After a year in the COVID pandemic, which has paused some of its arts projects and events, Curio Theatre is ready to present to the community something quite extraordinary (and also safe for the audience and staff). Beginning this Friday, March 19 and through Sunday, April 18, the West Philly theatre company will present A Symphony for Saint-Georges, a massive installation celebrating the life and career of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the famed violinist, composer and fencer whose story has been buried by history.

The piece involves no live actors – A Symphony for Saint-Georges is a multi-disciplinary installation featuring five environments created by sculpture, music, projections, video and set design. Curio artists have been working for months independently on this ambitious experiment to highlight the life of an artist who rose from slavery. Born in Guadeloupe to an enslaved mother and a wealthy plantation-owner father, Joseph Bologne was once described as “the most accomplished man in France.” As a champion fencer, esteemed violinist, father, and composer, Bologne is said to have inspired musicians like Mozart. However, even he was not immune to the realities of racism. Continue Reading

At the time of the pandemic, when we can’t enjoy theater, Curio Theatre Company is working on A Symphony for Saint-Georges – a multi-disciplinary, ambulatory installation designed to encourage social distancing.

The installation will include sculpture, music, dance, fencing, projections, and spoken word that will tell the story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges – a Black fencing expert, virtuoso violinist, and accomplished composer whose life is left out of history books.

The project is supported by The Spotlight Fund, created in honor of Curio’s longtime friend and supporter, West Philadelphia resident Mary Allegra, who passed away last year. The fund continues her legacy by funding projects and initiatives that serve the community but are not otherwise covered by the theatre’s annual operating budget.  Continue Reading

Curio’s spring show, Everybody, was postponed indefinitely (Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas)

Curio Theatre has postponed their spring production, EVERYBODY, indefinitely. The show had been scheduled to open on April 25th and was supposed to conclude Curio’s 15th season.

“We take the safety of our community very seriously, and based on current health guidelines, we felt we had no other choice but to postpone,” reads an e-mail announcement from Curio’s Managing Director Gay Carducci and Artistic Director Paul Kuhn. “… Keeping our artists and staff safe is something we do not take lightly, but this was a difficult decision to make on behalf of an entire community — a decision that impacts actors, designers, and backstage theater makers.”  Continue Reading

Curio Theatre cast members Trice Baldwin Browns (left) and Aetna Gallagher. (Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas)

Two women are spotted kissing each other in Dublin’s Crumlin Shopping Centre and now they’re in a show …reluctantly. Defying stereotypes, they’re here to share with the audience something they’ve never dared show before. They are very nervous. And it shows.

I ♥ Alice ♥ I, by Amy Conroy, is a funny and heartfelt new work from Ireland – a beautiful love story about two women, which premieres at Curio Theatre this week. Company members Trice Baldwin Browns and Aetna Gallagher star in this lovely story from the Emerald Isle. Curio Managing Director Gay Carducci co-directs this piece with company member Rachel Gluck.  Continue Reading

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

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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