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Director Steve Tague (bottom row, middle) and members of the REP company perform an audio version of ‘Arsenic and Old Lace.’ (Image Courtesy of Resident Ensemble Players.)

Resident Ensemble Players presents Joseph Kesselring’s ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’

Sounding out a favorite farce

My stars, it’s ‘Arsenic and Old Lace,’ the latest audio production from Resident Ensemble Players. Gail Obenreder reviews.

Gail Obenreder

Mar 09, 2021 Reviews 3 minute read

Te-Ping Chen's debut story collection is both intimate and epic in its depiction of contemporary China. (Image courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.)

‘Land of Big Numbers’ by Te-Ping Chen

Paths of purpose

Te-Ping Chen’s debut story collection, ‘Land of Big Numbers,’ casts a wide net to explore contemporary China and its diaspora. Kirsten Bowen reviews.

Kirsten Bowen

Mar 09, 2021 Reviews 3 minute read

Questioning the bounds of fantasy and reality: ‘A Modern-Day Carmen Fantasy.’ (Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Orchestra.)

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Brian Sanders’ JUNK present ‘A Modern-Day Carmen Fantasy’

Masking modern moves

‘A Modern-Day Carmen Fantasy’ reunites the Philadelphia Orchestra with Brian Sanders’ JUNK for an innovative concert with movement for home viewers. Melissa Strong reviews.

Melissa Strong

Mar 08, 2021 Reviews 4 minute read

Untying experiments in streaming theater: Lindsay Smiling in the Wilma’s ‘Expired.’ (Image courtesy of the Wilma.)

The Wilma presents the HotHouse Company’s ‘Expired’ and ‘Lagniappe Project’

Short innovations

The Wilma Theater shows off its versatility with ‘Expired’ and ‘The Lagniappe Project,’ the latest in its HotHouse Shorts series. Brad Rothbart reviews.

Brad Rothbart

Mar 02, 2021 Reviews 4 minute read

Intimacies reminiscent of the stage: John David Washington and Zendaya in ‘Malcolm & Marie.’ (Image credit Dominic Miller/Netflix © 2021.)

Netflix presents Sam Levinson’s ‘Malcolm & Marie’

Netflix's ‘Malcolm & Marie,’ the first Hollywood feature conceived and created within the pandemic, follows a couple trading uncomfortable truths on the night of a fraught film premiere. Christina Anthony reviews.

Christina Anthony

Mar 01, 2021 Reviews 3 minute read

‘Blessed’ offers new and vital work, made at a distance. (Image courtesy of Opera Philadelphia.)

Opera Philadelphia presents Courtney Bryan’s ‘Blessed’

A musical blessing

Courtney Bryan’s ‘Blessed,’ the second of four digital commissions from Opera Philadelphia, is a stirring exploration of Christian theology and present-day activism. Cameron Kelsall reviews.

Cameron Kelsall

Feb 26, 2021 Reviews 3 minute read

Windows on mental illness: a scene from ‘The Manic Monologues.’ (Image courtesy of McCarter Theatre.)

McCarter Theatre Center presents ‘The Manic Monologues’

No longer alone

‘The Manic Monologues,’ an interdisciplinary streaming theatrical experience from McCarter and other partners, enlists actors to tell true stories gathered from people living with mental illness. Brad Rothbart reviews.

Brad Rothbart

Feb 26, 2021 Reviews 4 minute read

Did Stan Lee look down on the medium that made him famous? (Image courtesy of Crown.)

‘True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee’ by Abraham Riesman

Knocking down Marvel myths

Journalist Abraham Riesman has authored a definitive biography of the famed Marvel creator Stan Lee, uncovering truths that may make Lee's fans uncomfortable. Stephen Silver reviews.

Stephen Silver

Feb 23, 2021 Reviews 3 minute read

What happens when a president would rather be liked than actually govern? (Image courtesy of the author.)

‘Utopia PR’ by Adam Bender

Work/life balance, and other disasters

In Adam Bender’s near-future political satire, a crisis communications manager troubleshoots disasters for a callow reality-television star turned president while trying to maintain a semblance of work/life balance. Kirsten Bowen reviews.