Theatre in the X. (Photo by West Philly Local).

Theatre in the X, known for its free summer productions in Malcolm X. Park, is planning something exciting for the upcoming season and wants the community to participate. In addition to their August production in the park, the Afrocentric theatre troupe will present an original play in the summer of 2020. The play will be “created with the West Philadelphia community in mind,” according to a Facebook announcement.

Four public meetings will be held this winter and spring to devise an original theatre piece for Theatre in the X’s new community-based production. Here’s information on the first two meetings:  Continue Reading

The local theater company Theatre in the X will stage the world premiere of The Beast of Nubia on Sunday, Aug. 4 at 5 p.m. in the center of Malcolm X. Park (51st and Pine). Performances will follow on the next two Sundays, Aug. 11 and 18, also at 5 p.m.

Here’s how they describe The Beast of Nubia, which was written by Jonathan Bethea:

“In the deserts of ancient Nubia there is a magical kingdom guarded by a monstrous beast. When a merchant wrongs the beast his eldest daughter agrees to sacrifice herself in his place. What follows is a grand adventure filled with romance and excitement, as two very different people learn to cope with one another.”  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

The community theater group Theatre in the X will be back in Malcolm X. