Tag: Arts Guide

Blistering satire, bromance in Brazil, and short stories about women on the brink are among the selection of buzzy fall reads written or set in Philly.

History plays a particularly important role in these Philly-centric books. They shine a light on little known facts, examine the city historic block by historic block, or tell stories of nature discoveries in faraway lands.

As the days shorten and the winds cool, snuggle up with a mug of hot chocolate and one of these picks.

‘A Very Special Episode’ by Camille Acker

Random House, $28

Within the first few pages of Camille Acker’s satirical debut novel, A Very Special Episode, it’s clear D.C.’s high-profile Black elite are under interrogation. But West Philly-based Acker doesn’t forget to pay reverence to the legacy of the city’s Black institutions and its people.

At the center of the 285-page novel is the Tenth, a fictional private club and reference to W.E.B. Du Bois’ Talented Tenth theory. Nina, the protagonist, shares a name with Du Bois’ daughter, Nina Yolande Du Bois. Her boyfriend is Booker T. Bruce — whose name is a nod to formerly enslaved 19th-century leaders Booker T. Washington and Blanche K. Bruce. These homages and juxtapositions are doubly interesting, considering Du Bois’ and Washington’s philosophy were at odds.

Acker is a Temple University writer-in-residence known for the biting short stories in Training School for Negro Girls. However, much like those works, A Very Special Episode is grounded in the present. We are with Nina as she tries to keep the Tenth relevant, a darn near impossible job in today’s world in which Jim Crow manifests as gentrification and police brutality. And affluent African Americans willingly don the shackles of material wealth.

A Very Special Episode was released Aug. 18.

‘Historic Maps of Philadelphia: A History of the City of Brotherly Love in Rare Maps’ by Natalie Pompilio

Reedy Press, $42

Former Inquirer journalist Natalie Pompilio combines her affinity for Old City and walking tours in this 176-page hardcover exploring Philadelphia’s past through historical maps.

Historic Maps of Philadelphia: A History of the City of Brotherly Love in Rare Maps is an illustrated topographical study co-written with Christopher W. Lane, cofounder of the Philadelphia Print Shop and PBS’s Antiques Roadshow’s print and map expert.

The maps in this book date to the 16th century when Philadelphia was home to the Indigenous Lenape tribe. They weave through colonial, antebellum, and early 20th-century Philadelphia and ends in the mid-20th century with highways that eased drivers’ trips and decimated historic neighborhoods.

Historic Maps of Philadelphia was released Sept. 1.

‘The Loneliness of Glass: Stories’ by Kathleen Furin

Cornerstone Press, $24.95

West Mount Airy-based book coach, equity and inclusion consultant for Germantown’s Just Strategies Hub, and award-winning short story writer Kathleen Furin will release her first bound collection, The Loneliness of Glass, in November.

On Furin’s website, she describes her work as stories about strong, resilient, complex women who, through overcoming odds, learn to love themselves.

The narratives in this 220-page paperback reflect that and include a piece about a young woman who loses her half sister in a tragic murder, and a woman in an interracial marriage who is forced to confront her preconceived notions about race when she visits her hometown.

The Loneliness of Glass releases Nov. 3.

‘Dance in a Madhouse’ by Jess Wright

Montague Books, $19.99

Owen Townsend is a promising young medical school intern in 1905 Philadelphia when he gets locked up in the fictional Fairmount Lodge Asylum. Did he really lose his mind? Or, was he set up? Those questions are at the center of noted Louisville, Ky.-based psychiatrist Jess Wright’s mystery Dance in a Madhouse.

Wright, a native of Hollidaysburg, earned his medical degree at Jefferson Medical College in 1969 and interned at Lankenau Medical Center in the early 1970s. This 288-page thriller is set against the backdrop of the Museum of Art when it was located in Memorial Hall and Boathouse Row, the library of the College of Physicians, and Jefferson Medical College. Dance in a Madhouse is the first book in a trilogy of Owen Townsend mysteries.

Dance in a Madhouse was released Sept. 8.

‘The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker: A True Tale of Love, Murder, Treason, and Ordinary Folks Who Saved America’ by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz

Simon & Schuster, $31

Poet, historian, New York Times best-selling author, and Central High School graduate (Class 255) Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz’s latest work, The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker, is the true story of a self-emancipated formerly enslaved man’s fight to remain free in early 19th-century Pennsylvania.

Her 2014 steeped-in-Philly-history nonfiction book Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine spent three months on the New York Times’ bestsellers list.

Shortly after her mother died, Aptowicz began exploring her mother’s side of the family tree. She discovered her maternal ancestors were seamstresses for the Underground Railroad, sometimes sewing new outfits for entire groups of freedom seekers in a single night. In her research, she kept coming across the names “William Parker” and “Christiana Riot,” names she, a lifelong Philadelphian, had never heard of before.

The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker is Aptowicz’s “best attempt to resurrect this important and necessary story and bring it back into the national spotlight where it belongs.”

The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker was released Sept. 8.

‘Winterset Hollow’ by Jonathan Edward Durham

Union Square & Co., $19.99

When Diana Gabaldon — author of the Outlander novels that inspired Starz’s popular time-traveling series of the same name — refers to your book as “astonishingly powerful and multilayered” declaring it among the most interesting books she’s read in years, you might have written a literary winner.

Such is the case for Allentown writer and social media content creator John Edward Durham, or @thisoneoverhere on Instagram, where he has 419,000 followers.

Durham’s Winterset Hollow follows four fictional friends visiting the island that inspired their favorite fantasy novel, also named Winterset Hollow. But when they break into the writer’s abandoned estate, they discover that the truth behind their favorite adored book is dark, dangerous, and terrifying.

First published in 2021 by Credo House Publishers, Union Square and Co. — a subsidiary of the New York’s Hachette Book Group — will release the new edition in October featuring the fictional book Winterset Hollow within Durham’s book.

Winterset Hollow releases Oct. 6.

‘Travels on the Edge: A Naturalist’s Notes from the Back of Beyond’ by Robert McCracken Peck

American Philosophical Society Press, $29.95

Retired senior fellow of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, author, and Chestnut Hiller Robert McCracken Peck spent close to 50 years traveling the world as the official photographer, historian, and chronicler of scientific exhibitions for the academy.

He discovered three new frogs in the Andes, collected several previously unknown species of fish on the Orinoco River, and studied rare insects in Africa and the Caribbean. He’s been on expeditions to Mongolia to study wildlife, witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, and traveled the Gobi Desert.

Travels on the Edge: A Naturalist’s Notes from the Back of Beyond is the scholar and adventurer’s collection of essays accompanied with lavish illustrations and Peck’s original photographs. In 240 pages, readers are transported to the most remote parts of the world to witness the joys (and challenges) of scientific research.

Travels on the Edge: A Naturalists Notes from the Back of Beyond was released Sept. 15.

