The recast at the center of this show within a show is the role of Thomas Jefferson. Originally played by a white actor, the production team decides to bump up Hannah, a black woman, who was already playing Samuel Adams, to now play Thomas Jefferson, when the original actor breaks their leg...literally. This could of course be a fascinating casting choice, standing in sharp juxtaposition and contrast with what is historically known about Jefferson, and his very sordid participation in slavery. This could be a central theme of the show, and explore the complicated feelings of a black woman inhabiting the role of a man who was a noted slave owner. Confoundingly, these ideas are barely referenced in this piece, which remains shockingly unsure of what it wants to say about the subject matter.

With a roughly three hour runtime, this long show remains surface level: surprising in it’s ineptness at tackling the subjects it brings up. The main plot of several white members of the cast now deciding that a black woman couldn’t possibly play Thomas Jefferson (but again, are fine with her playing Samuel Adams, for some reason), and threatening to walk out of the production if their demands are not met, is not uninteresting, but it is handled in such an infuriating way. This show allows its white characters to perform microaggression after microaggression, with little to no resistance from other characters. It is frustrating to watch, as any sane point made by a character is quickly rebutted and then abandoned. There’s an entire section where the characters vent about their issues, and the audience is suddenly inflicted with opinions on things such as pronouns, land acknowledgements, food banks, and countless other issues that detract from the main narrative...to what end? I’m honestly unsure of the purpose here other than to stir up controversy and rile up the audience. Is this a narrative piece of theatre, or a crazed social media outrage post that somehow made it onto a stage instead of a phone screen?

The script is also riddled with character inconsistencies, misogyny, homophobia, and attempts at humor that feel out of place or worse: insulting. It cannot find a coherent tone, and feels like it’s simultaneously attempting to emulate both a gritty drama and The Play that Goes Wrong.

The end of the show is equally infuriating. The five white characters who have threatened to leave decide that they will perform, on the condition that every mention of slavery is removed from the script. They then bully the three other white characters and three black characters into signing this “pledge.” Is the theme of compromise as a way forward inherently bad? No. Is it naive? Maybe. Is it even the theme of this piece at all? Unclear. Besides, if the hypothetical compromise is with people who would rather act like slavery shouldn’t be acknowledged as ingrained in this country’s past, especially as we near the 250th Anniversary of this nation, then it should be obvious that those aren’t people to be compromised with.

This whole “no-slavery” debacle is followed by a transition into the curtain speech for their fictitious play, that included audience participation, asking people to speak the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the National Anthem. Given the tense political climate today, on top of the politically charged experience collectively witnessed thus far, to say this moment was uncomfortable for the audience would be an understatement. (This author did not stand for either, as it felt extremely awkward and wrong to do so. I heard other audience members walking out after, talking about how unnecessary this moment was)

Then the show ends, with a black woman playing Thomas Jefferson AND mentioning slavery, which is seemingly supposed to make the previous three hours of her being repeatedly humiliated okay. She has persevered, like black women ALWAYS have to, and fought back...for but a sliver of human dignity. To me, there’s no lesson here. It feels more like a slap in the face for how we treat black women: in fictional form AND reality. Honestly, if the goal was to highlight the hypocrisy of how black women/performers/characters are treated, then perhaps we could have had a really interesting play. Sadly, that level of nuance is not on display here.

There were minimal sets, costumes or lighting, and while the performances were fine, they were all overshadowed by a script that was a mess. The show taking place in historic Carpenter’s Hall was an interesting choice, but again that wasn’t really utilized in any discernible way.

In a way, The Spirit of 76 is very much like the upcoming celebration of the voting on and signing of the Declaration of Independence: intrinsically and messily tied to racism, and something I wouldn’t look forward to attending.

As we Americans patiently wait for it to clear the hurdles of American distribution, union bargaining, and Broadway producers trying to protect their investments, I decided to imagine what this pro-shot could be doing right now, instead of being screened in the United States.

Haunting Hampton Court Palace

The most likely outcome here is that the pro-shot has joined the ghosts of these iconic queens and is haunting the halls of Hampton Court Palace. One of the many homes of King Henry VIII, Hampton Court was a staple to all of these queens. It is said that the ghosts of Katherine Howard and Jane Seymour haunt the halls, as Jane sadly died within the walls, and Katherine was confined to her room shortly before being executed. It would be the most likely place to find the pro shot lurking, walking the halls singing weird discordant versions of the songs from the show. Someone call the Ghostbusters to get them out of there!

Sailing a Yacht in Mykonos

Were any of the Queens of Six from Greece? No, no they weren’t, BUT they were wealthy. What screams wealth more than sailing a yacht in Mykonos? NOTHING, that’s what. Just picture Catherine of Aragon navigating, while Anne of Cleaves gets Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn wasted, Jane Seymour writes letters home to Henry and Catherine Parr reads a book on the deck while wearing a large floppy sunhat. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities, we know these ladies loved high end luxury of the time, so it’s likely they’d be indulging today.

Planning a Big Scale Revival of Rex

You might be asking, what the hell is Rex? Well, what if I told you that there was already a musical about King Henry VIII and his six wives AND that it was written by Richard Rodgers and Sheldon Harnick?!? That’s right, the short lived flop ran from April to June 1976, and was maligned by critics and audiences alike. The Six pro-shot has decided its time for a major revival, to give audiences a different view of this story. They have however decided to make it a one person show, starring one of the members of the Original Broadway Cast, noted Academy Award nominee: Glenn Close.

Recording a Documentary About Galapagos Tortoises

I’ll be honest, this is the farthest grasp on this list. I just feel that every so often there’s a new documentary about these famed tortoises, and what better way to highlight them than having this pro-shot shift the spotlight to these majestic creatures. Yeah, it’s a stretch, but stranger things have happened.

Teaching Lea Michele How to Read

Since Catherine Parr was the first woman in England to publish a book under her own name, it makes sense that she is leading the charge to help one Lea Michele finally learn how to read. It is an admirable task, but one that has many hurdles, Ms Michele’s Chess schedule amongst the biggest. Still, I’m sure that once they’ve got her reading at a good level, they’ll release the pro-shot as a celebratory occasion, with Michele reading a prologue from a teleprompter.

Opening for The Next Beyonce Tour

We all know that Beyonce’s gotta be working on something big. She’s been TOO quiet recently, so it makes sense that she wants to loop in the theatre girlies. Ever since her take as Deena Jones in the Dreamgirls movie she’s been slowly courting the theatre fans out there, and it makes sense that she would use the power of the Queens of Six to help her open her next tour…whenever it’s announced.

But in all seriousness- I do hope we get this pro-shot released soon. There’s a bigger conversation to be had about the role of pro-shots, accessibility and examining why there’s such a hesitancy to release them in the states, but that is for another, less humorous article.

A small theatre company that bounced around several rental theaters throughout the city, Quince regularly showcased queer stories and generally hired queer artists to tell those stories. Quince was instrumental to the increase of representation for queer stories in Philadelphia. Quince Productions was founded in 2008 by Rich Rubin, who also acted as Artistic Director. Their inaugural season included only two shows: a production by members of The Bang Group (A NYC based contemporary theatrical dance troupe), and a staging of the play Niagara Falls by Victor Bumbalo.

Rubin had the desire of starting a company to “direct (and produce, but mainly direct) the kinds of shows that interested [him] without having to apply to existing companies and ‘prove [himself]’.”

He noticed that Philly theatre was lacking in the representation of LGBTQIA stories on its stages, and that the ones that were being presented were not benefiting from the lived experiences of queer artists. As he puts it, “so often it seemed to me that theater companies were like ‘wow, aren’t we cool, we’re doing a gay play’ and I wanted this to be the norm for our company rather than the departure.”

Quince would continue a similar production pattern for the next few years: producing one main stage play, accompanied by either a series of Cabarets or other theatrical performances. In August of 2011, Quince launched a festival that shone a light on queer stories, titled GayFest. The festival started with four plays, all focused on stories about the LGBTQIA community. In the years that followed, Gayfest grew in popularity, with audiences in Philadelphia looking forward to it every August. It became what Quince was most renowned for, and they eventually began to partner with QFlix (a queer cinema festival) and others.

As Rubin puts it, “I think there is a great advantage to an entire festival devoted to the broad spectrum of LGBTQIA work, which allows people to see what a rich community we are and also to seek out the plays that most interest them. From a show whose main characters are lesbians and a trans man to a MMF triangle to a drag queen and lesbian falling in love to a gay man dealing with his onetime bully…there was such a richness and variety that it was a very exciting month of theater for me--and, I trust, for audiences.” By the time Gayfest would come to an end in 2016, it was producing four full-length plays, as well as several smaller readings of new works, in addition to a return performance of The Bang Group.

In 2016, Rubin decided (for personal reasons) that it was time to move to a new city. As apparent to any who worked with him, there could be no Quince Productions without Rich Rubin. Thus, Quince Productions relocated with him to Sonoma County, California, and in the process Philadelphia lost one of its big voices in producing LGBTQIA stories.

In addition to the queer community and other audience members each season, Quince Productions was extremely influential and important for the queer artists in the city, who were able to craft and develop stories about people like them. These stories had fully fleshed out real characters, not just the surface-level stereotypes that are so often seen in more commercial theatre, and all-too-often all the depth a queer performer gets to explore.

As Quince was a smaller scale company, they weren’t always able to offer the same competitive rates of pay that some of the larger theatre companies were able to, however, this often worked in Quince’s favor, as they were able to work with a younger generation of theatre artists, giving some people their first paying gigs within the Philly theatre community. It was a launchpad theatre, helping young artists gain important experience and vital community.

Since 2016, Philadelphia has seen the rise of a few smaller companies, opening with the intention of producing queer art and stories, including The Strides Collective, Theatre by Development, and Jaffe St. Queer Productions, as well as the continued success of older queer focused companies such as Mauckingbird Theatre and The Bearded Ladies Cabaret. However, we’ve yet to see another theatre produce the sheer number of LGBTQIA productions that Quince was able to produce annually.

The theatre scene in Philly has not returned to that volume or diversity of queer representation yet, but it is certainly on its way. It would be a shame if this chapter of the queer theatre of Philadelphia was lost to the annals of time. Quince Productions held a very special place in this city’s theatre history, and more importantly: its community.

Wilderness Generation at Philadelphia Theatre Company

“A World Premiere play by the Pulitzer Prize winning James Ijames”, should be enough of a sentence to send you straight to the Philadelphia Theatre Company’s box office. Ijames’ work is chock full of amazing dialogue and richly defined characters, and this story of five cousins reuniting at their grandmothers house is sure to have both. Directed by PTC Artistic Director Taibi Magar, this production will likely be one you’ll hear talked about in the future, so it has the added hipster benefit of Philly audiences being able to say we saw it before it was super popular.

