|
|
|
Arts
Every year, there's hundreds and hundreds of performances at the Philly Fringe and Live Arts Festival, and unless it's one of the big shows, it's sometimes hard to tell what you're going to get. Here at Critical Mass we're sending writers to as many shows as we possibly can for 75 pocket-sized reviews over the course of the fest. Check back in with us at On The Fringe every day for real talk on what these things actually are!
SHOW: The Walls
GROUP: Ira Brind School
GENRE: Theater
ATTENDED: Thu., Sept. 6, 8 p.m.
CLOSES: Sun., Sept. 9
BRIEF SELF-DESCRIPTION: A scholarly young woman must confront the issue of her mother's untimely death and the possible consequences of her own complicated inheritance in this time-bending play about the elusive nature of madness. The Philadelphia premiere of a provocative drama from a prize-winning Chicago playwright.
WE THINK: UArts' undergrad ensemble exceeds expectations with Lisa Dillman's well-crafted drama about women coping with diagnoses of madness. Meaghan O'Hare fascinates as Carrie, a writer investigating historical atrocities represented by 1880s Jane (Mary Beth Shrader) and 1920s Alice (Tess Kunik), unfairly institutionalized by controlling men. She also copes with her mother's (faculty actress D'Arcy Webb) mental illness, befriends unstable Lucy (Merri Rashoyan) and fears her own instability. Amy Feinberg's has put together a smart, beautiful, involving production; Sarah Ganek's terrific multilevel set is expertly lit by Rachel Sampley; and students give mature performances playing extremes that would challenge any professional actor.
Every year, there's hundreds and hundreds of performances at the Philly Fringe and Live Arts Festival, and unless it's one of the big shows, it's sometimes hard to tell what you're going to get. Here at Critical Mass we're sending writers to as many shows as we possibly can for 75 pocket-sized reviews over the course of the fest. Check back in with us at On The Fringe every day for real talk on what these things actually are!
SHOW: Return Return Departure
GROUP: Nichole Canuso Dance Company
GENRE: Dance
ATTENDED: Wed., Sept. 5, 6:30 p.m.
CLOSES: Fri., Sept. 21
BRIEF SELF-DESCRIPTION: NCDC returns to the Philly Fringe festival with a genre-bending work that explores the complexity of our basic human quests. Commissioned by the APS Museum, NCDC creates a series of duets and corresponding video, in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition Tempus Fugit: Time Flies.
WE THINK: As a start to an evening (it's short, early and central enough that you can easily fit another, meatier show in the same night) or to the whole festival, there could hardly be a gentler, warmer welcome than NCDC's performance at the American Philosophical Society. Beginning with a small personal ritual (each audience member carries a rock and a flower from the APS gallery to the garden across the street) and concluding, sublimely and humbly, with tolling of the hour from a nearby bell tower, it's a thoughtful, multi-layered meditation on time, documentation and impermanence (that will itself, by design, evolve over the course of its run). But, equally, it's an opportunity just to sit in the grass for a moment and watch two elegant bodies in playful, graceful motion.
—K. Ross Hoffman
Every year, there's hundreds and hundreds of performances at the Philly Fringe and Live Arts Festival, and unless it's one of the big shows, it's sometimes hard to tell what you're going to get. Here at Critical Mass we're sending writers to as many shows as we possibly can for 75 pocket-sized reviews over the course of the fest. Check back in with us at On The Fringe every day for real talk on what these things actually are!
SHOW: Jeff Coon and Ben Dibble Must Die
GROUP: Los Jarochos
GENRE: Theater
ATTENDED: Wed., Sept. 5, 8:30 p.m.
CLOSES: Mon., Sept. 10
BRIEF SELF-DESCRIPTION: A tale of murder, revenge and musical theater. Join the bloodthirsty quest of Greg and Mike, two actors hungry for fame and fortune in a mid-level regional market. With the help of Bechtel, psychotic theater buff and freelance assassin, they’ll either take over Philadelphia theater or die trying.