‘Runner’ by Ashton Lattimore

Penguin Random House, $31

Shortly after Ashton Lattimore completed the 2024 award-winning novel All We Were Promised, centering an enslaved women in antebellum Philadelphia searching for her freedom, she began writing Runner from her Bryn Mawr home.

Lattimore has since moved to northern New Jersey, but her ties to Philadelphia’s historic organizations run deep.

Runner follows lady rumrunners from Martha’s Vineyard into Boston, and down through New York City during the Harlem Renaissance. Will the protagonist Lena Jameson discover who killed her father? Will she be able to skirt the authorities on her tail during Prohibition? Or, will she lose it all simply because she’s a woman?

Runner was released July 28.

‘Touchdown in Brazil’ by Omar Tyree

Dafina, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp., $37.99

West Philadelphia native and veteran author Omar Tyree’s latest novel Touchdown in Brazil centers a Philadelphia Eagles fan who travels to Brazil in 2024 to watch his beloved Birds play the Green Bay Packers in the NFL’s first game played in South America.

The protagonist, named Tony Costa, is an amateur sports better looking for a break from his wife and hoping for a win with the Birds. The Eagles win. But whether Costa — who befriends other husbands and fathers including a Packers devotee and the owner of a local sports bar during his trip — will learn to appreciate his family and take home the ultimate win, is up in the air.

Touchdown in Brazil releases Sept. 29.

‘Har Mar’ by Hilal Isler

Curbstone Books, Northwestern University Press, $24

Author Hilal Isler set “Khadijah Number Two,” the introductory yarn in her debut collection of short stories Har Mar, among the rowhouses of West Philadelphia and the luxe lofts, expensive gastropubs, and overpriced yoga pants on Rittenhouse Square.

The story centers 25-year-old Turkish server and borderline alcoholic Ayla Erdoğdu. The devout 50-year-old Muslim woman Khadijah picks Ayla because she’s young, pretty, and flaky — just the energy she needs to sell her book. And she’s right. Khadijah’s novel is a hit and Ayla gets lost, becoming a second edition of Khadijah.

Many of the selections in Isler’s 16-story debut work feature women of color. Some of are Muslim, some are not. But all of them are complicated and have a salty vibe.

Isler attended the University of Pennsylvania and currently is an associate professor at the University of Austin.

Har Mar was released July 15.

An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect publisher for Robert McCracken Peck’s new book. It is the American Philosophical Society Press.

When the Philadelphia Museum of Art debuts its expanded Marcel Duchamp exhibit in October, it will be part of the first major U.S. retrospective of the mysterious forefather of modern art in more than a half century.

Exploring the arc and range of the pioneering French American artist, who died in 1968, the show features 300 of Duchamp’s paintings, sculpture, film, photography, printed matter, design, and his unclassifiable works known as “readymades.”

After showing at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the PMA show will run from Oct. 10 through Jan. 31, 2027. It includes Duchamp’s most celebrated creations, including his 1912 painting, Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2), and his avant-garde masterpiece created between 1915 and 1923, The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even. On hand will be Duchamp’s last major art piece, Étant donnés, a 1966 experiential assemblage he had been working on in secret and intended for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

“This is a once-in-a-50-years project,” said Philadelphia Museum of Art curator Matthew Affron.

‘Greatest collections’

The monumental show also marks an opportunity to celebrate the museum’s preeminent relationship with Duchamp — and its lasting legacy and impact on the modern art world. No other art institution in the world has deeper Duchamp roots than the PMA, where the artist first helped install his works in 1954.

Questioning the very definition of what art could be — he believed any ordinary object could be recontextualized as art — Duchamp broke the rules. But the artistic anarchist also maintained a decidedly rigid belief that his work should remain together on permanent display — in a monumental museum.

Duchamp played a critical role in making Philadelphia that home.

After leaving Paris and its WWI-era artistic repression and moving to New York in 1915, the artist befriended patrons Louise and Walter Arensberg. With Duchamp’s careful guidance, the couple would amass the most fulsome collection of his works, and those of his contemporaries, anywhere.

By the 1950s, Duchamp and his patrons had negotiated with museums, from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to the National Gallery in Washington, before being wooed by the PMA’s forward-looking director, Sidney Fiske Kimball.

Recognizing Duchamp’s boundary-busting potential, Kimball offered what Duchamp wanted: space and control. Lots of it.

“By the 1950s, Duchamp was becoming a forefather for modern artists,” said Affron. “Fiske was determined to be able to place a major section of modern art within the building.”

Kimball displayed the Arensbergs’ gifted collection in a wing of the still-unfinished museum building on the Parkway, which he helped open in 1928.

Along with other abstract and cubist works, the Arensberg collection helped form the foundation of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for 75 years.

“It’s one of the greatest collections of modern art in an art museum,” Affron said.

Legacy shaping pairing

The unusually intimate relationship between artist and institution — the museum’s permanent display includes 200 Duchamp works and extensive archives — helped shape the artist’s legacy and established the Philadelphia Museum of Art as an essential destination for modern art pilgrims.

Under Duchamp’s direction, the museum initially displayed his works alongside those of contemporaries, like Picasso, Juan Gris, Piet Mondrian, Georges Braque, and Francis Picabia. Many of those works, also amassed by the Arensbergs, were on display at the museum’s temporary show, “Marcel Duchamp, Curator,” which ran through July 12.

Curating the forthcoming retrospective with MoMA collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, Affron said he strove to present a faithful chronology of Duchamp’s work, including replica versions of his own art that he produced later in life.

“One of the game-changing things Duchamp did was put into the question the value of original works of art,” Affron said. “He found a way of working between the originals and copies and when you lay his work out, you start to get a very interesting echo effect.”

It only makes sense for it all to be back at Duchamp’s spiritual home — the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he said.

“We are doing our job of taking care of his legacy,” the curator said.

“Marcel Duchamp” runs Oct. 10 through Jan. 31, 2027, at Main Building, Dorrance Galleries and Galleries 281-283, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, philamuseum.org

Like a lot of great art, the sculptor Donna Dodson’s latest work was born of childhood trauma.

Growing up in the Midwest, Dodson would play chess with her older brother on a beautiful, hand-carved onyx chess set gifted to them by their grandparents — the siblings engaging in long, heated battles, again and again.

And again and again, Dodson would inevitably fall short.

“The humiliation of always losing created kind of a fire in me,” the 58-year-old, Massachusetts-based artist joked recently in a phone interview. “I think me making this chess set is somehow reclaiming my agency and dignity,” she said, referring to her art Match of the Matriarchs, which is a 24-by-24-foot chess set.

The set, which appears in an exhibition of the same name at the Museum for Art in Wood, has the artist turning her attention to one of the world’s oldest games, examining — through the lens of chess — power, matriarchy, and the role of women in society.

The exhibition is centered on a life-size, 32-piece chess set — all the pieces are women and range from roughly four feet to six feet in height. Dodson handcrafted them from salvaged wood.

The pieces sit atop a massive board that will involve some kind of interactive element — the details of which are still being finalized before the show opens in November.