Wilderness Generation runs from April 10th-May 3rd 2026. For tickets and information click here.

Proof at Act 2 Playhouse

The 2001 Pulitzer Prize winning play, about a daughter’s obsession with her father’s legacy and her own genius, is getting a fresh production at the Act 2 Playhouse in Ambler. Kate Brennan directs the production that is stacked with a talented cast of local favorites (Jenna Kuerzi, Adam Howard, Megan McDermott and Scott Langdon). The intimate space at Act 2 is the perfect setting for this story. This fresh take will no doubt be a hit with audiences, and remind us all why this play is so good.

Proof runs from January 27th-March 1st, 2026 at Act 2 Playhouse. For more information, tickets and more visit here.

The White Chip at New Light Theatre

One of Philadelphia’s youngest theatre companies, New Light Theatre has a wonderful mission statement. For each production, they partner with a local charity that aligns with an aspect of the production. Their upcoming production of Sean Daniels’ The White Chip is no different. For this show, they’ve partnered with atTAck Addiction, whose mission is to raise awareness about substance abuse disorder, and offer aid and advice for families and individuals. The show, a frantically honest depiction of a man’s journey to sobriety, is sure to be a hit, with two of Philadelphia’s finest artists at the helm as co-directors: Charlie DelMarcelle and Allison Heishman.

The White Chip plays OperaDelaware Studios from March 6-15, 2026. Information, tickets and links to resources can be found here.

Romeo & Juliet at The Arden Theatre Company

The Arden Theatre Company in Olde City has a tried and true track record of fantastic productions. This season, they’ve decided to produce one of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays: Romeo & Juliet. This new production, directed by multiple Barrymore Award winning director Amina Robinson, will undoubtedly be a bold new take on the classic. Robinson’s work on shows such as The Color Purple at Theatre Horizon and Once On This Island at the Arden has been lauded, almost reaching a legendary status, which signals a strong and vibrant interpretation of the Shakespeare classic coming our way this year.

Romeo & Juliet runs at the Arden Theatre Company from March 5th -April 5th, 2026. For more information and a link to tickets, click here.

Blues for an Alabama Sky at The Lantern Theater Company

Philadelphia theaters have been examining the Harlem Renaissance a fair bit in recent seasons, with EgoPo Classic Theatre centering their whole 2022/2023 season around it, and Quintessence Theatre presenting the original work Fire! as their season opener in 2025. The Lantern Theater in Center City is next to explore this pivotal time in American history with the Philadelphia premiere of Blues for an Alabama Sky. Pearl Cleage’s drama is set to be directed by Philadelphia favorite Brett Ashley Robinson, and boasts an extremely talented cast (Cookie Diorio, Kash Goins, Tariq Kanu, Taylor J. Mitchell and Ebony Pullum) that are guaranteed to turn in top-notch performances.

Blues for an Alabama Sky runs from February 12- March 15th, 2026. Information and tickets can be found here.

Marsha Blovotnick & the Marvelous Magical Chicken Soup at Theatre Ariel

Playwright Dan Kitrosser has become a favorite of queer Philadelphians with their frenetic fringe solo shows including Karen Tenderness in Queer Window! and Smooth: a solo queer noir musical, bitch. Kitrosser, also an award winning screenwriter, is presenting a new play with Theatre Ariel this year. This play, about an angry Leftist, Jewish lesbian visited by a ghost with a magical soup, is sure to be a wonderful concoction of Kitrosser’s campy humor and tender reflective lens. Like soup, it sounds like a remedy for just about any ailment!

Marsha Blovotnick & the Marvelous Magical Chicken Soup runs at the Bluver Theatre at the Drake from March 7-22nd, 2026. Tickets and more information can be found here.

Cats The Jellicle Ball

I know. I KNOW. It’s Cats. But hear me out…

The show in NYC that I am most excited to try and see this year is none other than CATS The Jellicle Ball! Moving to Broadway after a sold out, extended run at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, this re-imagining of the oft-maligned Andrew Lloyd Webber musical sets the action amidst the fabulous NYC Ballroom scene. A bold new take on this material is long overdue, as the original design and concept has now become more of a joke, rather than the influential shift in musical theatre that it originally was. In addition, the centering of a show like this in a setting that has a huge amount of prominence and relevance to queer and marginalized history delights my soul.

Broadway previews begin March 18th. Tickets and more information can be found here.

There’s lots of theatre happening throughout the city in this new year, and this piece is by no means an exhaustive list of shows that I’m wanting to see. Make sure to check out the local theaters near you and support the ones closest to you! See a show you’ve never heard of: you never know what you might fall in love with!

So here’s my best read on what your favorite holiday musical says about YOU!

Elf

You’re either the funniest person in the room, or you think you are. You have a love of witty one liners and physical comedy. You possibly have major Daddy issues…but you have no issues embodying Christmas joy.

In fact, you’re probably the reason every store puts out their Christmas merchandise by dinner time on Thanksgiving, and the reason everyone else says “no holiday music till December, PLEASE!”

A Christmas Story

If this is your favorite holiday musical, you are very much a family oriented person. You like the simple things in life, and value time spent with your loved ones. You have the caring nature of a mother, but you also tend to find yourself in sticky situations…but the less I say about your tongue on a pole, the safer for work this piece will be. You may also have a thing for legs in high heels, but that secret is safe with me.

Actually, somehow this musical seems quite horny.
Let’s just say that’s on you, too.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

You’re a curmudgeon with a heart of gold. If the Dr. Seuss story is your favorite holiday musical, you love to be a contrarian just for the joy of seeing how other people react. You love memes and other silly humor, but you also love a bit of rhyming poetry. There’s also a strong chance you’re a furry (we listen, but we don’t judge).

Another option here though is…you’re basic.
I mean, come on - it’s the Grinch. It’s the most commercialized Christmas story after Santa these days, and you can’t walk through a department store checkout line without seeing Grinch faces on every type of merch imaginable. This version doesn’t even feature Christine Baranski, so maybe try expanding your horizons three sizes.

Scrooge!

You love to read, and you love a catchy tune! The musical adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was first presented as a film in 1970, then adapted for the stage in 1992. You’re likely someone that gets super into Halloween, as the SFX here are top-notch. Or perhaps you’re someone that dwells a lot on your past mistakes. Perhaps you’re someone that can’t slow down enough to enjoy right now. Perhaps your anxiety about the future keeps you up at night. Or you’re a small child with a crutch but oddly no specified illness.

If this is your favorite holiday musical, you either want to dismantle capitalism, OR you are sitting atop quite a fortune and…babe, you might need to be visited by some ghosts yourself!

White Christmas

You have an appreciation for the finer things in life. You like your life like you like your musicals: lush, classic, and occasionally perhaps a bit out of touch with the rest of us here in the year of our Santa 2025.

The 2009 musical based on the 1954 Paramount film is a holiday classic, just like you. You might be a little old fashioned, but you’ve got class, legacy and staying power.

Annie

If your favorite holiday musical is Annie, I hypothesize that you are a child. There’s two options: you are either a very energetic child who can “belt,” or you are a continuously optimistic child-at-heart who loves to look on the bright side of life. Me personally, I’ve always wanted the Star-to-be to get mugged…just imagine:

“Three bucks! Two bags! One—” “HAND OVER THE PURSE LADY!”

Rent

You think you’re really cool because Rent is technically a holiday musical. You probably thought I’d forget to include it here, and you’d be able to run to the comments saying “um actually, you could technically have included Rent.” Well I did. There.

You go against the grain, go insane, go maaaaaaad. You have a love of nostalgia, and a dubious relationship with gentrification? You definitely have a deep love for 90’s grunge, and I hope you and the other members of your bisexual throuple have a lovely holiday season.

Here’s Love (Or A Miracle on 34th Street: the Musical.)

Not many people know about this Meredith Wilson flop adaptation of A Miracle on 34th Street. If you do, you’re probably an octogenarian, or a middle aged homosexual who loves musical theatre and reminds people at parties that The Music Man beat West Side Story at the Tony Awards. I’m…just now realizing what that says about me.

Nuncrackers

You are a nun….or a Catholic. Either way, I’m sorry.

She Loves Me

You have impeccable taste. You’re sweet, and a true romantic. You may not have the most financial success, but you guarantee a lush vibe and endearing character, which makes for a wonderful night. If this is your favorite holiday musical, you are a connoisseur of musical theatre, and we should be friends!

So which one is your favorite? If you’re a subscriber, head to the Queer Reviewed Subscriber Chat and let me know! Otherwise, thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful safe holiday season, and a Happy New Year!

This happened to me earlier this month.

But what I discovered was much greater than my ability to step into a new role quickly and efficiently. What I discovered was a conspiracy.

Annie, the tale of the fiery redheaded orphan staying with a billionaire for the holidays, changing hearts and minds in the process, has always been one that I have enjoyed. I was asked to fill in the role of said billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. After a few hours of rehearsal, aided by some very generous cast members, I went on, script in hand to a full house. It was a whirlwind twenty four hours, but a wonderful experience overall.

As is customary today in the year of our Bernadette Peters 2025, I made a social media post about the experience, saying something along the lines of “happy to fill in as Daddy Warbucks…”

And APPARENTLY we don’t all call him that??

While most messages and responses that came in were congratulatory, a few remarked on me calling the character DADDY Warbucks.

But surely that’s what we all know the character as…right? Am I crazy? I remember growing up, and encountering the overjoyed redheaded Annie with Daddy Warbucks, but apparently this was not a shared experience. Next you’ll tell me it’s Tom & Joey, Kermit & Peggy, or even Pinky & the Brian?!

I started to wonder, have we as a society de-Daddy’d Warbucks? Or perhaps, am I as a gay man so normalized into calling rich bald men “Daddy??” The truth was out there.

So I decided to do a deep dive to find out: was he always Daddy, and had that changed, or have I just been living in my own personal Mandela effect?

I immediately consulted the sacred text: the official Annie libretto, licensed by MTI. Produced on Broadway in 1977, the musicalized version of Annie has now become the most recognizable, with roughly 700-900 productions annually in the US alone. To my surprise however, the name “Daddy Warbucks” is only used one time in the entire script, and at the very end of the show, no less. Otherwise, he is referred to as “Oliver,” “Oliver Warbucks” or simply “Mr. Warbucks.”

After coming to this dead end, I started to question my sanity, so I pivoted to see if any of the five film adaptations changed the narrative, and instilled the Daddy Warbucks name into my brain. The musical has been adapted to film 4 times; the original Annie comic strip was adapted into one non-musical film.

The four musical adaptations (1982, 1999, 2014, and 2021 respectively) all vary in quality, but have one thing in common: a distinct lack of calling a bald man “Daddy.”

Damn.

