Philadelphia theater is rich in its diversity and output, with over 100 companies presenting thousands of performances every year. The city boasts a long-standing tradition…
View More An overview of the Philly theater sceneCategory: Features
Best of Philadelphia Theater, 2010-2011
The Barrymore Awards ceremony is tonight, and I’m not there, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own opinions about the best actors and…
View More Best of Philadelphia Theater, 2010-2011Jay Cooke: The Philadelphia banker who funded the Civil War, caused one of the nation’s biggest financial collapses, and founded Penn State Abington
This hugely influential Philadelphian was responsible for everything from Little Bighorn to the Crash of 1873.
View More Jay Cooke: The Philadelphia banker who funded the Civil War, caused one of the nation’s biggest financial collapses, and founded Penn State AbingtonOld People and Theater (VIGIL at Lantern)
I began to attend Philadelphia theater in earnest about a decade ago, in my early mid-twenties. Consistently, my companion and I would be the youngest…
View More Old People and Theater (VIGIL at Lantern)Theater People vs. Theater Critics…The Ultimate Debate
I’ve been a lover of the stage as long as I can remember. Mostly this love has been realized as a patron of local theaters.…
View More Theater People vs. Theater Critics…The Ultimate DebateWhy’s Everyone Such a Critic?
I’ve been a lover of the stage as long as I can remember. Mostly this love has been realized as a patron of local theaters.…
View More Why’s Everyone Such a Critic?World War What? Did PIFA forget a little something in its celebration of Paris 1910-20?
IS it just a little strange that in a festival with a theme of Paris 1910–20, few of the shows and none of the literature seem to mention that there was a little war going on
View More World War What? Did PIFA forget a little something in its celebration of Paris 1910-20?Dance and Music Rights, or When Were You Planning To Pay For That Music, Friend?
In the not distant past, I was watching a dance performance, which I was enjoying, and I couldn’t help thinking—if this dance company was caught…
View More Dance and Music Rights, or When Were You Planning To Pay For That Music, Friend?In the Swing: A Brief History of Baseball in Philadelphia
Baseball in Philadelphia is riding on a wave of success by the hometown Phillies, winners of four straight National League East titles and two of…
View More In the Swing: A Brief History of Baseball in PhiladelphiaFive Technical Things About Ancient Roman Comedic Stages You Were Dying To Know
We know about the plays, at least if we have read them. But how much do we know about ancient stages? We’ve asked PPAA classics…
View More Five Technical Things About Ancient Roman Comedic Stages You Were Dying To KnowUpdike’s guide to reviewing
Submit to whatever spell, weak or strong, is being cast. Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his…
View More Updike’s guide to reviewingLessons from Newt Gingrich: or how we in the theatre and dance communities can stop acting like losers and learn to make the nation love us
How often have you heard that performing arts are dying, that we’re a niche market, that you can never make a living off of it,…
View More Lessons from Newt Gingrich: or how we in the theatre and dance communities can stop acting like losers and learn to make the nation love usMeta is Dead. Long Live Meta.
I want to talk about shows in theatre and dance that deal with the audience head on. In other words, works that acknowledge the existence…
View More Meta is Dead. Long Live Meta.California Fresh: New theater company launches in Kensington arts space
The back streets of Kensington may not have much in common with Hollywood
View More California Fresh: New theater company launches in Kensington arts spaceIt’s “theater”
Philadelphia is in the United States, so I’ve decided that theater should be spelled theater, not the English/French theatre. Right.
View More It’s “theater”What I learned from GQ this time around
Having been inspired last time around to write one of PPAA’s most popular articles “What Learned From GQ Today,” I thought I might mine the current issue…
View More What I learned from GQ this time aroundDid you see that thing about how last year Philly hotels had more guests than ever before?
Yeah, so it seems a shitload of people spent the night in Philadelphia in 2010. According to an Inquirer article/industry press release from Feb 19, “Philadelphia filled…
View More Did you see that thing about how last year Philly hotels had more guests than ever before?Conceptual Dance and Star Power
My dance vocabulary is limited, so please forgive me as I redefine terms for my own benefit. When I say conceptual dance, I am referring…
View More Conceptual Dance and Star PowerPhilly needs an Equity Showcase—sound the horn!
I was producing a Fringe show last year, and I had an Equity actor (Actors’ Equity is the union for theatre actors). No problem, my…
View More Philly needs an Equity Showcase—sound the horn!Can we get Cliff Lee to a play?
Cliff Lee made an appearance at the Philadelphia Auto Show, and it was the top story on the evening news. (Since this is a performing…
View More Can we get Cliff Lee to a play?