Including what is believed to be the world’s only life-size chess set featuring all women pieces, the show aims to “transform the traditionally hierarchical game into a speculative arena of matriarchal power and ecological symbolism,” according to the museum’s program notes.

“By placing the feminine at the forefront of a game so deeply associated with power, conflict, and hierarchy, Dodson asks us to reconsider its origins — and to wonder what may have been lost as the game evolved over time,” said Jennifer-Navva Milliken, executive director and chief curator at the Museum for Art in Wood.

A second, smaller chess set — on a board roughly 12 feet by 12 feet — will be fully interactive, with visitors encouraged to stage their own matches, moving the pieces as their strategies demand.

“By playing a game, or inviting viewers to come in and rearrange [the] art work, it creates a new art work every time,” Dodson said.

In addition to Dodson’s work, the show will include about nine other artistic chess sets — including one designed by famed Pennsylvania artist Wharton Esherick, as well as a micro-set with pieces that can only be moved using tweezers.

Prior to its debut at the Museum for Art in Wood, Dodson’s piece was on display at the Boston Sculptors Gallery and, most recently, at the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis — though the Philadelphia version will include expanded programming.

From candy striper to artist

Dodson was never the artsy kid in school, she says. She attended Wellesley College in New England with plans of becoming a doctor, even working as a candy striper for a time. Her medical ambitions dwindled as she began to take to art in her mid-20s, along with her childhood love for chess.

It wasn’t until she met Joseph Wheelwright, the noted Boston sculptor who would go on to become her mentor and teach her woodworking, that she returned to the game.

Wheelwright, who died in 2016, would ask her to play during lunch breaks, and though he, too, would “clobber” Dodson — even while handicapping himself by taking several of his pieces off the board — the matches no doubt served as inspiration for Match of the Matriarch, she said.

In Philadelphia, Dodson has found a fitting setting for her exhibit.

The city is home to Jennifer Shahade, an author and three-time national chess champion, whose artwork will also be featured in the exhibit.

“She has created a number of conceptual works and videos that recontextualize chess and chess sets as art,” Dodson said.

The exhibition also coincides with the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s presentation from Marcel Duchamp — an artist famously infatuated with the game of chess who also occasionally incorporated the game into his work.

The Museum for Art in Wood exhibit comes on the heels, meanwhile, of a worldwide resurgence in the game spurred by both the pandemic and the 2020 release of the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, which starred Anya Taylor-Joy and drove a wave of new interest in chess, particularly among girls and women.

Dodson partakes in some form of chess daily, playing a weekly game in Maynard, Mass., where she now lives, as well as online.

“I’ve become much more knowledgeable about the current chess community, what’s going on in the chess world, and have met some of the real-life champions in chess, which is all super exciting,” she said.

Dodson, who will be present Nov. 7 for an artist talk at the museum, said she hopes the game’s universal charm will make the exhibit accessible to a wide audience.

“I think a lot of people don’t feel comfortable going into art museums — they don’t feel that they know enough [about art] or whatever,” she said. “So I think the whole chess theme is very accessible — there’s a whole worldwide chess community of people who play for fun, play as a hobby, their kids play, their grandfather plays.”

“Donna Dodson: Match of the Matriarchs” runs Nov. 6 through March 21, 2027, at Museum for Art in Wood, 141 N. 3rd St., Philadelphia. museumforartinwood.org

Fall is the best time of year to explore Philadelphia’s theater scene, with local stages upping the ante on their programming. This season is full of family drama; from rival brothers in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog to father-daughter clashes in the world premiere of Horsegirl & Cowdaddy.

We’ll also see big-name Broadway tours (Mamma Mia!, Operation Mincemeat) and a dance-fueled new musical (A Beat of Our Own), along with spooky stories right in time for Halloween (The Addams Family, Misery).

Local theaters are also examining social issues this autumn: Feminism takes center stage with the Philadelphia premiere of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize-winner Liberation and a contemporary twist on a 17th-century play called Witch. Additionally, in #CHARLOTTESVILLE, an immigrant playwright explores the rise of white supremacy through a verbatim play based on interviews with community members in Virginia.

These are 10 shows we want to see this fall, paired with suggestions on drink and dining options near each respective theater.

‘Topdog/Underdog’

Sept. 16-Oct. 18, People’s Light

Oct. 29-Dec. 13, Arden Theatre Company

An American classic will be staged at two theaters in separate runs this season in a rare coproduction between Malvern’s People’s Light and Old City’s Arden. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play from the prolific and incisive dramatist Suzan-Lori Parks follows two Black brothers, Lincoln and Booth, with a complicated relationship that is both competitive and interdependent. Booth (played by West Philly-raised actor George McGriff) scams and steals to get money while Lincoln (notable Philly star Akeem Davis) works at an arcade where he dons white face and reenacts the assassination of the president for whom he’s named.

People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, 610-644-3500 or peopleslight.org, Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St., Philadelphia, 215-922-1122 or ardentheatre.org

Restaurant recs: In Malvern, you could go Italian (Anthony’s), Indian (Manam), Mediterranean (Fattoush), or free-ranging (Jockey Tavern). You can find those options in Old City too: (Piccolina, Masala Fusion, Olea, and Red Owl Tavern, respectively), plus Mexican (Tu Riconcito), Irish (the Monto), French (Forsythia), and Spanish (Amada).

‘Horsegirl & Cowdaddy’

Sept. 22-Oct. 4, Wilma Theater

Philly poet/playwright DJ Hills — a queer and trans artist from Franklin County, Pa. — penned a new play that will have its world premiere at the Wilma before transferring to New York’s Soho Rep next year. Set in a small and rural Pennsylvania town, the story centers on a 30-something trans woman named Horsegirl who still lives at home with her father, Cowdaddy. A newfound love leads to an unexpected change that threatens to upend her life. Puerto Rican actor and singer/songwriter Samora de la Brisa stars as Horsegirl while veteran actor Lindsay Smiling, who was recently named the Wilma’s sole artistic director, plays Cowdaddy.

Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-546-7824 or wilmatheater.org

Restaurant recs: Order a Southern-tinged feast at Kitchen & Kocktails, whose menu includes fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits with lobster tail, chicken and a wide array of waffles, and peach cobbler.

‘The Addams Family: The Musical’

Sept. 22-Nov. 1, Walnut Street Theatre

The morbidly moody teen Wednesday Addams is about to do the scariest thing imaginable: introduce her eccentric family to her “normal” boyfriend and his parents. The young couple soon realize they aren’t the only ones with relationship problems as their parents — yes, even the eternally head-over-heels Gomez and Morticia — stumble into their own conflicts following a discomfiting dinner. With music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, the popular musical features everyone’s favorite spooky relatives, including Uncle Fester, Lurch, and Thing. (Plus there’s a special showing on Halloween.)

Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St., Philadelphia, 215-574-3550 or walnutstreettheatre.org

Restaurant recs: Hi-Lo Taco Co. is one of the family- (and budget-) friendliest options in Washington Square West, and the tacos and margs couldn’t be tastier. If you’re looking for something funkier, try Dara, featured in the 2025 edition of The 76, for its deft touch with a range of Thai dishes.