The 1999 and 2021 versions stick closely to the licensed production, referring to Warbucks as “Daddy” only once, at the very end. Though I will say, all of the promo materials for the 2021 Annie Live did refer to Harry Connick jr. as playing “Daddy Warbucks.” So I’m not completely alone in my delusions.

The 1982 version however calls him Daddy TWICE! Admittedly, yes that’s not a huge improvement. Still, it’s better than the 2014 version, which doesn’t even call him “Warbucks,” let alone “Daddy.”

Lastly, I turned to the 1932 Little Orphan Annie movie. Based more on the original comics, this version has Warbucks missing from most of the plot (just like a lot of those comics) BUT does refer to him as Daddy! Had I finally found my missing piece? Turning to the comics (the original source material for these characters) shone even more light on this.

Little Orphan Annie was first published as a weekly comic strip starting in 1924, by Harold Gray. It recounts the adventures of a precocious young orphan who gets adopted into the Warbucks family. In the original comic strip, her biggest foe is actually the mean spirited Mrs. Warbucks! This character tends to get left out of future adaptations, or rather: her personality traits and story beats are merged into other characters. In the comic strip, we are also introduced to Oliver Warbucks, who Annie quickly begins to refer to him as “Daddy,” since he’s…her adopted father.

This was it! I had found where the original Daddy-ness had started. And it makes sense: the comic strips go much further than their initial meeting, so their relationship as father-daughter is established. While the character is often traveling for plot reasons, he is very rarely referred to as anything other than “Daddy.” This comic strip ran from its original publication, all the way to 2010! That went some way in explaining how the name “Daddy Warbucks” became part of the cultural zeitgeist, while also explaining why younger audiences might not recognize the character’s name as such.

Examining the plot of the musical adaptations, they all focus on the initial meeting of Annie and Warbucks, not covering his later tenure as “Daddy” Warbucks.

So, this feels less like an intentional de-daddyfication, and more like a choice of narrative necessity. I also realized that when I was coming of age and first introduced to the story, the comic was still in print, so I had that terrifyingly pupil-less touchstone to re-enforce the “Daddy Warbucks” name for me.

So fine, maybe he’s not colloquially known as “Daddy Warbucks.” But I encourage us all to continue to embrace the Daddy (as a vibe, keep your hands to yourself) in our productions of Annie going forward, and to not ignore the almost centuries worth of adventures that he and his optimistic little Orphan went on. Besides…you’re gonna look at these men and not call them Daddy?

Sis.tem | gateways to safehouses by C. Woods Work

Two dancers use an incredible collection of choreographed movements to evoke and lay bare the struggles faced by black femmes. The beautiful movement performed elegantly by creator Cierra Woods and collaborator Edwina Thertulien is extremely compelling to watch. The way they have constructed the sections of this piece is rather impressive, with a masterful pairing of music to movement.

The emotion that was running within the dance felt extremely authentic, and allowed for the performers to be vulnerable for the audience. The intersection of dance and deeper meaning is also rather exceptional. Each section tackles a different aspect of the public’s perception of black femmes and the struggles that meet them. Towards the end of the piece there is a lovely moment of reflection and introspection that really ties the whole dance together. The highlight though, is the performers, who imbue every moment of the dance piece with a fire and emotion that makes for a really resonating performance.

Sis.tem | gateways to safehouses ran until September 21st at the Icebox Project Space Gallery.

Elaborate Measures by Jeffrey Sykes

It is particularly poignant when a show about a dancing alien helps remind its audience about the beauty and simplicity of humanity. Through several dance/monologue vignettes Sykes tells the story of a young alien prince, as they journey through self doubt, mindfulness and also an interaction with a sobbing dragon. It’s a simple story, but in its simplicity is a great deal of heart. Sykes is an athletic dancer and is able to balance beautiful choreography with silly bits of character throughout.

Sykes’ alien prince is a historian, but not your run of the mill historian, they’re one that tells their stories through dance. The most impactful vignette is the middle one, where the prince is trying to perform a dance routine for the audience, but is constantly hindered by the inner voice in their head constantly critiquing them. The section is a lovely meditation on how to best handle that inner saboteur, while also showcasing Sykes dancing abilities.

Overall, Elaborate Measures is a delightful dance monologue about an alien that comes to earth and reminds us all how to be human. It ran until September 25th at the Icebox Project Space Gallery.

Lions by Lightning Rod Special

Death as a subject has fascinated playwrights for decades. Lightning Rod Special’s fringe offering this year is an extremely personal exploration of their father’s deaths, but presented in an extremely unique way. Co-creators and performers Alice Yorke and Scott R. Shepard share the unique experience of losing both their fathers within a short period of time. They’ve decided to not fully focus on the emotional weight of losing a parent, but instead on the insane amount of clerical work that comes about when someone dies.

Shepard and Yorke frame the daunting tasks as if they were two Dickensian clerks out of a Christmas Carol. It’s a comical angle for such morose material, and it works well because of that juxtaposition. Both Shepard and Yotke are in top form in this production, navigating the highs and lows throughout effortlessly. While every joke might not land, or slightly overstays its welcome, the show as a whole is a triumphant examination of who their fathers were. Lions isn’t your run of the mill show about death, and in that it truly honors the legacy of Shepard and Yorke’s dads.

Lions played at the Proscenium at the Drake until September 21.

Two Queers in Wigs: Two Solo Performances About Gender by Guotian (Tim) Shu & Nico Montalvo

Two solo monologues exploring ideas about gender by two enthusiastic performers. Two Queers in Wigs consists of two pieces: Nina, NIna, Nina! and Lin-Manuel Gets an Oscar. Nina, Nina, Nina! by Guotian (Tim) Shu examines the line between character and gender, and how that intersects with their cultural heritage. Lin-Manuel Gets an Oscar by Nico Montalvo chronicles the almost EGOT as he strives towards finding his path to Oscar glory, and also turning into Miranda Cosgrove.

While both performers are engaging to watch, both shows feel slightly underbaked. Nina, Nina, Nina!, plods around for its first half not really saying much other than a repetitive joke about long Russian names. It does start to tap into an interesting point about where a performer draws the line when a character helps unlock their own gender expression, but then the show quickly ends. Lin-Manuel gets an Oscar plays as more of one performer’s grievances with a composer, that doesn’t really delve deep enough into the systemic issues around why Miranda has become a problematic figure. Then, towards the end, Lin-Manuel Miranda is transformed by a giant Oscar Statuette into Miranda Cosgrove, for a reason. Then the performer directly addresses the audience that they’re bad at endings, and it ends. Both monologues need a fair amount of work clarifying their meanings and intentions if they’re going to be remounted.

Two Queers in Wigs ran until September 14th at the Asian Arts Initiative Black Box Theater.

La Otra by 1812 Productions

It’s always refreshing to see a production of a new work that makes you glad you saw it now, before everyone else. La Otra, presented by 1812 Productions/Tanaquil Márquez & Eliana Fabiyi, is just one of those plays. The world premiere written and directed by Márquez tells a hysterical and heartfelt story of three Colombian sisters reconnecting for their father’s 80th birthday. Drama and secrets unfold, but told in a hysterical style that allows the material to truly shine. It is a story that is not wholly unique but is told in such a fantastical way that it makes it feel fresh and new. The show is bilingual, allowing the characters’ relationships to thrive in the fast paced nature of hopping from one language to another.

The show is a bombastic exploration of the traditional family drama story. It has an air of magic realism that takes its characters on a wild ride. The cast was top tier in performances, with Yajaira Paredes being a standout in her duel roles as Yamile, one of the sisters, and Luz, the fourth wall breaking, hysterical maid. She had such a warm, welcoming nature that immediately invited the audience to engage, allowing for the humor to effortlessly flow throughout the show. The set by Dahlia Al-Habieli was incredibly inventive and transformed in truly fantastic ways.

Overall, La Otra was a standout in many ways and one of those Fringe shows that you hope has a continued life and success after the festival is over. It ran until September 28th

The Presented by Chris Davis

Brought back after a successful Fringe run in 2018 (and Edinburgh Fringe in 2019) Chris Davis’ The Presented asks the age old artist question: what am I making art for? For Davis the 50 minute solo show is more an exploration on how the landscape of the art world has changed, and how to best create work in a “post Golden-Age of theatre” era. It’s an incredibly witty examination of this idea that takes a deeper look at the state the art world is in as arts funding is under constant attack.

Davis is an adept performer with a likability that is instantly engaging to watch. As creator of the show he is wildly familiar with the material, but it doesn’t feel over rehearsed or put on. The entire piece felt so off the cuff and of the moment that it felt like he could’ve been coming up with it on the spot. His physicality is impressive, including a recurring bit involving a bear, and the show never drags. For a show that is framed as a pitch for another artist, it’s deeply personal, while also being universal, which is not an easy task to achieve.

The Presented was a standout of this year’s fringe festival, and still as relevant and timely as ever. Davis has a natural skill as a performer that is undeniably enjoyable to watch. It ran until September 28th.

The Orgy by Noah Eisenstein

What happens when one man convinces his roommate and several other friends to participate in an orgy? That is the base premise for the new work The Orgy by writer and performer Noah Eisenstein. Unfortunately, the play never really lives up to the premise, and instead of focusing on the real intricacies of organizing an orgy in a sex positive fashion, goes for low brow humor and archetype characters that don’t ever feel like real people. It’s a disappointing take on what could be a really interesting and evocative play.

The Orgy ran until September 28th

It’s that time of year again, the weather starts to shift, and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival takes place all over the city. This year, there are a staggering 346 productions - a record in the festival’s history - making this year’s festival selection slightly overwhelming. There is a lot to see, which is actually quite a moving realization, given the constant attacks on arts funding this past year.

Weathering- Faye Driscoll

Billed as a “multi-sensory sculpture made of bodies, sounds, scents, liquids and objects” Weathering was the opening night production of this year’s festival. Ten performers perched on a large white foam square, moving at a pace that started glacial and ended chaotic. The large square begins rotating, and the performers slowly remove articles of clothing as they claw, slide down, and bounce off each other in an almost primitive manner, all the while groaning, exhaling and death rattling. No words are spoken as the movements become more frenetic and chaotic; the sounds reaches a deafening climax while the performers are in various states of undress… then the show ends, and you’re left wondering what you just saw.

There is a large blurb about what the show, performers and choreographer Driscoll are trying to convey, however it is hard to glean any of this from watching the production. The first thirty or so minutes of watching the performers move at a glacial pace is simultaneously boring, frustrating and audacious. Once the tempo starts to pick up, and objects start to appear from bags, pockets and jackets it gets a bit more engaging to watch, but more in a “what’s going to happen next” way than in something more meaningful. Towards the end, as the white square starts careening around the playing space, getting dangerously close to the audience’s knees, and half and fully naked performers start to drape themselves on audience members, the show feels less about something more than how far the audience can be pushed into discomfort.