WE THINK: The title's in-joke alone makes this a must-see for those familiar with the Philadelphia theater scene, and it doesn't disappoint when dishing up affectionate satire. Roommate actors Michael Doherty and Greg Nix audition fruitlessly in a town ruled by Coon and Dibble, then enlist an assassin (Alex Bechtel) to eliminate the competition. Amy Dugas Brown's clever production falters in self-indulgence, particularly in an extended dream sequence and a long training montage, but the brilliant silliness — climaxing in an all-too-possible Walnut Street Theatre musical version of Rain Man — makes this Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tale soar.
Every year, there's hundred and hundred of performances at the Philly Fringe and Live Arts Festival, and unless it's one of the big shows, it's sometimes hard to tell what you're going to get. Critical Mass, therefore, is sending writers to as many shows as we possibly can for 75 pocket-sized reviews over the course of the fest. Check in every day!
SHOW: BARBIE BLENDED: A Pop Rockin' Musical
GROUP: Theatre Underground
GENRE: Theater
ATTENDED: Sat., Sept 1, 2 p.m.
CLOSES: Sun., Sept. 9
BRIEF SELF-DESCRIPTION: Sophie wants to be a rock star. Her mom wants her to be a beauty queen. Her neighbor wants her to look like Megan Fox. And Barbie wants her to become a woman. A world premiere musical that investigates the consequences of growing up in the caffeinated age of twitter, pop music, and pornography.
WE THINK: "Blending" is a common rite of passage for pre-adults, but in Beth Hyland and Haygen Brice Walker's too-new musical, it also means kids literally pulverizing their toys in a blender. The wacky dystopian notion sputters, however, in this "pop rockin'" show about hyperactive Sophie (Kat Borelli) and BF Frankie (Bryan Black) discovering sex through useless Family Life classes. Meggie Seigrist shines as Sophie's favorite Barbie, but the show it self is more loud than original (like a soon-to-be-dated 50 Shades of Grey spoof and the icky love song "I Ate His Booger") and doesn't match the performers' skills.
Beatbox Philly is a ComedySportz Fringe offering that blends improv storytelling with freestyle rap. Adapted from its original iteration in Chicago, Beatbox Philly features five of ComedySportz's fastest-rhyming improvisers, performing Fri., Sept. 13 and Sat., Sept. 14 at 10 p.m. at the Adrienne (2030 Sansom St.).
Sue Taney, Kevin Lopez, Mark Leopold, Bobbie Block and Darryl Charles will perform a long-form scene based on an audience suggestion, stopping frequently to engage each other in impromptu rap battles. The improvisers will be accompanied by guest beat-boxers, including DJ Footie Pajamas (aka Matt Lally of local sketch duo Animosity Pierre).
View galleryThis past weekend, the Academy of Natural Sciences hosted their fifth Bugfest, a kid-filled but all-ages-welcome event filled with live critters, informational talks, insect-related crafting, beetle pining and chocolate-chip cricket cookie eating, among other activities.
This year's theme was butterflies, so cases and cages of monarchs, swallowtails and the like filled the museum's rooms. Curatorial assistant to entomology Isa Betancourt says the festival draws more vistors than other weekend events, perhaps because insects are inherently interactive and hands-on. "Being able to touch them is so much more of an experience," says Betancourt, than having patrons simply look at photographs. City Paper took some photographs on the scene.
Approaching the 11th anniversary of 9/11, the details of that horrific day may no longer plague our media, but in many ways the aftermath continues to surround us. For author Sander Hicks, even the specific details are still worth talking about. His book Slingshot to the Juggernaut: Total Resistance to Secrecy and War is Total Love for the Truth looks at the self-proclaimed “truth movement” that continues to question the events of 9/11 as they were portrayed by popular media.
Weaving together accounts from both the far left and conservative right, Hicks sheds light on the difficulties of establishing fact from fiction in a story now at the heart of our national identity. Often dismissed as foolish conspiracy, the 9/11 truth movement is re-examined a decade later with fresh evidence and the wisdom of hindsight. Be a part of the conversation this Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Moonstone Arts Center (110A S. 13th St.). Call 215-735-9600 for more info.
