It’s fitting that Curio Theatre Company is staging The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful a couple of days after Halloween. By the way, Irma Vep is an anagram. You should figure it out before you proceed.

American playwright Charles Ludlam wrote The Mystery of Irma Vep as a campy celebration of the horror genre. Characters in this three-act play include a werewolf, mummy, vampire and Egyptian princess. Only two actors play all of the characters, so the performance includes more than 30 super-quick costume changes.  Continue Reading

Outdoor summer jazz is over until next year in West Philly, but jazz music lovers have a chance to enjoy their favorite music indoors. A free event, Sanctuary Jam, will be held this Sunday (Nov. 3) for the first time inside St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Hamilton Village (3916 Locust Walk).

The event is organized by the music departments of University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and The Jazz Sanctuary, who have partnered to bring the Sanctuary Jam to the public – free of any charges. Pizza and drinks will be also available free of charge.  Continue Reading

The 20th annual Peoplehood, a West Philly-based parade and community gathering, will take place Saturday, Oct. 19. The event once again will feature giant puppets, created by Spiral Q puppet makers with the help of community members.

The parade starts at the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut) at 1 p.m. and marches along West Philly streets to Clark Park (45th & Chester) for a participatory giant puppet performance around 2:15 p.m.  Continue Reading

A Tangle Movement Arts performance at West Craft Fest at The Woodlands (Archived photo).

Tangle Movement Arts, the aerial dance theater company that has been a fixture at West Philly events like the West Craft Fest for 10 years, is moving into its own digs and it needs a little help.

The move requires rigging the new space for aerial performance. That means working with a structural engineer and a rigging specialist to safely design and hang their trapezes and other circus arts equipment, along with purchasing the gear itself.  Continue Reading

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Curio is kicking off its 2019-2020 season with a celebration. Founded in 2005, the Baltimore Avenue based theatre company is throwing a Prom to celebrate their 15th Anniversary. Curio wants to celebrate their friends and collaborators with one magical night of dancing, drinking, and memory making.

So, on Saturday, Oct. 19, head to Holy Apostles and the Mediator Church (260 S. 51st St.), where Curio’s Prom Night will be held from 7:30-11 p.m., to celebrate the anniversary and the new season with Curio. Please wear your best Prom look – it can be from any decade, anything from taffeta sleeves and lace, poodle skirts, to bare midriffs. There will be booze, snacks, music, and plenty of photo-ops. And maybe even a prom court.  Continue Reading

Indie-Life Media, the Baltimore Avenue based creative agency and co-working/event space, is inviting community members to their First Friday events in celebration of the Arts in West Philadelphia. This Friday (Oct. 4), 5-9 p.m., they will be showcasing the work of local artists Elizabeth Skoufalos, Nathan Grayson, Essence Hampton and Jonathan Metz (see flyer). The family-friendly event also includes arts & crafts for kids and sounds from DJ Rocdaspot. There will also be snacks and drinks for all to enjoy.

Indie-Life, founded in 2014 by local event planner/entrepreneur Rasheed Abdellah, will be convening visual artists to connect and create together at their creative studio at 4616 Baltimore Ave. Indie-Life’s goal for this series is to highlight West Philadelphia as an arts corridor, and to give more artists and makers the opportunity to showcase their work.  Continue Reading