Overall, Weathering felt like an expressionist painting. Some people would watch it and say they could do that themselves, (very “why is this in an art museum?” energy), while others might glean a deeper meaning here. As confoundingly entertaining as it occasionally got, sadly the performance didn’t match the show’s written intention for me.

Weathering played at the Fringe Arts building from September 4th-6th.

Alice Tierney- Opera on Tap Philadelphia

How do we interpret archaeological findings and discover a person’s story when they haven’t left any concrete evidence of themselves behind? That’s the thesis question at the heart of the one act opera Alice Tierney. The opera tells the story of four grad students excavating the ground of a former boarding house, run by a woman named Alice Tierney who met a mysterious fate.

It’s a fascinating topic, and one that makes for an interesting opera. Unfortunately, the payoff at the end, while moralistic, is a little bit of a let down. The score by Philly composer Melissa Dunphy is pleasant while also showcasing many different musical styles. The score also sounded great when sung by the very talented cast of performers. Where this production was let down was in the technical elements, particularly the lights. For whatever reason, the lights kept changing every few seconds, rotating through the full rainbow of colors, not in time with any vocal or dramatic shift. There was also a projected backdrop, but the placement of the projector caused many of the singers to be performing while having a brick wall cascading over their face. The Velvet Whip is a really intimate and cool space, and it felt like these lighting choices hindered the show from fully inhabiting it.

Alice Tierney played at the Velvet Whip from September 5th-7th.

Dogberry and Verges are Scared- Slippery Trout Productions and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Move over Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, there’s a new POV-Shakespeare duo-play in town, admittedly one with less ethos, and more slapstick. This new play by Will Mobley and Michael Doherty is a “shift the camera to focus on the side character” story about Dogberry and Verges: two secondary characters in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The play is pretty straightforward, recounting the events of the original play from their perspective. The piece works really well as it balances many different styles and forms of comedy. There’s slapstick, witty humor, puns, sight gags, and impressive word play to name just a few.

The cast is led by Scott Greer and Anthony Lawton as the titular characters, respectively. Both Philadelphia performance legends, their work here is nothing short of wonderful. What is so delightful to see is the ease with which they play these characters: there’s no pretense, they just are, and it feels so refreshing to see the humor of this piece handled so exceptionally. The rest of the cast is also well served, with Courtney Lucien bringing an earnestness to her Hero, that is all the more special when juxtaposed with her absurd portrayal of the Sexton at the trial of Borrachio. Director Matt Decker does a great job at letting this talented cast and funny script shine.

Dogberry and Verges are Scared is running at Christ Church Neighborhood House until September 14th.

Check back in next week for another Fringe Festival Review Roundup!

The 1960’s brought about a vast and varied wave of experimental theater, but one of the most notable movements of that time was Theatre of the Ridiculous. Founded in New York City, this particular brand of theater was subversive in as many ways as possible. It brought queer and camp elements into the experimental theatre landscape, usually incorporating drag elements, and being staged in bars and underground performance spaces. EgoPo Classic Theater’s production Turds in Hell, as part of their Queer Revolutions season, is a play that was created in that era. Written by some of the most influential voices of this theatre genre, Charles Ludlam and Bill Vehr, it is a rarely produced piece, yet in this production never truly finds a point in the absurdity.

Not Enough Fiber

Being underground and avant-garde, Theatre of the Ridiculous was known for its roughness, filth and mess. Unfortunately, EgoPo’s production tries to capture those tenets of this theatrical genre, but never fully succeeds. From performance to direction, it rarely feels that the filth and mess are anything more than put-upon artifice. The urgency and energy of the story was often slowed by drawn out line deliveries or clunky staging. The script is simplistic and intentionally absurd, but it often felt like the performers and director were afraid to lean into the inherent silliness. This is not to say that the performers don’t try, and occasionally they find that sweet spot of ridiculousness: Adam Howard’s lace-laden pleasure pleading, Nico Montalvo’s bouncing bosoms, and Jenna Kuerzi’s asides to the audience were notable highlights. A sequence at a brothel with a sultry song performed by Kuerzi was the biggest bright spot of the show. But these highlight moments were few and far between.

There’s Dirty, and Then There’s Nasty

The technical elements of this production also never really manage to make this turd shine. The lighting is patchy and hazy, oftentimes with actors having stark shadows across their face and light hitting in a slapdash pattern that didn’t always work. The central runway of the set was a nice change of pace from a standard proscenium, and it was utilized well enough. The broken down Art Deco wall at the top of the runway, as well as the chandelier were nice touches as well. The costumes were risque where they needed to be, but didn’t feel super cohesive. As with much of the production, there was a general messiness and disorganization that felt intentional, but also not pushed far enough.

While being able to see this rarely produced and often forgotten piece of queer theatre has its novelty, it’s a shame that this production doesn’t fully embrace its ridiculous roots. Turds in Hell is intentionally ridiculous, with scenes and a story that don’t really make much sense...but all of that absurdity needs to be carefully reveled in; it’s not enough to rely on sloppy and messy and call it “ridiculous.” EgoPo’s production doesn’t ever really make the absurdity feel authentic, instead relaying “scandalous” topics and moments in a way that feels at best performative edginess, and at worst childish. Still, it was not without some genuinely laugh out loud moments. This genre of theatre certainly has merit, and showcasing it is important in remembering our queer theatrical history, so I commend EgoPo for that; ultimately though, this production is one that may have audiences running to the nearest toilet for one reason or another.

EgoPo Classic Theater’s production of Turds in Hell is playing at Theatre Exile (1340 S. 13th Street) from now until April 20th.

For more information visit www.egopo.org.

The name Iphigenia means “born to strength,” however the story of Iphigenia is one of the most tragic of Greek tragedies. The play, Iphigenia in Splott, is not a modern retelling of the Greek tragedy, but rather a play that meditates on the meaning of the name Iphigenia. It’s the story of Effie, a woman who is born to strength, yet put through the wringer of emotional trauma utilizing that strength to survive. Written by Gary Owen, it is a complex dissection of the way the world treats women, with staggeringly rendered text that is constantly driving, and fully embracing the meaning of name Iphigenia.

Iphigenia in Splott is a beautifully realized production. The simple set by Melpomene Katakalos is effective in aiding the story; its textured walls add to the roughness of the world that Effie lives in. Lighting by Shannon Zura was the real stand out, especially the ways in which the light bounced off the aforementioned walls. The way she was able to segment and dissect the stage with light truly elevated the performance on stage. Kittson O’Neil served as director, and has mastered how to stage a solo show with clarity and definition. The way she staged this show is simple, yet effective, allowing the script to soar.

The central character of the show, Effie, is a mess of a person. The trauma she experiences, and the way she copes through it all is no easy feat to navigate. Campbell O’Hare is an extremely talented actor, and her skills are on full display during this production. However, there is a disconnect between the actor and character that is at times hard to overlook. Effie is rough around the edges, dangerous and volatile; Campbell isn’t able to convey that roughness, with a sheen of performance and presentation that often feels in conflict with the written character. It’s an unfortunate undercurrent throughout the show that never resolves itself to the aid of the production.

Iphigenia in Splott is a show that truly transcends the time it was written in. The show’s core message of strength through adversity is relevant now more than ever. Effie’s final diatribe about the ways in which the wealthy take from those who are “born to strength” is extremely timely, as we watch an oligarchy continue to take root in this country. Her final words of “What’s gonna happen when we can’t take it anymore?” serve as much as a call to action as they do an introspective look at herself. It’s a strikingly forward ending, that in less deft hands might come across as sentimental, but here is played with full integrity. Inis Nua’s production of this remarkable play has many great qualities to it, and like Effie herself, perseveres throughout.

Iphigenia in Splott is on stage with Inis Nua Theatre Company at the Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake from now until March 30th.

For more information visit https://inisnuatheatre.org/show/iphigenia-splott

She’s Beauty and She’s Grace

Where Irish Heritage Theatre’s production shines most is in its performances. Kirsten Quinn and Mary Pat Walsh as Maureen and Mag respectively, serve just the right amount of venom as the mad mother-daughter duo. The resentment that Quinn is able to portray is tantamount to a seeping poison, and never feels forced or put on. Her and Walsh have an electric chemistry, and both do well with their Irish accents. Ray Hargraves and Brian Anthony Wilson as the Dooley brothers have less to do in the script, but both actors bring palpable humanity to their performances. Hargraves is able to interject the few moments of humor in the show splendidly, while Wilson fills his Pato with an endearing yearning for a better life that is admirable.

Some Lumpy Complan

Unfortunately, the performances aren’t supported by the other elements of the production. The direction by Peggy Mecham feels stilted at times. The scene changes in particular are staged in a way that completely saps all energy and momentum from the production. This play is difficult, constantly building upon itself, but with this staging it feels like every new scene is starting at the beginning, instead of continuing to fester and grow to the final moments. One directional choice that bothered me was around the decision to mime a door, instead of having a physical door in the space. While that in itself is not a problem, the issue was that none of the actors seemed to be on the same page in how that door opened or closed (or at a few points whether it even existed), which was extremely distracting. The set, costumes and hair sadly don’t add anything to the production, and actually hinder it in obscuring exactly where and when this story takes place.

Overall, Irish Heritage Theatre’s production is a mixed bag. Good performances don’t always overcome a muddled production, and unfortunately this production is thus affected. McDonagh’s script still sizzles, though it is starting to show its age, and has occasional moments that don’t feel appropriate in today’s climate. All of that aside, The Beauty Queen of Leenane at Irish Heritage Theatre does not do much to highlight the quality of the script and the actors available, resulting in a production that never embraces its full beauty.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane is on stage now until March 23rd, 2025 at Plays and Players Mainstage (1714 Delancy Street).

For more information visit https://www.irishheritagetheatre.org/

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Spring Awakening, based on the 1891 play of the same name, tells the story of a group of young teens as they navigate their sexual awakenings in a world that doesn’t care to guide them through them. The show tackles extremely sensitive topics and serves as a severe warning of what can happen when parents don’t actually listen and help their growing kids. The musical helps to modernize this German Empire story by juxtaposing it with pop-rock music to help explore and define the ideas through a more contemporary lens.

CTC has set up their space in a three quarter thrust, with a U-shaped platform in the middle. It’s a fascinating set up that allows for a lot of dynamic scenic pictures. Costumes by Kerry Kristine McElrone (who also served as director) are also good. The choice to have the color palette be shades of white for the younger characters was rather nice, and helped evoke the innocence of the characters. Unfortunately, the setup allowed the cast very little in terms of remaining hidden or having clear exits: there were many moments where my eye was drawn to cast members standing around watching the scene with me, and a particularly disappointing moment where Moritz exits dramatically (no spoilers) to then be highlighted in silhouette by the light from the lobby hallway as he exited through the door to the space, providing a stark contrast to the dark material just presented on stage, and undercutting it intensely.