The rebellious attitude and DIY mindset of punk rock can be applied to areas far outside the realm of thrashing music. For Craig Lewis, his longtime involvement in the Boston punk scene gave him the tools to approach his own struggle with mental illness outside the standard establishment. Now a peer mental-health counselor, his journey proves that it's possible to take the issue of mental health seriously while also staying true to the values of egalitarianism and co-creation.
Seated deep within the punk community is the notion that we can be each other's resources rather than relying on a faulty institution — be it record label, hospital, or government — to provide those resources for us. By speaking openly about his own struggles, Craig uses his story as a resource for others who may be struggling with mental illness themselves. He speaks tonight at Philly's premier anarchist bookstore, Wooden Shoe Books and Records (704 South St.) at 7 p.m. In true anarchist fashion, the event is free with donations welcome to cover Craig's travel expenses.
(@willboctopus)
Aside from depressing jobs reports and slumping stock prices, the scariest of bad economy repercussions comes in the form of cultural disillusionment. The shimmering American dream about Joe Shmoe working his way from a minimum-wage job to C.E.O. of the company seems not only unrealistic but outright foolish. Mr. Shmoe is losing hope, and he's not alone.
In their latest book, award-winning team Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele take a second look at the American dream in the wake of recent economic downturn. They examine the middle class, which once comprised the bulk of our educated workforce, to its subsequent displacement by a ruling elite. Accompanying the disappearance of the middle class is a rejection of the dream that once united us. As we approach the first time in our nation's history when our kids will make less money than us, this myth must be reconsidered.
The co-authors of seven books, Barlett and Steele have been writing together for over 40 years, starting with their time at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Known for their sharp, investigative style, the duo will discuss The Betrayal of the American Dream tomorrow at the Free Library's Central Branch (1901 Vine St.) at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is now offering a $5 discount to its current special exhibition "Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse: Visions of Arcadia" for all visitors to the recently debuted Barnes Foundation. Special exhibition tickets will include access to Main Building, the Perelman Building and the freshly spruced-up Rodin Musuem.
The offer stands until Sept. 3, the last day of "Arcadia," and is being held "in celebration of the opening of the Barnes Foundation on the Parkway and the shared artistic vision between the Barnes and the Philadelphia Museum of Art."
- Activism
- Arts
- Arts Events
- Books
- Dance
- First Person Fest
- Last Chance
- Museum
- On the Fringe
- Philly Artists
- The Curator
- Theater
- Visual Art
- Arts News
- Artist Profile
- Arts Preview
- Street Art
- Been There, Done That
- Big Ups
- Comedy
- LOL With It
- Stand-up
- Critical Mass
- DVD
- Events
- Friday Fill-in
- Ice Cubes
- In Memoriam
- Interview
- Just Do It
- Just Opened
- Kaleidoscopic
- LGBTQ
- Art Phag
- Mailbag
- Movies
- Film Fest
- Movie Review
- On set
- Scenester
- screening
- trailer!
- Music
- 10 Track Mind
- Album
- Album Review
- Concert Review
- DJs
- Local Support
- Now Hear This
- One Track Mind
- Philly Bands
- Show
- Somebody Else Was There
- Song
- The Showdown
- concert photos
- jazz
- DJ Nights Blogged
- Night Watch
- Now See This
- Poetic License
- Printed Matter
- Radio
- Shopping
- Coveted
- Fashion
- What We Heart
- TV
- 24
- Idol Hands
- Mad Men
- ProjRun
- True Blood
- Useless Lost Recaps
- Couch Potato
- Shore Trash
- Turned ONN
- TopMod
- Video Games
- Free Online Game
- PSP
- PlayStation 2
- The 1-Upper
- Wii
- Web Junk
- CAGE MATCH
- Free Online Toy
- Weekend Omnibus
- Win