‘Mamma Mia!’

Sept. 29-Oct. 4, Academy of Music

One of the longest-running shows in Broadway history makes its return to Philadelphia with a fresh cast belting beloved ABBA classics. On a luscious Greek island, a young bride has devised a clever plan to determine the identity of her father: inviting three potential dads to her wedding. What could go wrong? Sing along to favorite tunes like “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money, Money,” and, of course, “Mamma Mia” while watching the heartwarming family bonding. Pretty Woman: The Musical actor Jessica Crouch takes on the role of Donna while The Voice contestant Juliette M. Ojeda stars as her daughter, Sophie.

Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

Restaurant recs: Double down on the spectacle of a night at the theater with drinks and starters at the bar at Mr. Edison, Jeffrey Chodorow’s aesthetically dazzling $10 million restaurant in the Bellevue Hotel. There are a number of Craig LaBan-approved items if you choose carefully.

‘Witch’

Sept. 30-Oct. 25, Quintessence Theatre

This fresh, funny, feminist twist on a 17th-century English play from Jen Silverman focuses on Elizabeth Sawyer, an outcast labeled a “witch” for reasons she can’t fathom. When the devil arrives in the small town of Edmonton, he considers Elizabeth easy prey, but she’s not convinced selling her soul for revenge on cruel neighbors will satisfy her. Instead, the devil finds men who readily fall, like two brothers eager to seize their rich noble father’s inheritance (and you can guess how that feud ends). Suli Holum, a Philly theater mainstay who once cameoed in the Emmy-winning show Mare of Easttown, stars as the titular witch while University of the Arts graduate Frank Jimenez plays the devil, aka Scratch.

Quintessence Theatre at the Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, 215-987-4450 or quintessencetheatre.org

Restaurant recs: It’s a bit of a walk down Germantown Avenue, but for a fresh pick in Mount Airy, head to Doho, the fusion-minded bistro from the culinary talents behind Catering by Design. The cocktails are always on point and you can easily fill up on the creative small plates and pasta dishes.

‘A Beat of Our Own’

Oct. 7-25, McCarter Theatre Center

This big, bold musical feels like Bring It On meets competitive bhangra dancing. Married playwrights Rehana Lew Mirza, who grew up in Bridgewater, N.J., and Mike Lew (Teenage Dick) wrote this comedy about two bhangra teams going head to head in a national competition: one that prides itself on maintaining traditional choreography from Punjab, and another that embraces fusion and incorporates other dance styles like Bollywood and hip-hop. Challenge is, the latter team consists of total amateurs. With music and lyrics by Sam Willmott, the coming-of-age tale features movement by Bollywood choreographer Rujuta Vaidya, and Mirza promises some inside jokes meant specifically for Jersey audiences (her family included).

McCarter Theater Center, 91 University Place, Princeton, N.J., 609-258-2787 or mccarter.org

Restaurant recs: For small and local, Princeton restaurants like Mistral, Agricola, and elements are classic choices. For something new and from New York, try Ayat.

‘Liberation’

Oct. 9-25, Philadelphia Theatre Company

The Philadelphia premiere of this much-buzzed-about play from Bess Wohl comes with dazzling credits as the winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for drama and the 2026 Tony Award for best play. Partially based on the life of Wohl’s mother, who worked at the legendary feminist outlet Ms. Magazine, the play swings between present day and the 1970s as the protagonist, Lizzie, reflects on her mom’s activism in the women’s rights movement. Six women meet in an Ohio rec center and bond over workplace discrimination and the challenges of being wives and mothers while debating what it means to be a revolutionary. Philadelphia Theatre Company coartistic director Taibi Magar directs.

Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-985-0420 or philadelphiatheatrecompany.org

Restaurant recs: If you’re heading to PTC, you couldn’t be closer to Oroshi, the recently opened omakase restaurant located directly across Broad Street. Check that out before the show, then head to Sonnys Cocktail Joint afterward for drinks, tavern pies, and hot dogs.

‘Misery’

Oct. 14-Nov. 7, Hedgerow Theatre

Before the internet age of stans, there was Annie Wilkes, a scarily impulsive fan who terrorized her favorite author in Stephen King’s 1987 novel Misery. After a major car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon wakes up in a remote cabin with Annie playing nurse, but soon he realizes her enthusiasm belies a dangerous obsession. This stage adaptation from Oscar-winning writer William Goldman — the pen behind All the President’s Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Princess Bride — premiered at Bucks County Playhouse in 2012 before a star-studded run on Broadway with Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf. This production sees Bruce Graham and Emma Gibson facing off in this psychological thriller.

Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Rd., Media, 610-565-4211 or hedgerowtheatre.org

Restaurant recs: Media has lots of options, but why not go to Fond, Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki Styer’s brilliantly revived French bistro, located a mere four-minute drive away from Hedgerow.

‘#CHARLOTTESVILLE’

Oct. 14-Nov. 1, Azuka Theatre @ The Drake

Philadelphia-based actor/playwright Priyanka Shetty was a student at the University of Virginia in 2017 when hundreds of white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, resulting in the three people killed and 35 injured. As an immigrant from Bangalore, India, Shetty felt compelled to respond, so she began interviewing dozens of residents, researching court transcripts, and reading extremist right-wing material to create this verbatim play in which she stars as the sole performer. Popular local theatermaker Yury Urnov directs this production, which he also directed during its award-winning run at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Azuka Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St., Philadelphia, 215-563-1100 or azukatheatre.org

Restaurant recs: The options are good and plenty in this part of town. I’m partial to Monk’s Cafe for sentimental reasons, but you also have La Jefa & Tequilas, Kissho House, and Superfolie to choose from, all within a few minutes’ walk.

‘Operation Mincemeat’

Dec. 15-20, Forrest Theatre

Based on a real-life secret mission during World War II, this zany musical brings five versatile actors to play 87 characters with Monty Python-like humor. The British plot involved disguising a corpse as a Royal Marine officer and dumping the body into the sea along with a briefcase full of fake documents intended to deceive German spies (allowing the Allied forces to invade Sicily). The score includes sea shanties, ballads, electro-pop, and rap for an uproarious, unbelievably informative good time.

Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St., Philadelphia, 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

Restaurant recs: The Walnut Street Theatre suggestions apply here, too, but for a few more, how about Kichi (a “zoomakase”), Oloroso (delicious tapas by chef Tod Wentz), and Darling Jack’s (a something-for-everyone contemporary tavern menu)?

Classical music has long sought a friendlier mien, and this fall the genre seems to have redoubled its efforts. New books and author chats are in abundance, aiming to demystify the art form and make personal connections. Films with live orchestra have become not a special event, but a regular feature. Concert formats continue to get rejiggered in an effort to make the tent bigger.

There’s a danger, of course, that in its quest for relevance, classical will no longer be the main event. Some of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s appearances with pop artists, for instance, are hard to justify artistically. The balance bears watching.