Vocally, this is a very talented cast. The ensemble numbers sound great, and are all highlights. The three central characters of Melchior, Moritz and Wendla played by John Murphy, Luke Sullivan, and Olivia Bloch respectively, all have lovely voices. Luke Sullivan as the tragic Moritz is a particular standout. He brings a mischievousness to the role that is refreshing and engaging to watch, and makes it his own. Unfortunately, for a show as “free” as this one, this cast felt particularly rigid at times, as if they hadn’t fully connected with one another as an ensemble yet. For material as dark as this, being surrounded by friends onstage can help bring light and levity to other moments, but while the cast consistently tried to bring all their energy forward, they perhaps lost touch with one another.

While there are some definite highlights in this production, it does falter in a few ways that stop it from fully awakening. A primary issue is the lack of connection from the scenes to the songs. The show is written in a way that the songs are non-diegetic, meaning they are not sung of the plot, but more commentaries on the plot. This presents many challenges, chiefly among them finding the connective through-line to make the transitions un-jarring. Unfortunately, this is an area that could’ve used a bit more attention; this mainly affected the scenes, where the energy would dip and the pacing had a slight tendency to drag, which is a shame with text as poetic and nuanced as this material. These scenes could have helped enrapture us to these young characters, but instead felt like afterthoughts to the more attentive musical numbers.

Overall, Spring Awakening is a mixed bag. Clearly there is a lot of talent involved, but there were some choices that needed a bit more clarification and refinement. This story is a heavy one, and special attention must be paid to crafting moments on stage where you can, whether that’s small moments of levity between friends in a cruel world, or respecting the need to let the darker moments hit hard and sit uncomfortably with an audience, so the story resonates with them. This production has a lot going for it, but ultimately doesn’t quite blossom into the smash hit that it could have.

City Theater Company’s Spring Awakening runs at The Delaware Contemporary (200 S. Madison Street, Wilmington DE) from now until December 21st 2024.

For more information visit city-theater.org.

Confabulation opens with Caroline, a young person joining a past life regression support group in the hopes of dealing with a “darkness” inside her. The leader of the group, Agnes, has questionable morals and a hard to place accent. We then meet the other three members of the group: Olivia, a woman who had been doing this therapy successfully, until others showed up; Shane, who had a past life as a cowboy, and now that is the only way he can find sexual pleasure; and Grant, who has been court ordered to attend these group therapy sessions. Unfortunately, the show never gives you a full opportunity to connect with any particular character. After the first third of the show, the characters shift back to a similar scene as the opening, and directly address the audience to announce that they are now playing different versions of these characters. The major changes being two characters’ sexuality, two characters’ relationship to each other, and Agnes’ wig…and accent.

This theatrical device is attempting to mimic the idea of what past life regression is. The issue here being that no one is actively experiencing a past life. Agnes and Olivia merely switch their relationships to Caroline, becoming her mother, sister and ex, but the scenes are happening in the present. It makes the story muddled and hard to follow. Then there’s Grant and Shane, who start out as antagonists, then switch to a sweet post-therapy hook up, then into a weird post trauma attacker/victim story. The stories never fully connect, and the cool idea of past life regression group therapy never gets fully explored. There are a lot of threads that get tossed up, but never caught on the way back down. I also found it very off-putting that only the main character, portrayed by the only black actor in the cast, is continuously referred to as having a “darkness’ within them that is inherently violent; truly, other characters do and say morally grey or corrupt things, but they are given more grace by other characters, so this felt dangerously close to harmful stereotype portrayal.

The production itself is designed well enough. The simple space is set up to feel like a cramped community center: 5 chairs, a bar and a trash can are used well to shift between spaces. There were times that the lighting and or staging could’ve divided the space up more to clearly define the limits of any given location, but that is overall a minor complaint. Director Jonathan Edmondson does well with the intimate scenes between two characters, particularly the scenes at the top of Act Two between Shane and Grant, and a later scene between Grant and Caroline, but occasionally relies on stage movements that don’t feel fully natural to the scene or performers. Triston Haq stands out as Shane, a character that could easily become one long running cowboy joke. He instead imbues him with a sweetness and tender openness that is refreshing to see. Raven Jane Adilene and Rain Diaz also turn in solid performances as Olivia and Grant, respectively. They both navigate their shifts in character well, even if they aren’t always the most coherent shifts.

Ultimately though, Confabulation is a confusing and unfocused show. Is it intentional, to make the audience feel like they’re being taken through a past life regression therapy session? I’m not too certain. Regardless, this show is ambitious in what it attempts to portray, and while it takes a large swing, it ultimately misses more than it hits. The performers and director do their best with the material, but it isn’t quite enough to make Confabulation truly click and fall into place.

Confabulation is on stage now at the Bob and Selma Horan Studio Theatre, Hamilton Family Arts Center (62 N Second Street) until October 20th, 2024.

For more information visit here!

Bodies (Matti McLean)

The art of body painting is fascinating, complex, and intimate. Having an artist take their brushes and literally paint on skin seems like a wildly wonderful experience. Artist and performer Matti McLean utilized his talents for both to bring a very unique experience to Fringe this year. The show is relatively simple, Matti and a model stand on stage; Matti paints them, then interjects life stories and words of wisdom to the audience. There are also moments of audience participation, as Matti invites audience questions during the painting interludes. Matti’s story is fascinating, in how he found his way to body painting and body positivity. Occasionally, the writing feels a touch like an after school special, but not in any truly detrimental way. While his painting style is abstract, his story is anything but, being extremely relatable and at times profound. Being able to witness a live, in-person body painting exhibition was truly a splendid experience that made Bodies one of the coolest Fringe pieces this year.

Bodies ended its limited run on September 18th. To follow Matti’s journey visit here.

Smooth, a solo queer noir musical, bitch (Asteroid B612)

The noir films of the 1930’s and 40’s were made with the intention of being intense, dramatic films. While there are still some classics, many films of the genre are looked at through a lens of camp. In Smooth, a solo queer noir musical, bitch writer and performer Dan Kitrosser dials that camp up to eleven with punny names, musical interludes, and a lot of dick jokes. The story isn’t exactly the most complex thing: a wife seeks out a PI to help find her husband who has vanished. Surprise! The husband had also been sleeping with the PI, and left them all in a mystery surrounding a dive bar called the Glory Hole. There are many twists and turns, some that make sense, others that are a bit more of a leap. Dan is an effervescent performer, who had an extremely welcoming energy. Their smile alone lit up the rather tiny space in Christ Church. While occasionally funny, the slapstick humor started to run a little dry after a while, with maybe one too many entendre. Overall this show was a little rough around the edges, but had a lot of heart behind it, and enough jokes to make it entertaining as a whole.

Smooth, a solo queer noire musical, bitch ran until September 29th. To stay up to date with Dan and his work, visit here!

Power (Reggie Wilson/ Fist and Heel Performance Group)

Power, the new dance piece by Reggie Wilson and the Fist and Heel Performance Group, explores the complex history of a community of Shakers led by freed black women in Philadelphia in 1859. The creative framing device helped ease the audience into the show, utilizing the innate charm of a simple storyteller to help us understand what we were watching. The choreography was percussive, exciting, invigorating and fascinating to watch. Occasionally, it dipped into a repetitive styling that felt a little unfocused, but overall was exhilarating to watch. The show had a natural ebb and flow of energy throughout that was refreshing, and never dragged. Would have loved a touch more clarity on the shifts between the modern day, almost dance class sections, and the past, more spiritual, moments, but that is a small gripe in an otherwise Power-ful performance piece.

See what I did there?

Power ended its limited engagement on September 22nd. For more information on Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group, visit here.

Calvin Barrows (Theatre by Development)

Calvin has been hit by a car and is in a coma. On the one month anniversary of this event, his group of friends get together to have a party celebrating and commemorating their friend. However, through his magic eight ball, Calvin is able to be at the party and get a first hand view on his friends and their thoughts, hopes, and wants. This new work, presented by a relatively new theatre company, is certainly ambitious. Unabashedly queer, this group of friends sadly never fully feels like actual friends. It is hard to track why these people all like each other. The eight ball concept is really interesting, and a great way to get to know characters, but there is a point in the show where the eight ball character monologues zap all momentum from the piece. While lights and sets were well executed, there seemed to be a general lack of energy from the production. It’s a shame for such an interesting concept, that I would love to see further explored and worked on.

Calvin Barrows ran at The Skinner Studio Theater in Plays and Players (1714 Delancy Street) until September 29th. For more information, head here.

This is How We Remember (Zoe Rabinowitz and Galen Bremer)

This is How We Remember is a deeply personal story of a woman dealing with her mother’s deterioration to Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, while abstract modern dance is not my forte, this piece didn’t seem to fully translate from the mind of the artists to the audience from my perspective. Auditorily difficult to understand, visually repetitive, and a lack of cohesive thru-line made this piece less successful than it could’ve been. While some of the choreography was visually appealing, there was a lack of growth and development throughout the piece to make it cohesive. There were projections and music, but neither were particularly effective. This is How We Remember was an overall miss for me, but I hope others were moved.

This is How We Remember ended its run on September 22nd. To keep up with Zoe and Galen, visit here.

Whore’s Eye View (Kaytlin Bailey/ Old Pros)

One part stand-up comedy show, one part historical Ted Talk, Whore’s Eye View was a fantastic one person show about the oldest profession. Yes, that’s right, Whore’s Eye View explored the intricacies, history and persecution of sex workers. Kaytlin Bailey’s one person show was as hilarious as it was informative, expertly crafted to highlight the parallels in our society today, and at various points through history. Bailey, a sex worker and comedienne, wonderfully paired personal anecdotes with historical events, leading the audience to snap or clap in agreement at several moments. Bailey is an engaging performer, naturally charismatic, and with great comedic timing. The message of the show, that sex work is an ancient and acceptable form of work, is extremely important, and a topic that should be actively talked about more. To be honest, this show could have been longer. The history of sex work is fascinating and there were topics that were only briefly mentioned that could be expanded and explored more, which I would love to see and hear about from Kaytlin.

Whore’s Eye View ended its engagement on September 23rd. For more information on Kaytlin Bailey/ Old Pros, visit here.

Thank you so much for following along on my wild ride through the 2024 Philadelphia Fringe Festival!

Nosejob (Lightning Rod Special)

Nosejob is a memory play that follows Devon (Lee Minora) as she recounts a fragment of her experience in a religious college. At Devon’s school, a trend called “burying” has become an unfortunate experience the women of the school are encountering. This show uses the religious story of St. Aebbe the younger to juxtapose the attempts to combat unwanted sexual advances from the men of the college. St Aebbe the younger was an abbess who, to avoid being sexually assaulted by vikings, used a razor to chop off her nose, disfiguring her and making her undesirable in the eyes of the vikings.

