Although their 2015/2016 season recently ended, Curio Theatre folks have been keeping themselves busy with working on a few summer theatre shows and their first Ultimate Sidewalk Sale Fundraiser. We’re happy to share more information on these events.

• Curio Theatre’s Ultimate Sidewalk Sale Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, June 18, from Noon – 4 p.m. in front of the Calvary Center at 4740 Baltimore Ave. Curio is trying to keep their ticket prices low and classes affordable as the theater aims to benefit all of the West Philadelphia community, so all proceeds from the sale will go to the theatre’s Scholarship Fund and general operating costs. The sale features a great variety of collectibles: art, ceramics, housewares, gently used clothing, furniture, toys, and more at very low prices. Rain date is Sunday, June 19.

• For the culmination of their second year, the CuriosiTeens! present Sophocles’ timeless ANTIGONE on Thursday, June 23 at 7 p.m., Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 25 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Written over 2,500 years ago, this piece finds sensitive relevance as performed by the theatre’s advanced teen troupe. All shows will be presented on the theatre’s Mainstage (4740 Baltimore Ave.). Tickets are $5-$10 and can be reserved here.

• Curio presents MAGDALENE by Rachel Gluck as part of the 2016 SoLow Fest June 16-26. This part ritual, part performance tells the story of Mary Magdalene, one of the most complex but recognizable icons of the feminine divinity. The 45-minute long show is directed by Brenna Geffers and performed by Colleen Hughes on Curio’s Corner Stage. Here are the remaining shows: Friday June 17: 8 p.m., Saturday June 18: 9 p.m., Sunday June 19: 4 p.m., Friday June 24: 10 p.m., Saturday June 25: 9 p.m., Sunday June 26: 6:30 p.m. Admission is pay-what-you-can. Space is limited, so reserve your seat here.

Peter Danelski as Billy (“the cripple”). Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas

The Curio Theatre Company will wrap up its 11th season with the dark comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh.

A Hollywood film crew invades the tiny island of Inishmaan off the west coast of Ireland to shoot a documentary about the place and its people. We soon learn about the dark side of living on a blustery island with just a few hundred people can be like, especially for the gentle Billy (“the cripple”) who vies for a part in the documentary.

A production of The Cripple of Inishmaan on Broadway garnered a bunch of accolades in 2014 with Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe playing Billy.  Continue Reading

Shakespeare in Clark Park (SCP), the immensely popular annual outdoor theater event, will return in July to the park’s “Bowl” near 45th and Chester. The company recently announced its new production for the Summer 2016 season and provided some other interesting details. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy, is set to run July 27 – 31 and will bring together Philadelphia’s finest actors.

The show is directed by Kathryn MacMillan, a Philadelphia-based theater director who has earned a reputation for directing classical and contemporary works with freshness and clarity and shaping great acting ensembles. She has directed over 25 productions in the Philadelphia area and is currently working on the development of a world premiere musical.  Continue Reading

From left to right: Gay Carducci as Linda Loman, Paul Kuhn as Willy Loman, Aaron Kirkpatrick as Biff Loman and Chase Byrd as Happy Loman. (Photo by JR Blackwell)

There might not be two people in all of Philadelphia better suited to play Willy and Linda Loman than Paul Kuhn and Gay Carducci.

Theatergoers will have the rare opportunity to see Kuhn and Carducci, co-founders of the Curio Theatre Company, on stage as two pivotal characters in the Arthur Miller classic “Death of a Salesman,” which opens Feb. 12 as part of Curio’s 11th season.

Kuhn and Carducci, longtime partners off stage as well, bring a rare authenticity to their on-stage relationship, said Director Dan Hodge.

“They have a depth of relationship and shared humor that you can only really find in people who have lived together through the high times and the lean times,” said Hodge.  Continue Reading

                      Kittson O’Neill

As Shakespeare in Clark Park (SCP) is preparing for its 11th summer season, the company has announced that a West Philadelphian was appointed to a key role.

Kittson O’Neill, an actress and director who made her SCP debut last summer when she directed the 10th Anniversary production of The Winter’s Tale, has been named as the Artistic Director. She succeeds Marla Burkholder, who co-founded the company in 2005.