But in a season that offers rare Bach and Mozart, the continuation of a chamber music series second to none, and a generous pipeline of new works, it’s hard to feel anything but fortunate as the curtain raises on a new season in one of the nation’s classical music hot spots.

Orchestra After 5

Oct. 8, Marian Anderson Hall

The Philadelphia Orchestra sometimes launches an initiative only to let it quietly fade, but the Orchestra After 5 series has had remarkable staying power. Now in its fourth season, it’s designed to be a friendly on-ramp for newbies, though one suspects that it’s also luring experienced listeners with its earlier start time, conviviality, and brevity.

The first of three such concerts this season features the orchestra and popular guest conductor Dalia Stasevska in Respighi’s Pines of Rome and, with Gil Shaham, Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3. It starts with a 5 p.m. happy hour in the Kimmel plaza, and the hourlong concert is followed by an artist chat. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.

Philadelphia Orchestra Children’s Halloween Spectacular

Oct. 10, Marian Anderson Hall

With excerpts from Elmer Bernstein’s Ghostbusters Suite, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, and Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt, the Saturday morning family concert promises to be a fright. But within bounds. This first of five full-orchestra offerings in the coming season aimed at young listeners is sensory-friendly, with house lights kept at mid-level, a cool-down space for stimulated guests, and other accommodations. The aim for all is an introduction with impact to the world of the symphony orchestra, which this ensemble never fails to deliver. Austin Chanu conducts. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.

Anthony Roth Costanzo’s ‘Countertenor’

Oct. 27, Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central Library

“When you are nervous about going onstage, they say you’re supposed to picture the audience naked. But what happens when you’re nervous about actually being naked onstage in front of three thousand fully —­ and mostly very nicely — dressed people?”

Costanzo, who has maintained a busy performing schedule as a countertenor while running Opera Philadelphia, recounts the unusual experience of performing naked at the Metropolitan Opera in his forthcoming book. What is a countertenor? Costanzo explains his unusual voice type in this mix of autobiography and opera history, which he’ll discuss at the Free Library’s author series.

There is, of course, a companion recording, which comes out a few days before his talk. Tracks include not just works of Osvaldo Golijov, Philip Glass, and Mozart, but also, intriguingly, the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tune “Walk Like a Man.” freelibraryfoundation.org/events.

Lara Downes with Rhiannon Giddens

Oct. 30, Rowan University Pfleeger Concert Hall

In a “musical conversation” called Sounds Like America, pianist Downes and singer-cultural historian Giddens explore the “roots and routes” of American music, with stops at “Amazing Grace” and Paul Simon’s “American Tune” along the way. go.rowan.edu/america.

Anthony Tommasini, author of ‘Voice of a Century: The Life and Artistry of Marian Anderson,’ in conversation with Anthony McGill

Nov. 12, Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central Library

The former chief classical music critic of the New York Times chats with Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, about Tommasini’s new biography of the Philadelphia contralto and civil rights leader. freelibraryfoundation.org/events.

Philly Pops ‘La La Land’ in Concert

Nov. 28, The Met Philadelphia

Can it really be a decade since La La Land was released? I never quite got the film, at least not in the way many others did. But this presentation puts a live orchestra and jazz band behind it, which promises to up the daffy appeal and vibe in the room a few notches. Conducted by Esin Aydingoz. phillypops.org.

Philadelphia Bach Collective in ‘Nun komm, der heiden Heiland, BWV 62′

Dec. 1, St. Mark’s Church

So seemingly endless is Bach’s genius that even the experienced listener will keep finding gems previously unknown. This is the promise of the Philadelphia Bach Collective, a series of short, pay-as-you-wish afternoon concerts featuring Bach cantatas and other works. To mark the start of Advent, the skilled instrumental and vocal forces take up Nun komm, der heiden Heiland, BWV 62. It’s a concise cantata whose opening chorus based on a Lutheran hymn announcing the coming of the Savior is a beautiful paradox: in a minor key, yet so joyous it can barely contain itself.

“The idea is that Advent is a time of joyful but active anticipation. It’s essentially a call to arms,” says Heather Miller Lardin, one of the collective’s co-artistic directors.

Organist John Walthausen will also perform two other settings of Nun komm, der heiden Heiland (BWV 659 and 661) on the main organ at St. Mark’s. philadelphiabachcollective.org.

Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax

Dec. 6, Marian Anderson Hall

Beethoven? Brahms? Rachmaninoff? The program remained unannounced at press time, but it’s a pretty sure bet that the only thing most ticket buyers really need to know are the names of the cellist and pianist who have both entered the increasingly rarified realm of the legendary. ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.

Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ with the Philadelphia Orchestra

Dec. 12 and 13, Marian Anderson Hall

Bach’s packaging of six cantatas into one vast canvas encompassing the Christmas story offers an astonishing variety of orchestral combinations and colors, not to mention emotional realms. The Philadelphia Orchestra, which has never before performed the work in its entirety, is led here by its music and artistic director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

The program, by the way, is in addition to (and not instead of) the orchestra’s traditional Messiah, which will be performed Dec. 4 and 5 with conductor Bernard Labadie. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.

Brentano Quartet

Dec. 13, Perelman Theater

The fugue in classical music is like the golden mean in nature or classical columns in architecture. Once you know it’s there, you start seeing it everywhere. Put simply, it is where a melodic theme is introduced and then repeated in another key while the first one continues. It’s more complicated than this, but basically it’s an almost mathematical tool for creating a dense overlap of competing (though complementary) voices.

Is there a greater meaning to the fugue — say, a philosophical one? The Brentano Quartet, in residence at Yale University, explores that question in works of Beethoven, Shostakovich, and, of course, the fugue’s unsurpassed innovator, Bach. pcmsconcerts.org, 215-569-8080.

Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Bach Brandenburg Concerti

Dec. 19 and 20, Bryn Mawr College’s Goodhart Hall and Philadelphia Film Society Center

Philadelphia’s long-running chamber orchestra has adopted a format of concerts running more or less an hourlong in venues around town. That includes this holiday-time one with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto Nos. 1, 3, and 4. They are joined by Christopher Theofanidis’s Muse, which was inspired by the third Brandenburg concerto. David Hayes conducts. chamberorchestra.org, 215-545-1739.

Simon Rattle and the Philadelphia Orchestra

Jan. 28, 29, and 30, Marian Anderson Hall; Feb. 2 at Carnegie Hall

Even if he didn’t end up being music director, Rattle still visits the Philadelphia Orchestra’s podium from time to time. His current absence from the orchestra has been a painfully long one — a decade — and he returns with a program of works that seems bound by nothing other than their potential for virtuosity from the ensemble and interpretive depth from the podium: John Adams’ Harmonielehre, Debussy’s La Mer, and the second suite from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. That works just fine for us. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.