Nosejob is kind of a mixed bag of a production. Technically, it is great. The set by You-Shin Chen, costumes by Rebecca Kanach, lights by Mike Inwood and sound by Kathy Ruvuna are all top notch. All of the elements work in unison to help aid the narrative, and work well to aid in the expediency of the story from one scene to another. The use of lockers in particular is rather creative and entertaining. Performances and direction are also pretty solid. New Fringe Arts CEO Nell Bang-Jensen stages the show in interesting tableaux, and continuously injected a sense of urgency throughout the show.

Where this show stumbles is in the script itself. It feels all over the place, and can’t seem to fully focus on the story it wants to tell. Is it about a group of four college women trying to combat sexual assault on campus? Is it a will they/won’t they romance between two young coworkers? Is it about vikings and St. Aebbe the younger? The show doesn’t seem to fully know, and tends to rely on a few well-trodden tropes to try and connect these patchwork pieces together. I must note also that in 2024, it’s a bit odd to use two men being intimate as a punchline, even if there is some slight nuance to it; it felt forced and unnecessary. Don’t misunderstand though, this Nosejob is definitely not botched: it has its funny moments and talented people working on it, but needs a bit more polishing within the text itself.

Nosejob runs at Theatre Exile (1340 S. 13th Street) until September 21st. Tickets can be purchased here.

Pirate Queens (Brooke Shilling)

Who doesn’t love pirates?! Brooke Shilling’s Pirate Queens tells the stories of Mary Read and Anne Bonny, two famous (or infamous) female pirates who were also lovers during the “Golden Age of Piracy”. The show consists of three performers presenting this story on a small wooden platform with minimal props. It is a style of theatre that I find can do more of a disservice to a piece, as it limits the performers and storytelling somewhat. The story that Shilling is telling is really interesting, and the constraints of the stage don’t allow it to fully bloom and be as accessible to an audience as it could be. It also doesn’t allow these characters to be fully explored in a truly meaningful way. That being said, the three performers (Brooke Shilling, Elena Nahrmann and Connor Hogan) all give funny, engaging performances. Nahrmann in particular, as Anne Bonny, adds a complex subtlety to her characterization that makes her story all the more interesting. There are also some really fun audience interactions, especially the ending as Shilling invites the audience to dream up happier endings for these two iconic women. Overall, this engaging script could stand to benefit from a larger scale production that helps to fully capture the fantastical life that these women lived.

Pirate Queens ended its run on September 14th, but you can keep up to date with Brooke Shilling here.

John Jarboe: The Rose Garden (The Fabric Workshop and Museum)

When John Jarboe came out as trans, her Aunt explained that it made total sense, as John had eaten her twin in the womb. Since then, Jarboe has been exploring this revelation with last year’s Rose: You Are What You Eat, examining through the lens and style of a cabaret performance. This year, Jarboe (with a whole bevy of talented artists’ help) has created an immersive multimedia installation examining the complex thoughts of having eaten a twin in the womb, and how that intersects with her own gender experience. What is being presented at The Fabric Workshop and Museum is a truly one-of-a-kind exhibition. Weaving through several rooms in a house, and guided with gentle care by both Rose and John, this exhibition pulls back the curtain on the complexities of gender identity. The visuals are striking and paired exquisitely with original music, that creates a visceral reaction both grandly moving and strikingly intimate. It truly is a wonderful exhibit, and I cannot recommend enough.

Information for John Jarboe: The Rose Garden can be found here, where they also have several useful content warnings.

Poor Judge (Pig Iron Theatre Company)

Admittedly, I was not very familiar with the work of indie rockstar Aimee Mann, but that didn’t stop my enjoyment of the experimental and thoughtful Poor Judge. Told through a series of abstract vignettes, Poor Judge uses the music of Aimee Mann to explore and contextualize ideas about illusion and disillusionment. An ensemble of 7 take on the artifice of Aimee Mann (thick rimmed glasses and a beachy, ombre wig) navigating the complexities of her lyrics and the dissection of these ideas and concepts in visually striking ways. The incorporation of visual media is particularly wonderful, as it is used to effectively punctuate ideas or jokes. Director Eva Steinmetz is masterful at using the space on the Wilma stage in exciting and fascinating ways. Pulling together all these vastly different moving pieces is no easy task, and yet it runs so incredibly smoothly that it feels common sense that these disparate art styles should work so well together.

Where this show really shines though, is in the music and the performances. Vocally, this is one of the best sounding shows I’ve ever seen in Philadelphia. The first time the ensemble sings as one, the wall of sound that is created is breathtaking. Alex Bechtel’s arrangements and music direction truly shine, leaving this critic desperately wanting them to release a recording of these songs with this cast. The performers are also accompanying themselves, which is impressive in its own right, never mind the truly splendid execution of staging while playing. At the heart of this ensemble piece is a truly magnetic performance by Dito van Reigersberg. From the moment they walk onto the stage, and take up the blonde ombre wig, they are instantly captivating. In a show that is positing ideas about artifice and illusion in Hollywood, their performance is so brazenly open and honest, that it strips away all artifice and stands in direct opposition to the harsh ideas the show is exploring, to masterful effect.

Poor Judge is not a show to be missed, and will hopefully have a long and fruitful life after this festival is over. It is currently at the Wilma Theater (265 S. Broad Street) For tickets and more information, visit here.

within/without (Jungwoong Kim)

Exploring the intricate complexities of living life as an immigrant, and the constant search for home is no trivial matter. Artists Jungwoong Kim and Germaine Ingram utilize their own experiences with sound and music to recount their feelings on these topics through styled movement and poetry. Kim, an immigrant from South Korea, derives a lot from culturally important songs and rituals, while Ingram explores through music, as it shifted throughout the latter half of the 20th century. While both artists are mining interesting ideas, this piece felt more like a show still in an exploratory phase, rather than a concrete statement on any given topic. It felt a little all over the place, without having enough connective tissue, other than the performers obvious friendship and affinity for one another. Kim’s movements and choreography are engaging to watch, and develop well within the context of what he is trying to get across. Ingram’s poetry is profound, but her choreography had too similar of a vein throughout, and didn’t feel like it went on the same journey that her words did.

within/without has one more performance on September 22nd, at Christ Church Neighborhood House (20 N. 2nd Street), tickets can be found here.

Penis Envy (Becky Bondurant)

The 2016 Presidential election had extreme ramifications, and was a time where a lot of people were confronted with some profound truths about how scary and intense this world can be. In this solo show, monologist Becky Bondurant recounts her experiences while being pregnant and giving birth to her daughter during that tumultuous time. Bondurant proposes some interesting thoughts and opinions about the state of politics, and how where we are currently feels eerily similar to 2016. Ultimately though, this piece fell a little flat. The minimalist approach of keeping Bondurant sat throughout the monologue felt strange, especially given that there were several moments where it felt like she wanted to move. Also, as Bondurant was reading from the script directly, her voice frequently fell into a repetitive cadence that took a lot of steam out of what she was saying. There were many moments where the entire pace of the show screeched to a halt as we watched Bondurant find her place in her text, and it did the piece a disservice. There were also some attempts at levity and humor that didn’t quite land, and felt slightly out of place. What Bondurant was trying to say is both valid and important, and her viewpoint is something that I think a lot of people could identify with, but it ultimately got lost in what felt like a lack of preparation in presentation.

Penis Envy played at the Yellow Bicycle Theater (1435 Arch Street, 2nd Floor) until September 15th. To follow what Bondurant does next visit here.

Thus ends the second week of the 2024 Philadelphia Fringe Festival! Am I exhausted? Yes. Am I excited to see more? Also yes!

Keep an eye out for next week’s round up, and go see a show!

What is the Butt Game? (Savannah Reich and Connor Hogan)

What do you remember about your childhood daycare experience? Was it shut down during the Satanic Panic of the late 80’s- early 90’s? That experience is what artists Savannah Reich and Connor Hogan are trying to excavate in the very funny, if occasionally messy, What is the Butt Game? Connor, as Savannah, with the help of three local, unrehearsed actors tell the true story of how Savannah’s day care was investigated and shuttered due to reports of sexual abuse and child endangerment, including the titled “butt game.”

When the butt game is firing on all cylinders, it really gels as a hysterical night of theatre. Connor’s ability to connect with the audience, while also leading the three actors, is truly magnificent; he creates a welcoming, endearing tone for the whole show. The show poses a lot of deep, interesting questions, but doesn’t always answer them. The ambiguity is the point, but it can occasionally feel like there are too many loose threads by the end of the show. The spontaneity of improv and rotating cast (each show utilizes three new actors with minimal rehearsal time) provides a really refreshing and very “fringe” experience that makes What is the Butt Game? shine even through its flaws.

What is the Butt Game? is playing at Christ Church Neighborhood House (20 N. American Street) on Sept. 15th, Sept 20th and Sept 26th. Tickets can be purchased here.

Lilith and Her Demons (Apartment 20 Theatre)

A small theatre company presenting a one-night-only concert of a new musical in development? Sign me up! Apartment 20 Theatre presented a concert version of the musical Lilith and Her Demons (which they presented digitally during the COVID-19 Pandemic) on September 2nd. Lilith and her Demons explores the greater idea of the mythological figure Lilith and how she inhabits the lives of women today.

The concert was presented simply and, with the minimal amount of rehearsal time, well. The score is tonally cohesive, and very refined. The melodic lines don’t always go where you expect them to, which works most times, but occasionally sounds off in an unintentional way. Musical arrangements by Damien Figueras truly shine; their choice of instrumentation was well thought out, and created a unique sound for the material. The cast of three handled the material well, with Courtney Bird being a standout with powerhouse vocals. Hopefully this show continues to be workshopped and developed, as a full production of this would be fascinating to see.

To keep up with Apartment 20 Theatre and further development of Lilith and Her Demons, click here.

Ulysses (Elevator Repair Service)

Elevator Repair Service, a New York City based theatre company, brought their production of James Joyce’s Ulysses as part of the Fringe Arts curated performances. The performance is a group of actors getting together to read the text of the famous titular novel to the audience. They do skip parts, and fast forward in an attempt to create brevity, but the effect quickly loses its humor. Ulysses is a famously difficult text to read, as the way Joyce writes, and his lack of exposition, make it hard to connect and understand the characters. This production doesn’t help audiences in understanding the text, instead making it all the more muddled and difficult to understand by abridging and omitting what little contest was in the source material. There is also talk of how the writing style changes throughout sections, yet the performance style doesn’t follow suit, instead maintaining a frankly quite boring presentational style that doesn’t allow the text or performers to shine. It was a performance and style of theatre that didn’t land well for me, and seemingly missed the mark of making other audience members care about Ulysses, based on the walkouts I saw (unfortunate for the performers, who give it their all).

