Reviews
764 results
Page 3
Inis Nua Theatre Company presents Abi Morgan’s Lovesong
A lyrical lack of specifics
Lovesong follows a British couple who comes to live to the US. In exploring memory, love, and the passage of time, the play’s ultimate vagueness makes it hard to empathize with the characters. Josh Herren reviews.
Reviews
2 minute read
Power Street Theatre presents Erlina Ortiz and Robi Hager’s Siluetas
A thrilling trilingual debut
Power Street Theatre presents the world premiere of Erlina Ortiz and Robi Hager’s Siluetas, which brings Tony-winning star KO to Philly. The show could benefit from some more development, but it’s a thrilling debut. Josh Herren reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Quintessence Theatre Group presents Suzan-Lori Parks’s Father Comes Home From the Wars
An American Odyssey
Quintessence Theatre Group’s production of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Father Comes Home From the Wars: Parts I, II & III only intermittently captures the grandeur of the text. Cameron Kelsall reviews
Reviews
4 minute read
Music and the Idea of a World, by Peter Kalkavage
The meaning of music, from the Greeks to the 20th century
A background in music theory will serve readers well in this trenchant and insightful tour of music throughout history, its meaning and function, and how it helps us understand the many worlds we live in. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Being Work, edited by Dorothy Dubrule
An intriguing look at performance artists in art galleries
More and more, artists worldwide are incorporating a performance-art element in their galleries. This slim, eminently readable collection brings us the voices of these unique performers. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980, by James A. Cosby
The arc of rock
Civilization has always had its discontents, but few things reflect the spirit of resistance like
rock music. In this intriguing survey, local author James A. Cosby tackles a socio-political
history of rock and roll. Rob Laymon reviews.
rock music. In this intriguing survey, local author James A. Cosby tackles a socio-political
history of rock and roll. Rob Laymon reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
The Homeless, by Stefan Żeromski; translated by Stephanie Kraft
A Polish classic appears in English for the first time
In this classic Polish novel, newly translated into English, a young working-class doctor argues that doctors should not just treat diseases but try to prevent them in poor factory workers’ cruel industrial landscape. Helen Walsh reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Sink: A Memoir, by Joseph Earl Thomas
A unique look at growing up in Frankford
Philly author Joseph Earl Thomas’s fierce and unusual memoir, Sink, follows his boyhood in 1990s Frankford, where fiction, fantasy, and reality collide. Krista Mar reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
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Work, Fight, or Play Ball: How Bethlehem Steel Helped Baseball's Stars Avoid World War I, by William Ecenbarger
America’s pastime sheds new light on our 20th-century history
What did Major League Baseball have to do with World War I? In this surprising history of baseball, American industry, and the US military, William Ecenbarger sheds new light on a little-known but fascinating piece of history. Kimberly Haas reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Mystic Orchards, By Jonathan Koven
Poems for the heart and mind, the way dreams can feel real
The second poetry collection from Philly-based poet Jonathan Koven mirrors the orchard of its title as we wander the grounds, admire the trees, and sink our teeth into the fruit. Jordan Cameron reviews.
Reviews
2 minute read