The Gershwins’ ‘Let ‘Em Eat Cake’

Jan. 29, 30, and 31, the Academy of Music

Who knew this is where we’d end up as a country? George and Ira Gershwin did, in an opera with a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The piece depicts an election denier who renovates the White House and establishes a dictatorship. “You couldn’t write a better farce about what’s going on in the world than this,” said Costanzo, who is bringing the work from 1933 to Opera Philadelphia for the first time. Conducted by Corrado Rovaris and directed by Zack Winokur. operaphila.org, 215-732-8400.

If you like your dance with a good soundtrack, there are a lot of fun options in Philly this fall.

Philadelphia Ballet will open its season with a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, with its orchestra playing “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and other patriotic music and American classics. Philadanco will be dancing to the Sound of Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center in December. Ballets Jazz Montréal will visit the Annenberg with an homage to Leonard Cohen.

And, of course, holiday music will be back with the dance in December when Philadelphia Ballet brings back George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Plus, A Very SW!NG OUT Holiday is coming to the Annenberg, with a live band playing holiday favorites to the dance.

‘Stars and Stripes Forever!’ Philadelphia Ballet

Oct. 8-11, Academy of Music

Most of the Semiquincentennial celebrations happened around July Fourth. But Philadelphia Ballet is continuing the party with its season-opening program. It will be dancing Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes and a concert version of Who Cares?, and Eliot Feld’s Variations on “America.” philadelphiaballet.org

‘Dance at Great Velocity,’ Philadelphia Ballet

Oct. 15-18, Academy of Music

Just days after its season opener, Philadelphia Ballet returns to the Academy of Music for its second program, one that focuses on the power and speed of a ballet dancer. Of course, the challenge is not only to make it athletic, but to bring great artistry, as well. For this program, the ballet is bringing back Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse, and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room. philadelphiaballet.org

Ballets Jazz Montréal

Oct. 23-24, Zellerbach Theatre

This Canadian company is stopping in Philly for the final tour of Dance Me, an homage to the late singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen, who had authorized the work. The work includes choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (a frequent BalletX collaborator), Andonis Foniadakis, and Ihsan Rustem. pennlivearts.org

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble

Nov. 5-7, Zellerbach Theatre

This classical Indian dance company is returning to the Annenberg with the Philadelphia premiere of KHANKHANĀ, The Sound of Dancing Feet. It features three decades of works by artistic director and choreographer Surupa Sen, who specializes in Odissi, one of the nine Indian classical dance styles. pennlivearts.org

Compagnie Hervé Koubi

Nov. 20-21, Zellerbach Theatre

This French company is returning to Philadelphia with Sol Invictus, a work that focuses on love and peace. The style is a combination of contemporary dance, hip-hop, capoeira, and martial arts, and it is set to music by Mikael Karlsson, Steve Reich, and Maxime Bodson. pennlivearts.org

BalletX fall series

Nov. 4-15, Suzanne Roberts Theatre

BalletX is revisiting Prohibition-era Philadelphia in its fall series, with a world premiere from New Zealand choreographer Loughlan Prior. The company mentions jazz, glamour, and danger. Sounds fun! It will also include the return of 2023’s Switching the Groove by Amy Hall Garner and last year’s In the Wake by Christian Denice. balletx.org

‘For the Love of Philly,’ Philadanco

Dec. 4-6, Perelman Theater

This season, Philadanco will be celebrating Philly’s Black culture legacy two ways: via its own history and through the Sound of Philadelphia. The program looks meaningful and highly entertaining, featuring world premieres by Rennie Harris and Dawn Marie Bazemore, as well as Sweet Agony by Gene Hill Sagan, Promise Me You Won’t Call by company co-artistic director Tommie-Waheed Evans, and a reimagined version of Dwight Rhoden’s Tribute. The music will be from the Philadelphia International Records catalog and include songs from Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, the O’Jays, and others. On opening night, the company will celebrate founder and artistic adviser Joan Myers Brown’s 95th birthday. ensembleartsphilly.org

‘George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,’ Philadelphia Ballet

Dec. 4-31, Academy of Music

If you’ve ever seen one ballet, chances are it’s The Nutcracker. If you’ve ever performed in a ballet, it’s likely The Nutcracker. If you ever felt like there’s one performance that really makes it feel like Christmas, it’s likely The Nutcracker. Philadelphia Ballet offers many chances to get that holiday spirit, with performances throughout most of December. The delightful children, Sugar Plum Fairy, snow on stage, and red-coated Philadelphia Boys Choir are fun to see every year. philadelphiaballet.org

‘A Very SW!NG OUT Holiday’

Dec. 11-12, Zellerbach Theatre

If you’d like a different type of Christmas dance show, choreographer Caleb Teicher is bringing some holiday Lindy Hop, based on the show SW!NG OUT, which visited the Annenberg in 2023. The show also features holiday music played live by the Eyal Vilner Big Band. pennlivearts.org

Each time Theophilus Annor descends the stairs nestled underneath Frances M. Maguire Hall’s grand first-floor banister and into Woodmere’s Jewelry Vault, he’s humbled and proud.

The 26-year-old metalsmith, 3D printer wiz, and graduate of Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture has a significant amount of bling on permanent display in the vault, which comprises the Woodmere Art Museum’s three underground galleries dedicated to baubles fashioned by Philadelphia’s most celebrated jewelry artisans.

Holding On is a gold-plated brass ring Annor, one of the youngest artists featured in the vault, fashioned into the Ghanaian Adinkra symbol for loyalty. It sits in the vault’s center display case with its rose gold gemstone sparkling in conversation with more than a dozen other pieces from artisans Richard Reinhardt, Wesley Emmons, Henri David, and Doug Bucci, Annor’s teacher and mentor at Tyler.

Each ring in the showcase is delicately planted between the middle finger and thumb of a silicone hand Annor cast from an alginate mold of his own. The lines in the 14 gray palms and shape of each nail bed clutching the trinkets mirror Annor’s lithe ebony hands. The young artist’s hands literally uphold the masterpieces of the artists who came before him.

“Of that I’m so honored,” he said, sitting on a bench on Maguire Hall’s porch. Above him is one of five window grills he designed with Philadelphia blacksmith John Rais.

Rais created the decorative wrought iron while Annor scaled another Adinkra symbol up to life-size with a bronze, metallic finish.

He made the ornamentation on a 3D printer, and it took several days to print each of them.

Woodmere purchased its four-story Victorian mansion home from the Sisters of St. Joseph in 2021. In 2022, the Maguire Foundation gave the museum $10 million in honor of its late matriarch, Frances M. Maguire. Through a capital campaign, Woodmere’s executive director William R. Valerio raised a total of $28 million to purchase, renovate, and create an endowment for Maguire Hall.

Last October, the 14-gallery space opened, Annor’s touch dispersed throughout, “reminding visitors of the diversity of Philadelphia artists on display here at Woodmere,” Valerio said.

“My work is next to that of so many amazing artists,” Annor said. “And I’m so excited to be a part of the legacy.”

As part of Maguire Hall and the vault’s first birthday, Woodmere will host a jewelry trunk show on Oct. 22.

