In this conversation, Darnelle Radford interviews Sabriaya Shipley, the executive director of Theater Philadelphia, about the seventh annual Philly Theatre Week. They discuss the importance of digital media in promoting the theater community, the value of long-form conversations, and the need for inclusivity and accessibility in theater. They also highlight some of the events and productions happening during Philly Theatre Week, including comedy shows, devised theater, and community-centered initiatives. The conversation between Darnelle Radford and Sabriaya Shipley explores the importance of community and transparency in the Philadelphia theater scene. They discuss the need for theaters to adapt and evolve to meet the changing needs of the community. They also highlight the work of Beacon Theater, which brings theater to different locations in Philadelphia to make it more accessible. The conversation touches on the challenges of being in a leadership position in the theater industry and the importance of self-care and setting boundaries. Theater Philadelphia's future plans include creating an archive of the city's theater scene and continuing to support and promote local theaters.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://phillytheatreweek.com

In this conversation, Darnelle Radford interviews artistic director Alex Burns about Quintessence Theater Group's love and war season, with a focus on the production of Macbeth. The conversation covers various topics, including the themes of love and war in the season, the exploration of villain stories, the expectations of theater, and the approach to an all-male production of Macbeth. Burns discusses the use of artifice in theater and the transformative power of storytelling. In this conversation, Alexander Burns discusses the production of Macbeth at Quintessence Theatre Group. He emphasizes the power of theater artists to transcend identity and become anyone on stage. Burns also talks about his role as both director and designer for the production, balancing minimalism with the stagecraft required for Macbeth. He highlights the integration of sound design and electronic music to enhance the experience. The conversation explores the bridging of traditional and contemporary elements in the production, including costume design and mask-making. Burns shares his hopes for the audience to be exhilarated and emotionally moved by the performance. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by the theater community and the importance of supporting and promoting the arts.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and just recently on Broadway, Cost of Living traces two relationships: one between a wealthy graduate student with cerebral palsy and his female caregiver, the other between a woman recovering from a terrible accident being tended to by her ex-husband. Heartfelt, funny, and deeply moving, this exquisitely written play examines the fiscal and emotional cost of human connection.

Ross Beschler - Eddie

Gianna Castro - Jess

Rachel Handler - Ani

Christian Prentice - John

Jeffrey L. Page (director), an Emmy-nominated director and choreographer celebrated for his dynamic theater and dance direction, earned the Douglas and Ethel Watt Critics’ Choice Award for his vibrant choreography in the 1776 Broadway Revival. Collaborating with icons like Beyoncé and influencing productions from Memphis to Ain’t Misbehavin’, Page’s work resonates globally. His film credits include Making Micheaux (director) and Freedom(choreographer). Academically distinguished as the first African American to receive The Juilliard School’s Marcus Institute Fellowship, Jeffrey also imparts knowledge at Harvard and The New School. As the leader of Movin’ Legacy, Page’s artistry continues to innovate with projects like The Trojan Women, solidifying his stature in modern performing arts. | @jeffreylpage | www.jeffreylpage.com

Martyna Majok (playwright) was born in Bytom, Poland and raised in Jersey and Chicago. She was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and received a nomination for Best Play at the 2023 Tony Awards for Cost of Living. Other plays include Sanctuary City, Queens, and Ironbound, which have been produced across American and international stages. Other awards include the Obie Award for Playwriting, the Hull-Warriner Award, the Academy of Arts and Letters’ Benjamin Hadley Danks Award for Exceptional Playwriting, the Off-Broadway Alliance Best New Play Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding New Play, the Hermitage Greenfield Prize as the first female recipient in drama, the Champions of Change Award from the NYC Mayor’s Office, the Francesca Primus Prize, two Jane Chambers Playwriting Awards, the Lanford Wilson Prize, the Lilly Award’s Stacey Mindich Prize, the Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award, the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play, the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, the ANPF Women’s Invitational Prize, the David Calicchio Prize, the Global Age Project Prize, the NYTW 2050 Fellowship, the NNPN Smith Prize for Political Playwriting, and the Merage Foundation Fellowship for The American Dream. Martyna studied at Yale School of Drama, Juilliard, University of Chicago, and Jersey public schools. She was a 2012-2013 NNPN playwright-in-residence, the 2015-2016 PoNY Fellow at the Lark Play Development Center, and a 2018-2019 Hodder Fellow at Princeton University. Martyna is currently writing a musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby, with music by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett, and developing TV and film for Plan B, Pastel, and MRC.

FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/cost-of-living/

September 21 – October 1, 2023

PAPER DOLL ENSEMBLE creates devised absurdist tragicomedies that redefine traditional stories of feminine experiences.

THE PECKING ORDER is born out of grief and disbelief after the 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and inspired by the wife and daughters of the supreme court judge who penned the original opinion, Justice Harry Blackmun. This 70s-inspired tragicomedy highlights the absurdity of women’s rights being thrust back in time in typically unpredictable Paper Dolls fashion, and asks provocative questions about unplanned pregnancy, family dynamics, and women’s rights.

Links:

https://paperdollensemble.com/

https://www.patreon.com/ThePaperDollEnsemble

https://phillyfringe.org/events/the-pecking-order/

Recommended:

https://phillyfringe.org/events/citrus-andronicus/

https://phillyfringe.org/events/vile/

https://phillyfringe.org/events/she-was-a-conquistawhore/

IN THEIR SILENCE

(formerly, They'll Neglect to Tell You)

by TS Hawkins

directed by Reva Stover

September 15-October 1  *limited engagement

Click here for Sept. 15th - 24th; tickets available at FringeArts!

Click here for Sept. 29th - Oct 1st; tickets available at Allens Lane!

ABOUT THE PLAY

Grace is a burgeoning therapist. Merci dangles for freedom at the bottom of a bourbon glass. College sweethearts and newlyweds, they elope to Philadelphia for a fresh beginning. Stumbling into polarizing landscapes, they struggle in the margins of heart and home.

Listen to the Moodlist on Spotify!

Read about Grace & Merci's journey!

CAST

(She/They) Sabriaya Shipley as GRACE

Jaylyn Anderson as MERCI

Jameka Monet Wilson as THE CITY

CREATIVE & CREW

(They/Them) TS Hawkins - Playwright, Dramaturg, & Marketing Coordinator

Reva Stover - Director

(He/Him) Josh Hitchens - Allens Lane Art Center Artistic Director, Stage Manager, Sound Designer, & Costume Manager

CJ Higgins - Intimacy Director

Sabrena Wishart - Set Designer

Siobhan Ehresmann - Lighting Designer

Megan Edelman - Prop Management

SPONSORS

Dorothy Lewis-Hawkins, Black Theatre Alliance of Philadelphia, and Prime Act Media LLC

FRINGE RECOMMENDS:

Cannonball - https://www.cannonballfestival.org

Hum N’ Bards - http://www.humnbards.com

Mind The Gap - https://fringearts.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/events/a0S6e00000h3ZATEA2

Links:

TS POETICS: https://www.tspoetics.com/2022/09/events-in-their-silence-by-ts-hawkins.html

ALLENS LANE ART CENTER: https://allenslane.org/theater/

TIX at Allens Lane: https://allenslane.org/theater/

TIX at FRINGE ARTS: https://phillyfringe.org/events/in-their-silence/

The Wilma Theater and TCG Books present: Fat Ham (James Ijames in conversation with Amina Robinson, featuring a performance by Anthony Martinez-Briggs).

In this special in-person and live-streamed book launch event, James Ijames will discuss his Pulitzer-winning play Fat Ham, which premiered in a digital production at The Wilma and will return to the Wilma for a live production in the Fall of 2023. Mr. Ijames will be in conversation with Amina Robinson, director of The Wilma's upcoming production. Anthony Martinez-Briggs, who played Tio in the original production and will reprise the role this Fall, will perform a monologue from the play.

Live-streaming provided by the event's Media Sponsor, Broad Street Review.

LINKS:

The Wilma Theater - https://wilmatheater.org

Theater Communications Group - https://tcg.org

Broad Street Review - https://broadstreetreview.com

Get a copy of Fat Ham: https://indiepubs.com/products/fat-ham/

To watch the Live-Stream on TCG’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/eXIOJOk7zC0

Why? Because Kae Lani Palmisano is approaching food journalism in the same way BSR approaches arts journalism: food and the arts (and media about them) are gateways for new voices and conversations, not an elitist checkpoint. Sometimes people push back on this work: see Palmisano’s recent Bon Appétit piece about the eight best cheesesteaks in Philly—she got “so much flack” for highlighting local Lebanese, Mexican, Korean, and Ethiopian chefs’ offerings alongside the better-known favorites. But this is the kind of inclusive, curious, and future-facing coverage we love at BSR.

Our own Kyle V. Hiller moderated this conversation with Palmisano, journalist and digital producer Alisha Miranda (The Inquirer, Eater, Billy Penn, Philly Mag, Edible Philly, and more) and Inquirer deputy food editor Margaret Eby.

We’re excited to welcome Palmisano as she launches Power Dining, a podcast and newsletter exploring the power structures, power moves, and power DINE-amics of the world of food.

Links:

https://www.kaelanisays.com/

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/best-cheesesteaks-philadelphia

https://www.alishainthe.biz/

https://twitter.com/margareteby

https://powerdining.substack.com/

(PVLA) will celebrate a milestone 45th anniversary during this year’s annual benefit celebration The Arts Affair 2023 on Wednesday, June 7th from 6-9pm at University of the Arts’ Hamilton Hall. Featuring live performances by local artists, visual art, and awards for both Volunteer Attorney and Law Firms of the Year, the event will highlight PVLA’s deep dedication to Philadelphia’s arts & cultural community.

LOCATION: Dorrance Hamilton Hall, University of the Arts, 320 South Broad Street, Philadelphia

DATE: Wednesday, June 7, 6-9pm

TICKETS: $45 (artists, students, nonprofit and public interest employees), $125 (general admission), $200 (general admission x 2), or tickets can be purchased to sponsor artists; ie. Sponsor 1 Artist ($45), Sponsor 2 Artists ($90), Sponsor 4 Artists ($180)

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-arts-affair-2023-tickets-522560531617

More about PVLA: https://PVLA.org

_______________________________________

IG: @PhillyVLA

Twitter: @PhillyVLA

FB: @phillyvolunteerlawyersforthearts

LinkedIn: @Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

BlackStar Film Festival: https://www.blackstarfest.org/festival/

August 2-6, 2023

Kimmel Center

The Women's Coalition for Empowerment, Inc. https://www.TheWCE.org, and our upcoming event:

Philadelphia Juneteenth Wine & Arts Festival - https://Juneteenth-Wine-Art.eventbrite.com

Saturday, June 17, 2023, | 1pm - 6pm | Cherry Street Pier

ABOUT ABANDON

Luella is alone – haunted by the ghost of her son. Joshua is alone – kicked out of his house by his brother. One winter night these two people collide. Luella is looking for redemption; Joshua is looking for family. By the next morning, these two lonely souls are meshed together into an American Family in its truest sense. A world premiere by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright James Ijames, Abandon is sometimes violent, sometimes healing; with a gossamer veil that separates the worlds of the living and the dead, and shame and acceptance.

Melanye Finister (Luella, she/her) is an artist and resident company member at People’s Light, a member of Wilma Hothouse, and an artistic advisory board member at PlayPenn. People’s Light: The Diary of Anne Frank, The Matchmaker, All My Sons, Fences, The Winter’s Tale, Seven Guitars, The Return of Don Quixote, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Something You Did, Fabulation, and The Member of the Wedding. Theatre Includes: Wilma Theater, Arden Theatre Company, Flashpoint Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Venture Theatre, Temple Theaters and Walnut Street Theatre. Training: BFA, Carnegie Mellon University.

Brenson Thomas (Gabriel, he/him) is a Black and queer writer, actor, and theatre-maker. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College’s MFA Theatre program, his plays include how i got over, or…red Kool-Aid stains on bubblegum lips; What We Lost & Never Knew; and How We Return, an upcoming commission for Constellation Stage & Screen in Bloomington, IN. Brenson also writes for TV/Film, most recently on Emmy Award winner Lena Waithe’s Twenties on BET. As a performer, Brenson has collaborated with Tony Award Winner Stew, Raja Feather Kelly, Lightning Rod Special in The Appointment (FringeArts/Next Door at NYTW; Barrymore Nominee for Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical), Arden Theatre Company in the world premiere of R. Eric Thomas’ Backing Track, and Into the Woods, and with 1812 Productions for This is the Week That Is: 2020, and the Wilma Theater. When he’s not hunched over his laptop crying about blank Google docs, Brenson enjoys long walks around his beloved Philly, doing bad accents, smashing patriarchal white supremacist structures, and Beyoncé.

FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION: https://theatreexile.org/shows/abandon/

Miniball is a micro-version of Cannonball Festival featuring encores of previous Cannonball shows, as well as other works not featured in the festival before, to keep the spirit of Cannonball sailing strong throughout the year. Make sure to follow @cannonballfest on Instagram and turn on notifications to be the first to hear about upcoming festivals, show announcements, pop-up programming, and more!

THE OTHER GARDENERS by Very Good Dance Theatre

What happens to (y)our gardens when we can no longer tend to them? When do the things and thoughts we leave behind become burdens, and when are they gifts? Can we both be refreshing fountains of reprieve for others, while we remember to pour into ourselves? What to do when our cup runneth over, and what to do when she's dryyyyyy ... we don't know, will you help us find out?

"The Other Gardeners" is a new project created collaboratively by Very Good Dance Theatre by and for Black artists and/or those from African lineage. "Gardeners" playfully (re)imagines what remains of Eden after its more popular residents (Adam & Eve) have moved on, and reminds us that paradise cannot be destroyed, only lost.

This project explores questions around lineage, diaspora(s), liberation, and asks all those in its midst to grapple with which burdens have been placed on them, by who, and how we can shoulder them (together). This is a Black queering of our origin stories, both a prequel and a sequel, and a conjuring of all the auto-biographies that never came to be ... or at least not yet?

Expect sobbing and laughing, remembering and visioning, dreaming and forgetting, and loving and loving and loving.

Come to learn, come to share, come to mourn, come alone (or not), leave together - connected - nurtured, just as gardens should be.

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Cannonball Festival is an independently produced performing arts festival, concurrent with the Philadelphia Fringe, that presents risk-taking independent artists in back-to-back performances next to delicious lounge spaces, fostering creative collisions and community conversation. Learn more at cannonballfestival.org

Miniball Spring keeps the spirit of Fringe rolling April 6-8, 2023, with back to back performances of new works from some of Philly’s best independent artists. Learn more at cannonballfestival.org/miniball

LINKS:

Philly Theatre Week - Theatre Philadelphia

https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/2023-philly-theatre-week

Support Theatre Philadelphia

https://theatrephiladelphia.org/make-a-donation

Support Cannonball Festival | Miniball

https://www.cannonballfestival.org/donate

RECOMMENDED

Paige Phillips - The Tale of The Slaughtered Hog

https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/the-tale-of-the-slaughtered-hog

Your Sunday Best

https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/your-sunday-best

The World

https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/the-world

Annie Wilson - Always The Hour

http://www.theanniewilson.com/always-the-hour-copy

This year, experience over 50 unique events with hundreds of shows during Philly Theatre Week! Plus, join the 2023 Philly Theatre Week Kick-Off Celebration on March 20th at the Kimmel Cultural Campus. See preview scenes, songs, and interactive performances from participating Philly Theatre Week companies.

Johnny Depp! (A Retrospective on Late-Stage Capitalism)

FERGIE’S PUB - Second Floor

Join “Johnny Depp”, preteen heart-throb turned wino forever, for a retrospective on every film in his entire career, even the ones we didn’t watch, in order to ask… what happened?

Fresh off an international tour and a lot of rewrites because of a trial, comes a satirical “press tour” that is part ritual and part drunken singalong. Johnny Depp! (A Retrospective on Late-Stage Capitalism) features throwing things at random intervals, “fabulous” prizes, and a celebrity circus we keep tuning in to.

“To watch a show like this recalls the sense of imagination that the Fringe is really all about.” – Broadway Baby

“Johnny Depp: A Retrospective on Late Stage Capitalism is both exactly what you’d expect it to be and also something else entirely.” – Deadline, UK

“We’re all f*cked, enjoy the show.”- Phindie, USA

9 collective international stars! ★★★★★★★★★

Starring Jenna Kuerzi as Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow as Johnny Depp as Late-Stage Capitalism.

LINKS:

Philly Theatre Week - Theatre Philadelphia

https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/2023-philly-theatre-week

Jenna Kuerzi

http://www.jennakuerzi.com/

Bonnie & Clyde - Media Theatre

https://www.mediatheatre.org/shows-tickets

Support Theatre Philadelphia

https://theatrephiladelphia.org/make-a-donation