews.
Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Reviews 3 minute read
Ahmed, with long dark hair and a white t-shirt, lifts a large cardboard box amid washes of green and purple light.

Philly Fringe 2023: Joseph Ahmed presents Half Magic

A masterpiece of mixed-medium storytelling
Solo performer Joseph Ahmed teams up with director Cat Ramirez for Half Magic, a Cannonball Festival show on grief and mixed-race identity through theater, circus, and storytelling. Krista Mar reviews.
Krista Mar

Krista Mar

Reviews 3 minute read