The 1,000-square-foot vault was conceived to serve as a showcase of Philadelphia artisans and pay homage to the city’s history of jewelry arts. It’s less about engagement rings and more about engagement with the community of Philadelphia artists and their patrons.

To the right of the entrance, a vitrine beams with exquisite Gilded Age accessories: a J.E. Caldwell sapphire-and-diamond ring twinkles next to a Bailey, Banks & Biddle topaz brooch.

These brands were featured in the 1876 Centennial as part of its jewelry arts exhibition, which catapulted their popularity. And within the year, Philadelphians’ interest in the jewelry arts led to the opening of the University of the Arts, home of one of the country’s first jewelry arts programs. The university helped Philadelphia become an industry leader in the jewelry arts during the 20th century, Valerio said.

Of course, many of the vault’s showpieces celebrate the beauty and drama of all that is jewel-encrusted.

A Henri David installation gives enchanted forest vibes, taking up the entire back wall of the first gallery. A cloak sewn together from thousands of iridescent feathers from the tails of French roosters is centered next to faux greenery. David’s nature-inspired frippery glistens: a 14-carat yellow-and-gold stingray brooch, a diamond-and-pearl dragonfly brooch, and a druzy agate flower brooch with a pretty black fresh freshwater pearl affixed to its center.

Jewelry innovation is a focus of the vault, too.

Across from the ring case is Bucci’s insightful Shroud, a continuous sheet of polylactic acid and cubic zirconia installed into the floor. But Shroud is more than a thin layer of ivory glitz under a glass case that resembles a tomb. It’s a 3D-print installation generated from 30 days of Bucci’s blood glucose data. Bucci is a Type 1 diabetic who wears an around-the-clock insulin monitor. Each day is a vertical slice of Bucci’s metabolic history, brilliant evidence of his lived experience.

“The funny thing is that we were really just figuring out what to do with the hole in the ground,” Bucci said. “What we came up with was inspired by beauty, inspired by architecture, and the unseen. It’s like the game of Operation where you have that look inside.”

Islet — Bucci’s most well-known work that includes a necklace, a ring, and a bracelet — also resides in the vault. Each one of the links in the necklace is a honeycomb-patterned tube that is printed as one piece and interlinked, creating an unbroken chain. Bucci was the first jewelry artisan to manipulate a 3D printer to do that.

Islet shares gallery space with a purple polyester resin and sterling silver torque, or metal collar, by Stanley Lechtzin, who founded Tyler’s jewelry program in 1962 and served as its head through 2018.

Lechtzin is considered the grandfather of computer-aided design in the jewelry industry, the first to use a 3D printer to design and produce jewelry. He also developed electroforming, a process that makes big, chunky jewelry light. (It’s why bamboo door-knocker earrings look heavy but are actually light.)

“Lechtzin is truly an innovator in the design field,” Bucci said. “He is one of my educators, mentors, and heroes. So for my work to stand along his and with my students’ is one of the most important moments of my career.”

The vault houses the ostentatious and the kitschy. Brooches made from found art and resin by Maximal Art’s John Wind and Hilary Jay are placed next to brooches, cuffs, pendants, and pleated gowns by the late fashion and accessories designer Mary McFadden.

McFadden — who died two years ago at 84 — made an undisclosed donation to the vault and gave Woodmere several pieces of clothing and jewelry to exhibit. One of the vault’s galleries is named for her.

The vault’s permanent exhibit comes full circle, ending with a glass cabinet filled with hair adornments. It’s called the Crown Case. In this glass cabinet is a laurel crown symbolizing power, sanctity, and celebration designed by McFadden, a wedding tiara by Reinhardt, and a knotted red-and-yellow hair piece by Annor.

The piece, Annor said, explores the historical significance of knots used in Ghana as ladders during the African slave trade.

“I am from Ghana, but a lot of my thoughts and experiences as a jewelry maker are here in Philly,” Annor said. “At Woodmere I’m able to blend traditional and contemporary art and honor my heritage.”

The Woodmere Art Museum’s Frances M. Maguire Hall is located at 9001 Germantown Ave. The Jewelry Trunk Show will be held Oct. 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Charles Knox Smith Hall at 9201 Germantown Ave.

Amid global mayhem and disorder, the comforting distraction of a comedy show is always welcome.

Whether it’s a witty punch line or a well-timed quip, comedy has the power to help us better understand our world or forget about the sadness that exists within it.

Lucky for you, this fall features a lineup of world-class acts and emerging comics who will perform at clubs and theaters in the region.

Here’s a list of the comedy shows we’re most excited about.

Bert Kreischer

Oct. 9-10, the Met

There aren’t a lot of things guaranteed in life, but at least three are certain: death, taxes, and a shirtless Bert Kreischer. The Florida-born comedian is bringing his wild, no-holds-barred brand of comedy to the Met Philadelphia for his “Permission to Party World Tour.” He will perform back-to-back nights at the historic venue. ticketmaster.com.

Kathy Griffin

Oct. 15, Keswick Theatre

Kathy Griffin, the Emmy-winning comedian and queen of the celebrity D-list, is back in the region for a one-night-only show in Glenside. Catch the fiery redhead in action at the Keswick Theatre. keswicktheatre.com.

Earthquake

Oct. 23, Rivers Casino

Check the Richter scale when comedian Earthquake descends onto Rivers Casino this fall. The veteran comic is bringing his brash, quick-hit humor to the Fishtown venue for a seismic night of laughter. riverscasino.com.

Jim Jeffries

Oct. 24, Xcite Center at Parx Casino

Jim Jeffries, the Australian comic best known for starring in FX’s Legit and heading his own late-night talk show on Comedy Central, returns to the region for his “Son of a Carpenter” tour. axs.com.

Joanne McNally

Oct. 29-31, Punch Line Comedy Club

Joanne McNally, who’s headlined sold-out shows in her native Ireland and other parts of the world, is bringing her dark, edgy comedy to Philly this fall. She’s stopping by Punch Line in support of her “Pinotphile” show all Halloween weekend. ticketmaster.com.

Matt Friend

Nov. 6, the Block at Harrah’s Philadelphia

Comedian and master impressionist Matt Friend, who can embody folks from President Donald Trump to Jeff Goldblum, Andy Cohen, and King Charles III on command, is hitting the stage at Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester. ticketmaster.com.

Tony Baker

Nov. 6-8, Punch Line Comedy Club

When comedian Tony Baker isn’t roasting your favorite comic or putting on his film critic cap, he’s gracing the comedy stage. The veteran stand-up is slated for a three-night stint at Punch Line Philly this fall. ticketmaster.com.

Chris D’Elia

Nov. 7, Xcite Center at Parx Casino

Comic Chris D’Elia, who’s notched hit specials, TV shows, and global tours through his nearly 20-year career, will wrap up a string of European shows before dropping into Parx Casino for his “Go For It The Tour.” Catch the stand-up in action this November. axs.com.

