Cast members Brian McCann and Paul Kuhn (Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas).

The Curio Theatre Company’s production of the Samuel Beckett classic Waiting for Godot premieres Friday night.

The play features two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, waiting along a country road for someone named Godot, who never arrives. The two engage in a number of comically absurd discussions and encounter others along the road. The British Royal National Theater named the play the most significant English play of the 20th century.

The Curio performance features Brian McCann, Paul Kuhn, Robert DaPonte and Harry Slack. The director is Dan Hodge, who guided the 2016 Curio staging of Death of a Salesman.

A second preview performance is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 9, and the play opens on Feb. 10 and runs through March. All performances begin at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are available here.

If you’re looking for ways to cope with the upcoming presidential inauguration (we’re in West Philly, right?), check out these local events on Friday, Jan. 20. There will be an opportunity to have a conversation with other community members, to relax with some free acupuncture treatments, and dine at a local restaurant in support of refugees.

West Philly Community Solidarity Gathering

Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore)

5:30 – 8 p.m.

Join your West Philly neighbors for an evening of solidarity, connection, conversation, song and food. Everyone is welcome, including young people accompanied by parents or caregivers. The schedule includes: Gathering and Interfaith Service at 5:30 p.m; Dinner and discussion groups at 6:30 p.m.; Singing and more conversation at 7:30 p.m.

Free-will donations at the door will be collected to cover expenses and to benefit the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Suggested donation range is $5-25, and no one will be turned away due to financial restrictions.  Continue Reading

The University of the Sciences (USciences) is honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by hosting two community events, one for adults and the other one for children, on Monday, Jan. 16. Both are free and open to everyone.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., USciences faculty, staff, and students will conduct health screenings at a free Adult Health Clinic at Mt. Zion Baptist Church (5015 Woodland Ave.) and will be available to discuss relevant health issues.

From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., young neighbors and their parents or guardians are invited to a Youth Health and Science Fair at USciences’ Athletic Recreation Center (600 South 43rd St., Multipurpose Room). This event is offering many free activities for children, including dance and yoga classes, sports clinics, hands-on science experiments, games and a performance from the Kingsessing Singers Chamber Choir.  Continue Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is this Monday (Jan. 16). Here’s a list of events and Day of Service opportunities for local residents. Some events are being held starting this weekend and will go on until Feb. 2. More MLK Day of Service community projects can be found here.

Friday, Jan. 13

• MLK Weekend of Service at Repair the World: Philadelphia  – Jan. 13-16

Repair the World: Philadelphia will honor the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. all weekend long through offering a variety of volunteer opportunities and chances to engage with other community members. Click here to register.

Sunday, Jan. 15

• Annual Symposium on Social Change Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at the University of Pennsylvania – Jan. 15-Feb. 2, 2017

The University of Pennsylvania will honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with film screenings, lectures, workshops, panel discussions and musical performances. All events are free and open to the public. Click here for more information.  Continue Reading

If you’re not sure what to do for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, check out some happenings below. For more events, go here. Happy New Year!

New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Waterfront

There will be not one but two New Year’s Eve fireworks on the Delaware River waterfront. The first one is scheduled for 6 p.m. (good time for kids), and the other one will be at midnight. This is a free event. Here you can find best spots where you can watch the fireworks.

New Year’s Eve Parties/Concerts

• J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral (38th and Chestnut), 4 – 8 p.m.

Choral Arts Philadelphia and the Bach Festival of Philadelphia, led by Artistic Director Matthew Glandorf, will offer a rare performance of J.S. Bach’s complete Christmas Oratorio BWV 248. The concert will include an extended intermission, food and drink concessions. For more information and tickets ($15-$45), click here.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Kol Tzedek.

West Philly’s reconstructionist synagogue, Kol Tzedek, located at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore), is hosting holiday services on Saturday, Dec. 24 and inviting community members to join them. Two holiday events will be held – a sufganiyot (fried doughnut) party and a Joint Service of Light with the Calvary Methodist Church and West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, both on the first night of Hannukah/Christmas Eve.

The Sufganiyot Party to celebrate the first night of Hannukah will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. This event will be followed by a potluck from 6-7 p.m. for those who are staying for the Joint Service of Light. Please bring a dish to share and reusable plates.

The Joint Service of Light will be held from 7 – 8 p.m.

For more information, visit the Kol Tzedek website.