Ulysses ran until September 7th, check out Elevator Repair Services for their next productions.

On Buried Ground (Christ Church Preservation Trust)

One of the great things about the Philadelphia Fringe Festival is the many opportunities to explore new and exciting “found” theatre productions. One such is On Buried Ground, developed by Nia Benjamin, Rayne (Angela Bey), and Shayla-Vie Jenkins, and presented in collaboration with Christ Church Preservation Trust. This piece unearths the history of black congregants of the historic Christ Church. The show is separated into two halves, with a prolonged intermission taking place at Christ Church Neighborhood House, where there is an exhibit in conjunction with the show entitled Groundlings: An Exhibition.

The first half invites the audience to explore Christ Church Burial Ground as it tells the stories of four black children, who were slaves and buried in unmarked graves at the burial ground. It’s structured as a “choose your own adventure” experience, as each installation is presented concurrently while the light fades on the historic burial ground. This type of theatre is not always my preferred choice, as I feel you can miss certain aspects of the performances while picking your unique path. That being said, all of the vignettes are well crafted, adding to a supremely unique experience.

The second half is truly spectacular. The show moves inside Christ Church to tell the story of Alice of Dunk’s Ferry, an enslaved woman who lived to be 116 years old. It examines the end of her life through a beautiful amalgamation of dance, poetry and technical elements. The way they have lit and presented the space inside Christ Church makes it feel ethereal, haunting and quite frankly stunning. The dancers move throughout the space effortlessly, engaging the audience to look all around the space. The main performance of Alice portrayed by Rhonda Moore is truly magnificent. She is instantly captivating and electrifying to watch. There are moments where everything is working so harmoniously throughout the second half that it becomes more of a spiritual experience than a theatrical one. It was one of the most captivating and engrossing experiences I’ve witnessed in theatre, which makes On Buried Ground a must-see Fringe show.

On Buried Ground runs at Christ Church now until September 14th. Tickets can be purchased here.

The Garden: River’s Edge (Nichole Canuso Dance Company)

More of an individualized guided meditation than full performance piece, Nichole Canuso Dance Company revitalizes their ongoing production piece The Garden… in this new version taking place at Arch Street Meeting House. Small groups of audiences are given headsets, and guided through an interactive experience that combines dance with aspirational speech and music. What transpires is a completely unique experience for each individual, that is exceedingly calming and engaging. The choreography is interesting to watch, but the real purpose of this piece is to get the audience to feel and be aware of the world around them. It’s a wildly effective means of performance and a truly simple, effective way to recenter the idea of performance on the interaction between audience and performers.

The Garden: Rivers Edge runs at Arch Street Meeting House now through September 22nd. Click here for tickets.

Graveyard Shift (Emma McGill/Sam Lane)

Emma McGill and Sam Lane grapple with grief through the lens of a speculative reality show hosted by Andy Cohen. Only this Andy Cohen is a puppet, who is holding the promise of health insurance over the head of our solo performer, Emma. Graveyard Shift tries to say a lot, with much in the piece about grief, toxic work environments and our reality-tv obsessed culture. However, it doesn’t really say much that you can’t find in any basic newsletter about those given topics. The way it is performed is a touch over the top, bordering on abrasive, which rarely feels in step with the topic being discussed. Particularly, a moment where Emma is working as a daycare instructor, and continuously devolves into an aggressive, Gollum-like physical and vocal performance to yell and scold children stood in contrast to the central topics. There are some very real feelings and emotions Emma is trying to mine for the production, and it’s an earnest attempt that just needs further refinement.

Graveyard Shift has one more performance on September 11th. Tickets can be purchased here.

Ponya (Ankole INC)

One small piece of Cannonball Festival is their Black Circus Week, which allows many underrepresented circus performers the space to shine and showcase their skills. One such performance was Ponya by Ankole Inc. The show consists of three short vignettes utilizing circus and dance to explore how black and queer bodies are used and stigmatized by western medical practices. Choreography was a standout in this production, with the circus talents being truly mesmerizing to watch. All of the performers were showcased in invigorating ways, especially the one performer who was nursing an arm in a sling, yet still able to present some exciting silks choreography. Technical elements left a little to be desired, with a reliance on strobe lighting that didn’t heighten the choreography. Overall, an enjoyable performance that hopefully gets expanded into a longer examination of its concepts.

Follow Ankole INC here for any upcoming performances.

Diva! Live from Hell (Jack Taylor)

The idea that hell is an individualized punishment based on your deeds in life is on full display in this campy, unsettling production of Diva! Live from Hell. This torture cabaret recounts the story of high school student Desmond Channing, and his downfall from Drama Club President to murderer doomed forever to present kitschy cabaret numbers for demons. It’s a rather wild story when you hash it out, and one that almost lacks a thesis. Are we supposed to feel bad for Desmond? Is it more than just a take down of toxic theatre kid stereotypes? The show never really answers the questions that it’s asking, and becomes strikingly graphic towards the end. It’s a difficult piece to grapple with in today’s climate, with heightened awareness of violence geared at younger generations.

That being said, the music is campy fun, though a bit forgettable. Jack Taylor plays Desmond Channing well, with a pleasant voice that is occasionally let down by the material being sung. They are charismatic to watch, and instantly create a wonderful rapport with the audience. As Jack recounts Desmond’s story, he shifts throughout various characters with varying degrees of success. His interpretations of laid back new guy Evan Harris, and the beleaguered teacher/director of the drama club, Mr Dallas, felt a touch too similar at times. However, his performance as Desmond’s best friend Allie Hewitt was delightfully endearing and heartfelt. Her solo song “His Best Friend” was a true standout.

Lighting, set and costumes all were really effective in aiding the storytelling. Also, a special shout out must go to the lobby design and posters leading to the theatre. It truly does set the tone so see a poster of Patti LuPone with flames in her eyes saying “Welcome to Hell”.

Diva! Live from Hell is playing at the Skinner Studio Theatre in Pays and Players (1714 Delancy Street) from now until September 14th. Tickets can be purchased here.

Check back next week for Week Two of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and my reviews of selected performances! In the meantime, do all these incredible artists a favor and share this review with your friends so more people hear about their great work!

Epic Storytelling

While Homer’s Odyssey tells the tale of Odysseus returning from the Trojan War, Parks’ version tells the tale of Hero, a slave in Texas, who is tasked with joining his master to fight for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. The story is broken into three parts (Part I: Measure of a Man; Part II: Battle in the Wilderness; Part III: The Union of my Confederate Parts) that all collectively tell Hero’s story. Parks’ adaptation is loose, and rather than be a beat for beat retread of Homer’s tale, uses the existing themes to help explore the complexities of slavery. That is not to say that Parks ever attempts to speak kindly of slavery (she doesn’t), but she instead explores the ethos and pathos of her main character, to ponder on the perks of freedom when the world still treats you as less than human.

It’s an interesting, and at times difficult, conversation that Parks never fully answers. She uses her characters to examine these ideas from different angles, especially in Part II where Hero comes face to face with a light-skinned Union Soldier. Their back and forth exchange of thoughts about whether freedom robs one of a purpose was highly compelling. She also explores similar complex ideas through the character of Penny, Hero’s wife who stays behind: desperately waiting for him to return. Penny struggles with the initial idea of Hero leaving in Part I, and that storyline continues when she returns to the story in Part III. The means with which Penny has had to survive are complicated, with certain relationships having an unbalanced power dynamic. In this, however, Parks is able to explore the strength and survival of Black women by giving Penny all of the power in the final moments of the play. It is a fascinating ending that is as compelling as it is uncomfortable.

Solid Production

To stage this play is no easy feat, and for the most part Quintessence’s production meets the lofty heights of the script. That is in part because of some stellar performances and wonderful direction. Director Raelle Myrick-Hodges uses the space well, and helps imbue the actors with the sense of gravitas this play demands. She keeps the pace flowing, though it does take a little time for the actors to get into a solid rhythm. Performances are strong across the board, with standouts being Deja Anderson-Ross as Penny, Donovan Whitney as Smith, and Kelechi Udenkwo as Hero. Anderson-Ross in particular is sensational as Penny, with her scenes in Part III being some of the best moments of the piece.

Where this show unfortunately fumbled was in the technical aspects. The set was a touch plain, and didn’t have the usual drama that Quintessence produces. It was slightly elevated, but that was never really utilized in a way that felt intentional. Lighting and Sound oftentimes felt underwhelming, and there were several times where cues/shifts felt out of time with the script. The costumes were okay, but at times disappeared into the set as they were often similar colors. As a whole, it felt like a lot of time was spent on the text of the piece, with not enough focus on the look.

Father Comes Home from the Wars Parts I, II, & III is a series of plays that will make you think. The dialogue seamlessly transitions from poetic musings on the price of individuality, to somber, heated discussions on race and what it means to be free. Parks’ text is tackled with a lot of intention and care in Quintessence’s production, with some truly remarkable performances and moments. While it is disheartening to see some production elements struggle to keep pace with the text, that doesn’t stop this play from being an important, if challenging, addition to the modern classics.

Father Comes Home from the Wars Parts I, II, & III is playing at Quintessence Theatre Group (7137 Germantown Ave.) from now until June 23rd, 2024.

For more information visit quintessencetheatre.org.

And On This Island

Once On this Island is a 1990 musical written by Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flaherty. It premiered on Broadway to acclaim, and has become a staple amongst high schools and regional theatres since then. It tells the story of the orphan Ti Moune, a dark-skinned peasant girl, who falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy light-skinned boy. Ti Moune is then sent on a journey by the Gods, facing many challenges and choices throughout which test her love and perseverance. There is a lot of emotional heft to lift from the show, with its many messages and motifs, yet it remains an easily accessible show; this is likely one of many reasons that it is frequently produced.

Another reason for its popularity is the score. Aherns and Flaherty have a knack for writing some wonderful musical theatre scores, like Ragtime and Seussical, and this is one of their bests. With the fiery opening of “We Dance,” the yearning want of “Waiting for Life,” and the somber devastation of “Part of Us,” this score runs the gamut of human emotion and experience. Structurally, the show does hit a snag about two thirds of the way through, where there are too many mid-tempo ballads in sequence, but that is a small complaint when the score is so strong in other places.