O’Neill has appeared on Philadelphia stages often and currently can be seen in Or, at Hedgerow Theatre. When directing The Winter’s Tale, she brought together professional actors, more than 20 local children, and an unforgettable bear puppet. The show drew almost 5,000 audience members to Clark Park.

“Kittson’s commitment to both a strong and progressive artistic vision and a high level of authentic community engagement makes her a great fit for Shakespeare in Clark Park,” says John Frisbee, SCP’s Board President.

We asked Kittson about her background, her relationship to West Philadelphia and her plans regarding Shakespeare in Clark Park, including community engagement. Her answers are below.

Q.: Where are you from and where in West Philadelphia do you live?

I was born in Connecticut and grew up there and in Western Australia (My Mum is Australian). I now live in Mantua in West Philadelphia. My son attended St. Mary’s Nursery School and, as a result, our family has a number of great friends who live all over West Philly.

Q.: What interests you in Shakespeare in Clark Park? Should people expect any changes?

There are so many things I love about Shakespeare in Clark Park!

In 2015 O’Neill directed SCP’s The Winter’s Tale, which featured children and a giant bear puppet (Photo West Philly Local).

Shakespeare’s plays are epic in scope: they have bears and battles and shipwrecks! It can be challenging to fully realize those elements inside a traditional modern theater, but out in the park you can embrace the huge and have an eight foot bear, or a hundred person army, or giant waves. I am excited to keep pushing our productions to use the size and freedom of the park setting: to be even more spectacular! But even more than the size of the park, I love the audience that it naturally attracts. The show is free. Seating is unrestricted and as a result we often attract watchers who hadn’t even planned to see the show. Who didn’t even know the show was happening. Every night, there is at least one audience member for whom it is the first Shakespeare they have ever seen. That’s an amazing gift to us as theater makers. And a responsibility we take seriously. We want that unexpected audience member to leave our show loving Shakespeare and hungry to see more.

There won’t be any serious changes to what we do. “If it ain’t broke…” However, show is getting REALLY popular and dealing with the crowd we attract is becoming an exciting challenge, so you can expect some experiments with seating and staging as well as some new approaches to the fine art of ushering!

Q.: Community members, both adults and children, participated in the last two SCP performances. Will this trend continue?

Most definitely! I believe strongly in Radical Community Engagement, so over the next few years I will be working to weave the fabric of our community into the productions in a variety of ways. SCP attracts some of the finest theater talent in the city of Philadelphia. Putting the community on stage with those actors and inside the work of our designers and directors is an electrifying and galvanizing experience and one you won’t get any where else in our fair city. So stay tuned for a lot more on that front.

There are tons of festive events happening in the area this weekend, including one of the biggest local shopping events of the year, a new restaurant grand opening party, a craft show opening, a big FREE holiday family event, a dance party supporting a local non-profit, and more. More information about these and other upcoming events is below. If you want to buy a Christmas tree or holiday wreaths, greens and decorations this weekend, check out this post. For local gift ideas and more holiday shopping opportunities, visit our “Buy Local for the Holidays” page.

Friday, Dec. 4

• University City Arts League Holiday Craft Show Opening Reception, 6 – 8 p.m., 4226 Spruce St.

Thirty local artists will present their wares—just in time for the holidays! This is a great opportunity to shop for hand-made gifts for you and the whole family, such as cards, pottery, soaps, t-shirts, and more! Complimentary drinks and eats will be offered while you shop during the opening reception this Friday. The Craft Show is open daily Dec. 4-20. Monday-Friday, 5-8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 12-6 p.m. Closing reception will take place on Dec. 20, 4-6 p.m. The list of 2015 vendors is available here.

• Clarkville Grand Opening Party, 5 p.m., 43rd and Baltimore

New Baltimore Avenue bar and restaurant, Clarkville, is opening this Friday. The grand opening party kicks off at 5 p.m.

• West Philly jeweler Amy Neukrug presents her holiday collection at Hello World, 5 – 9 p.m., 3610 Sansom St.

• The Bald Soprano opens at Curio Theatre, 8 p.m., 48th and Baltimore  Continue Reading