The West Philly-based Black theatre company, Theatre in the X, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month by presenting Zooman and the Sign, a rarely-staged work by the legendary late Philadelphia-born playwright Charles Fuller. The performances will be offered to audiences for free at Malcolm X Park from August 17-20.

In the play set in Southwest Philadelphia in 1979, Zooman senselessly terrorizes his community. When he kills a 12-year-old Black girl on the street, all witnesses refuse to talk. Bereaved and infuriated, the dead girl’s father posts a sign accusing the entire community of cowardice in the face of escalating violence. The play was first presented off-Broadway by Negro Ensemble Company at Theater Four in New York City on December 7, 1980.

Theatre in the X company members said they feel that their play is relevant to the issues of community violence currently taking place throughout the city.

Continue Reading

From left: Lexi Thammavong as Lucetta, Camille Young as Silvia, and Anthony Crosby as Thurio. (Photo courtesy of SCP)

The popular local theater company returns next week to perform Shakespeare with a musical twist. With music by Galt MacDermot and lyrics by John Guare, this 1971 Tony Award-winning, ground-breaking adaptation of the Bard’s sixteenth-century comedy is a fusion of danceable pop, stirring soul, electrifying rock, creative storytelling, and biting social commentary.

“This summer’s production is more than just entertainment,” said guest artistic director, Shamus. “It’s a powerful response to the rising tide of hate and discrimination against LGBTQ+ and other groups. The message is clear: no one can flourish without self-love. The production also boldly confronts issues of war mongering and the ever-widening wealth gap.”

Continue Reading

Artwork by Allison Rich

Shakespeare in Clark Park is set to return this week with The Taming!, a “raucous comedy” presented in two “very different” acts. The new production pairs Shakespeare’s problematic masterpiece, The Taming of the Shrew, with a community-created adaptation of John Fletcher’s Elizabethan revenge play, The Tamer Tamed.

The Taming of the Shrew is directed by Kathryn MacMillan while The Tamer Tamed has been adapted by Charlotte Northeast and is directed by Ang Bey.

The creative team of The Taming! is exploring themes of love, patriarchy, and domestic violence, and will contextualize Shakespeare’s original text from a modern viewpoint and from multiple perspectives. The community members who make up the Active Conscious Chorus in the adaptation of The Tamer Tamed will respond to the text. Continue Reading

As the city is preparing to lift all COVID-related capacity restrictions on June 11, check out updates on these great outdoor events, all held in Clark Park at 43rd and Chester:

The next Uhuru Flea Market will be held on Saturday, June 12. It is an all-day (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) African marketplace featuring dozens of vendors showcasing a wide range of handmade goods, crafts, housewares, food, and more. Volunteers are always needed for this event, held monthly from May to October and vendor spaces are available. The Uhuru Flea Market is an economic development project of the African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF). For more information, visit: uhurufleamarket.blogspot.com or call 267-875-FLEA (3532). Continue Reading

Shakespeare in Clark Park (SCP) is working on their Summer 2020 production of Pericles, which is scheduled to run from July 29 – August 2, and is currently seeking community artists, ages nine years old and older. But this time, recruitment and training will be online.

Pericles will be an open-air circus adventure, and the show producers want to involve a Community Troupe who’s interested in learning juggling, tumbling, and a little bit of Shakespeare! No prior experience is necessary.

If you’d like to know more, fill out the Google form here. This doesn’t commit you to the troupe, and is just a way for SCP folks to contact you and send updates on how to apply to be a part of the show. Rehearsals are tentatively scheduled to begin in May.  Continue Reading

Photo from Theatre in the X website.

One of our favorite things about summer in West Philly is performances by Theatre in the X, the company that stages free Afrocentric plays at Malcolm X. Park. This summer they will present the world premiere of “The Beast of Nubia” on Aug. 4, 11 and 18. (look for a more detailed preview later this month). Check out the trailer below. For now, we wanted to let people know about their fundraiser and volunteer sign-up.

Theatre in the X has a GoFundMe campaign here to keep the summer performances going well into the future. They are also seeking volunteers for everything from ushers to wardrobe assistants to set builders. Go here to fill out the volunteer form.  Continue Reading