Here’s something to do in the hood tomorrow (Saturday, Aug 31), without having to spend a dime. You can bring your blankets, chairs and food & drinks to both events listed below.

• Philadelphia Pagan Pride Day, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Clark Park “B” (43rd & Chester) – Philadelphia Pagan Pride Day will bring together Heathens and Pagans of all traditions. This family-friendly event will feature vendors and entertainment for a day of fun to foster pride in Pagan identity through education, activism, charity, and community. A donation of a non-perishable food item will be appreciated (it will go to a local food bank). Here’s the event’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/philadelphiapagapride/

• 40th Street Summer Series presents Spaceship Aloha, 6-9 p.m., 40th and Walnut (behind the Walnut West Library) – Spaceship Aloha is the vibrant new sonic move from Man Man drummer/producer Christopher Sean Powell. Spaceship Aloha’s performances, which are intended for non-stop dancing, present “a kaleidoscope of lush melodies and joyous electronic rhythms inspired by Hawaii’s musical landscape.” For more information, visit the 40th Street Summer Series Facebook page.

Photo by Kyle Cassidy, featuring Josh Hitchens as Ichabod Crane.

Curio Theatre Company has announced its 2013-2014 season and it looks like West Philadelphia’s hotbed of thespian talent has big plans for the upcoming year with an exploration of gender roles and identity.

Curio’s ninth season, which is coined “gender-themed,” kicks off Friday, September 6 in Clark Park with a free production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the classic 1820 short story following the journey of Ichabod Crane and the terrifying Headless Horseman.

Directed by Cara Blouin, Curio’s adaption of Washington Irving’s spooky tale will ride along with Crane, played by company member Josh Hitchens, as he races for his life from the supernatural knight, weaving in live music composed by Eli Halpern and live sound effects (plus a real campfire) to bring the terrifying journey to life. But, in Curio’s production, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” will extend beyond the fright of Crane’s last night in Tarry Town—the theater company also plans to take a deeper look into the life of Katrina Van Tassel (played by company member Rachel Gluck), the woman whose affection Crane sought and rejection that brought him into the “spook infested” woods that fateful night. Performances of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” will take place at 7:30 p.m. and run through Sunday, September 8.

In addition to a whimsical upcoming season, Curio will also hold benefit talent show on Friday, September 27. Titled “The Best of the West (Philly) Talent Smackdown,” Curio’s 2013 benefit will feature a talent contest umpired by celebrity judges, with the winner receiving a $100 cash prize and goody bag. It will have live music, raffle and prizes, beer, wine, a tapas spread, and a special Wild West cocktail. The event will be held in St. Francis De Sales School, 917 S. 47^th Street, at 8 p.m. and cost $50 per person.

To purchase tickets to the benefit show, click here. The next audition for the talent show will be held at the Curio Center Stage on Friday, September 13 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call 215-525-1350 to schedule. Continue Reading

Here’s a rare chance to celebrate Japanese culture and learn a few traditional dances in the neighborhood: the Japanese festival of O-bon, or just Bon, is coming to Clark Park at 43rd and Baltimore on Sunday, Aug. 25. O-bon is a celebration that honors the spirits of the dead and is usually held over three days. This is the time when the Japanese visit and clean the graves of their ancestors and place floating lanterns on the water to symbolize the return of the spirits to the otherworld.

O-bon has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon Odori, or Bon Dance. The Bon dance is performed to welcome the spirits of the dead. It varies from region to region in Japan, but it is intended for group participation and is easy to learn (check out video below), so everyone is welcome to learn it this Sunday.

The O-bon festival will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. and is absolutely free and open to the public. For more information about O-bon and Sunday’s event, visit: http://phillyobon.org/.

The monthly community meeting with 18th District police officers, which usually takes place at the Calvary Center at 48th and Baltimore, will be held in Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore) tonight, beginning at 6 p.m. As always, Lt. Brian McBride and Sgt. Ron Washington of the University City Division of the Philadelphia 18th Police District will be there to answer your questions and hear your concerns and discuss crime in the area and other neighborhood issues.

Residents are also invited to meet police officers who work in the neighborhood during a public Police Roll Call at the park. Last month Cedar Park residents got a chance to meet and greet 18th District police officers at the public outdoor roll call (see photo below).

Photo by Algernong Allen.

Prospero (Catharine K. Slusar) and daughter Miranda (Hannah Gold). Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local

Last night, Shakespeare in Clark Park (SCP) opened its eighth season with “The Tempest” at the “Bowl” on 43rd Street and Chester Avenue. The packed crowd laughed and reveled in the Bard’s majestic epic, which is directed by Swim Pony Performing Arts Artistic Director Adrienne Mackey and stars Catherine K. Slusar as protagonist (or antagonist, depending on your view) Prospero–a lead role typically cast with a male actor. And, without a doubt, Sean Hoots of local outfit Hoots & Hellmouth exceeded expectations with his ethereal and enchanted music.

Make sure to catch “The Tempest” at Clark Park before it closes on July 28. The remaining shows are on Thursday-Sunday, beginning at 7 p.m.

Photo by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local.

      Photo by Kyle Cassidy.

Stranded on an island with daughter Miranda for over a decade, Prospero, the overthrown Duke of Milan, ensorcels a wild storm to maroon a passing ship carrying passengers returning from a royal wedding.

It’s a prophetic tempest with a purpose–with the use of illusion, manipulation, and supernatural wildlings, Prospero plans to expose his brother Antonio as abject for supplanting his post, setting in motion the fantastical emprise of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

Come Wednesday, July 24, the early 17th century play will be the subject of Shakespeare in Clark Park‘s (SCP) latest production when it returns to  “The Bowl” at Clark Park for its eighth summer season. SCP’s “The Tempest” will be directed by Adrienne Mackey, Swim Pony Performing Arts artistic director and adjunct Theatre professor at Drexel University, and designed by veteran SCP thespian Bradley Wrenn (also Mackey’s husband). Performances of “The Tempest,” held for free at 43rd Street and Chester Avenue, will start at 7 p.m. and run through Sunday, July 28.

“‘The Tempest’ is different from anything SCP has tackled before,” said Shakespeare in Clark Park Artistic Director Marla Burkholder. “It is a magical fantasy that falls outside of comedy and tragedy. It felt like a good challenge for the company to move away from the strictly comedic works we have done for the past [five] summers as we move into the realm of the less known pieces from Shakespeare’s cannon.”

Under Mackey’s direction, SCP’s production of “The Tempest” will color itself outside the theater lines. While Prospero’s role is typically cast with a male actor, Mackey has brought in Barrymore Award-winning actress Catharine Slusar to take on the contentious lead, describing the Bryn Mawr theater director as “an incredible power house…able to take on the challenge of a character that is controlling an opaque.”  Continue Reading