The Gods Heard Our Prayers

The Arden’s staging is truly stellar, making the performance space feel bigger and more vast than I have ever seen there. Helmed by Amina Robinson and choreographed by Devon Sinclair, this production fully embraces the script and sets it amongst the turmoil of current struggles happening in Haiti. Using this setting to highlight the show’s insistence on hope, love, and basic human compassion for one another is a decidedly smart choice. It allows for the fantastical aspects of the show to feel grounded and real in a way that helps them soar. Lighting by Alyssandra Docherty, Sound by Liz Atkinson, and Costumes by LeVonne Lindsay are all top notch, and help highlight Robinson’s vision and Sinclair’s eclectic, kinetic, gripping movements. The set by David P. Gordon is also visually stunning, though does occasionally feel too big for the intimacy of the story.

Robinson has assembled a true celebration of talent on this stage. The entire ensemble works magically together, weaving in and out of characters with ease, all the while sounding and looking amazing. The whole ensemble is a stand out, but certain performances deserve even further acclaim. Chabrelle Williams as Mama Euralie has an absolutely phenomenal voice, while also imbuing her character with a warmth and tenderness that is so genuine and heartfelt. Her vocal runs and improv during key moments, particularly the song “Pray”, hit right to the core and give chills. The Gods (Asaka played by Tiara Greene, Papa Ge played by Jessica Johnson, Erzulie played by Ryane Nicole Studivant, and Agwe played by Curtis Wiley) each present magnificent performances. Greene and Studivant give powerhouse vocals in their respective solos, and carry much of the joy and light the show conveys. Wiley’s presence and movements are engaging, and the way he works his long trench coat is wonderful. Meanwhile, Johnson’s cavalier coolness, intimidation and then genuine sympathy for Ti Moune at the end makes for an always eye pulling performance. Nadia Ra’Shaun is also delightful as Ti Moune, she has an effervescent quality that immediately makes her engaging to watch. Each performer in this fantastic cast gets their moment to shine, and it’s truly terrific to see.

To say that the Arden Theatre Company’s production of this musical is a triumph would be an understatement. From casting to staging, lights, sets, and costumes, this production fires on all cylinders. It is a tremendous success, and all involved should be extremely proud of the work they’re doing. This production charms the crowd into rooting for Ti Moune and endears us all to her story of love overcoming any and all obstacles. The timing of this production could not be more perfect, as it reminds us that even in the darkest hours, we should have hope.

Once On this Island is on stage at The Arden Theatre Company (40 N. 2nd Street) from now until June 23rd, 2024.

For more information visit ardentheatre.org.

Written for Queer Reviewed by Ben Deane-Schierloh

Walking into Rosy’s Taco Bar East, located in the bustling Queen’s Village neighborhood of Philadelphia, I’m both curious and intrigued to see how a location like this will work for the event I’m planning to see this evening: a one-man cabaret show entitled Down a Yellow Brick Road: The Music of Judy Garland.

As I make my way upstairs, I grab a seat at the bar with a friend, as my eyes look upon an admittedly unusual (but welcome) sight at an establishment like this: a raised stage, complete with prominent proscenium, lounge chairs, a lone microphone on a stand, and a keyboard. Suddenly, I’m enticed and excited for the evening to come: live performance and delicious tacos and margaritas together in the same room? Count me on board.

Still, there’s a little trepidation from me as I sit there and begin to ponder: how will such an intimate space help or hinder this performer? Thankfully, I need not worry, as soon enough the star of tonight’s performance walks in and immediately the tone of the evening is set, and the audience knows we’re in safe hands.

Tyler Houchins is no stranger to the Philadelphia theater world, and here displays a raw and moving evening of songs set to the music of a fierce woman who inspired him greatly, the incomparable Judy Garland. Down a Yellow Brick Road… is here in Philadelphia after three successful New York engagements, and it’s easy to understand why. From the second they enter the room, Tyler’s warmness and energy becomes infectious, inviting the audience in on the journey with him.

As soon as he sings, a few things become readily apparent. Houchins possesses a masterful control of his voice with this repertoire, with perfect rounded vowels and powerful straight tones, contrasted with a strong vibrato that evokes, but never imitates, that of Broadway divas long passed. My favorite tunes of the night required Houchins to use his head voice, an absolutely stunning mix of high pitches and gentle wobbling vibrato that added a soaring elegance to his vocals. Especially impressive was his vocal ability to flip into head voice from his beltier chest vocals, a skill which never stopped to delight my ears.

Additionally, while this genre of music is so pleasingly “simple” to the ears melodically, it should be noted that on a technical level, it is anything but. Tight melodic lines and accidentals, combined with utilization of the full vocal range, while often unsupported by accompaniment for brief intervals…all obstacles which Houchins is able to navigate through with seeming ease, despite the songs’ deceptive difficulty.

Special kudos must be given to the setup: a single accompanist and an elegantly stripped back sound mix, that chose not to rely on strong reverb for added presence in the voice, made the star of the show (and the force of his vocals) a natural highlight of the aural landscape. The accompanist here, Mark Hartman, is a perfect fit for Houchins, effortlessly supporting him on the keys, vamping music between songs to underscore Tyler’s dialogue, and even offering up harmonies to complement the song.

While the vocals alone would be worth the night out, Houchins has structured this show in a way that lets him weave the music of Garland through a story of his own upbringing in the South, his own journey of discovering queerness, and highlighting the power of community. Houchins’ ability to tell stories is astounding, building empathy with his audience through raw honesty and vulnerability, but keeping them entertained with humor and lightness throughout.

The songs chosen here were tied very well into the overall narrative. Particular favorites of mine included “The Boy Next Door” and “Too Late Now,” with the former in particular capturing such a sense of longing made all the more gut-wrenching through Houchins’ vocal flips into a softer resonant head voice. If I had to find an issue with one piece of the cabaret, it would be minor, but I found that the only song that didn’t necessarily fit was “Purple People Eater,” as it’s an odd song (by design). The crowd seemed to love it, however.

The evening wrapped up with a wrenching and raw anecdote that revolved around Houchins’ reaction and response to the Pulse nightclub massacre of 2016, in which a gunman entered Pulse (a gay club in Orlando) and murdered civilians. Reeling from that news, Houchins gravitated to the local Philadelphia gayborhood, and saw the strength of the queer community coming together and mourning in solidarity, with strangers comforting one another due to that shared sense of community. This touching tale dovetailed into possibly my favorite rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” I’ve ever heard: a slower, more intentional version that reflected a sense of hope against overwhelming trials and odds. Combined with the preceding story, it was a fantastic showcase of why Judy Garland became (and remains) such an icon for the queer community, and I commend Houchins on the smart application of that most famous tune here.

A celebration of queerness, of old movies and musical theater divas, and of the endearing musical legacy of one of Hollywood’s greatest vocalists, Down a Yellow Brick Road: The Music of Judy Garland proves to be a fun and engaging cabaret, headlined by a smart and talented leading star with a passion for honoring her legacy.

City Theater Company (CTC), billed as “Delaware’s Off-Broadway”, has a tendency and reputation for doing “in your face” works that tend to push the boundaries of conventional theatre and surprise audiences. Thus, audiences may be surprised to see them buck that reputation by producing a streamlined, elegant production of a renowned play. Thankfully, the current offering of Brian Friel’s play Dancing at Lughnasa is a triumph in many ways: a wonderfully restrained production that overcomes the occasional script issue to make a heartwarming and engaging performance, proving that CTC can excel at multiple types of theatrical experiences. Here, the strong performances, interesting staging and an effectively simple set allow this show to flourish and dance.

They’re Irish

Brian Friel’s semi-autobiographical play was originally presented in 1990, to wide acclaim. The play tells the story of the Mundy sisters in Ireland, over the course of one summer in 1936. The sisters struggle with their place within the community they inhabit, tests of their faith, the return of their elder brother who is deeply changed, and simply surviving during the turn of the industrial revolution. The story is framed as a memory from Michael, the son of the youngest sister Christina, who recounts to the audience this tale, and interacts with his memories throughout.

What is surprising about this play is how little dramatic action there is. While the sisters have plenty of engaging discussion, there aren’t many active events that happen within the play, setting a serene atmospheric tone. There are a few exceptions, notably at the top of the second act, but this is a show that expects its audience to listen closely and invest in the characters just existing, for that is where the joys of the script lie. The dialogue that Friel has crafted feels effortlessly natural while also being at times profound and moving. It’s there where the strength of the script flourishes. There are occasional structure issues, primarily in the second act, when Michael gives updates on where certain characters’ stories will end. This obviously feels like a natural end to the story, however the show then proceeds with more scenes and another final monologue from Michael. This almost “fake out” ending is a little frustrating, but not enough to ruin the storytelling.

They’re Dancing

Upon entering the Black Box at the Delaware Contemporary, the fictional world of Ballybeg, Ireland is instantly brought to life by the effective set design by Rick Neidig. The house and yard of the Mundy sisters is nicely crafted to invoke their class and stature in life. They’re not wealthy, constantly trying to make ends meet, and the set utilizes the close quarters and cramped living space to full effect: highlighting the characters’ feelings of being trapped, while also accentuating their closeness to one another emotionally as well as physically. Costumes by Pierre’s and Lighting by Jason Burns help support the feeling of stress and scraping by that the family is experiencing.

Mary Catherine Kelley serves as director, and she understands the world that this play takes place in, utilizing that knowledge to stage it all in a way that is beautifully naturalistic. There’s not much artifice within the confines of this world, and Kelly channels that through her direction as well as the performances she’s nurtured with the cast. All of the sisters work effortlessly together, and do feel like an actual family. They all compliment each other well, with Kate Brennan as Rose and Jennifer Youngblood as Maggie being two of the standouts. Brennan’s Rose is remarkably wide eyed and innocent, while also having arguably the strongest backbone in the entire family. Youngblood’s Maggie is viper quick and rather funny, often diffusing the tension with a wise cracking remark or smirk.

Credit must also go to Daryan Borys as Michael. He is a natural storyteller that instantly draws attention and makes the audience feel at ease as the story unfolds. His shifts between his younger and current self are very well done, punctuating various moments of the show remarkably well. In addition, while his staging off to the side of the action highlights his removal from the events taking place (so that he can tell the story), his performance is so layered and natural that his presence is still felt on stage with the rest of the cast.

There is a lot of praise to be heaped onto CTC’s production of Dancing at Lughnasa. There is an elegance in the choice to present this show at a time when audiences aren’t quite returning to the theatre as they were before the pandemic, as it’s a reminder that theatre in its simplest form is about telling stories. It’s about taking an audience to a different world than the one they are currently in, getting to live in it, and experiencing the moments that make life universal. City Theater Company’s production gets back to the basics of what makes theatre so innately magical, and succeeds in telling the simple yet effective story of the Mundy sisters, that will leave you dancing at the beautiful things in life.

Dancing at Lughnasa is on stage at City Theater Company (The Delaware Contemporary 200 S. Madison St. Wilmington, DE) from now until April 27th, 2024.

For more information visit city-theater.org.