Mojo Brookzz

Nov. 13, the Met Philadelphia

Not every social media-based comic can succeed on the stand-up stage, but Chicago’s Mojo Brookzz has made the transition look easy. His compelling stories and impressive crowd work, which draw millions of views online, is why he’s become one of the fastest rising stars in the comedy game. Catch him at the Met Philadelphia for his “Outta Pocket Comedy Tour.” livenation.com.

Tim Dillon

Nov. 14, Xcite Center at Parx Casino

Anyone who’s tuned into comedian Tim Dillon’s Netflix special, or listens to his hit podcast, knows there are very few boundaries that he won’t cross. The Long Island-born stand-up constantly delivers steaming-hot political and cultural takes, and the crowd at Parx Casino can expect the same blend of bold commentary and observational humor this fall. tix.axs.com.

Craig Robinson

Nov. 19-22, Helium Comedy Club

Don’t be fooled: comedian Craig Robinson, known for roles in The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Pineapple Express, is certainly a recognizable face in film and TV. But he made his bones on the comedy stage. He is rolling into Philly to perform at the Helium Comedy Club. philadelphia.heliumcomedy.com.

Michelle Wolf

Dec. 5, Xcite Center at Parx Casino

Hershey’s own Michelle Wolf, who racked up writing credits as a contributor for Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah before landing her own Netflix special, is heading to Bensalem’s Parx Casino this December. The Emmy-nominated comic will discuss everything from motherhood to gender roles, politics, and menopause during her “Best Job in the World” tour stop. axs.com.

Emily Catalano

Dec. 7-9, Helium Comedy Club

From her late night stand-up debut on Conan to being added on the New York Times’ “Best Comedy of 2024″ list, it’s safe to say Emily Catalano is drawing national attention. The Los Angeles-based stand-up is dropping into Center City for three nights at Helium Comedy Club. philadelphia.heliumcomedy.com.

Jim Gaffigan

Dec. 11-12, Miller Theater

Emmy-winning comic Jim Gaffigan, whose decades-long career spans TV and film, hits the comedy stage for his “Everything Is Wonderful” tour. The veteran comic will perform all new material, complete with the same sly delivery, across three shows and two nights at Miller Theater. ensembleartsphilly.org.

Tommy Davidson

Dec. 18-20, Helium Comedy Club

Tommy Davidson, whose Martin spinoff series, Varnell Hill, premiered this month on Paramount+, is back on the stand-up circuit. The longtime comedian will perform three nights at the Helium Comedy Club to close out this year’s fall lineup. philadelphia.heliumcomedy.com.

Calling Anna Tsouhlarakis’ sculpture She Dares You to Steal Her Hair mixed media doesn’t begin to describe the multitude of parts in Tsouhlarakis’ whole.

Part of the new exhibition “Indigenous Irregularities: Anna Tsouhlarakis” at Temple Contemporary, here is the full list of materials for the piece:

A glass cast of Tsouhlarakis’ hand and forearm, found metal, horsehair, hardware, shed antler, bicycle mirror, beads, artificial sinew, ermine, Ikea remnant, curtain rod, steer horn, rope, thread, football face mask, adhesives, paint, marker nail, toy velociraptor.

The ingredients come together like accidental theater, from the flimsiest of human creations — an exposed remnant of Ikea particleboard, a material she has been working with for the better part of a decade — to the sturdiness of the steer horn.

In Coyotes Run From Her, there’s a similar clash of natural and manufactured ingredients: a security camera, press-on nails that form a cascading echo of nearby horsetails, a softly furred deer leg stands next to a tower of tin tobacco lids.

Other materials used in Coyotes Run From Her: glass cast, found metal, deer hair, porcupine hair, yarn, leather, Aspen wood, saw blades, hardware, deer leg, spur artificial claws, beads, toy grenade, paint adhesives, tobacco lids, Ikea remnant, security camera, faux silver object, press-on nails, driftwood.

Her art contains multitudes.

The materials come together to, as the exhibition says, “embrace irregularity as both a formal strategy and a conceptual framework.”

“I’m a complex individual that comes from diverse heritages,” Tsouhlarakis, 49, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and Creek Tribe who also is of Greek descent, said in a recent interview. “I’ve lived all across the United States. When I’m bringing in those pieces, all of those disparate objects, that’s a representation of my narrative, and my experiences.”

Her work is art that can be contemplated and processed for long stretches, ingredient by ingredient, or as a cascading whole. It can be picked apart, whimsically, then put back together, more profoundly as a whole.

She said she starts with the titles first, but does not view the works as literal expressions of those. As an Indigenous woman, she said people often expect her to be a storyteller, but she purposely sees and conceives of her work in less linear terms.

“It is complicated,” she said. “It seems disconnected. It forces people to reckon with it. I hate the idea of linear narrative. I fight back. What else can I do to throw in here to mess up?”

Around the walls are five black-and-white collages with cheeky sentences that play off Native identity asserting itself in a modern white world: You know she buys her sage at urban outfitters,” “Her look might say rez but her accent says city,” and “Her eyes cut quicker than a switchblade.“ The text collages also contain faded out images of Native internet memes and other cutout images.

Tsouhlarakis says she’s been thinking about Navajo cultural taboos, “how one moves through the world, especially within this moment, within our country.”

“How I have to hold myself when I walk through an airport, how I notice I’m not necessarily at ease,” she said. “The way my presence in a place is questioned or uncomfortable for people. It makes me more aggressive immediately.

“How would this imaginative female figure that I have in my mind confront these things with all the power in the world,” she asks herself. “By having cultural taboos and flipping them.”

This dynamic shows itself in the sculpture’s title, She Dares You to Steal Her Hair. “In Navajo culture, if somebody takes a lock of hair, it takes away your power,” she said.

Tsouhlarakis was the Edgar Heap of Birds Family Artist in Residence at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture last year, where she worked with glass for the first time. The residency was established through a gift from Edgar Heap of Birds (MFA ’79), a leading Native American artist.

Tsouhlarakis said she typically models casts of body parts on other Native women. But while in Philadelphia, she used her own body for the first time. One sculpture uses a cast of her arm and forearm, the other, her bent elbow.

Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta, the curator of the exhibition, as well as another exhibition now at the gallery, “Dream Different: A Wonder Rebellion,” says Tsouhlarakis’ work recalls the line from Stephen King: Humor is almost always “anger with its makeup on.”

In Tsouhlarakis’ work, “absurdity coexists alongside this stance of awe,” he said. “You are defamiliarizing yourself of things that seem mundane and everyday.”

“It’s an accumulation of history, of uses,” he said. “Beautiful accumulations of different moments she’s experienced.”

Of the wall pieces, Kenyatta called them “collections of absurd moments were she’s had to contort herself or people she knows contorting themselves.

“I’m sitting with the absurdity,” he said.

“Indigenous Irregularities: Anna Tsouhlarakis” is on display through Dec. 5 at Temple Contemporary, 2001 N. 13th St, Philadelphia. now.temple.edu

An Artist Talk will take place Sept. 17, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.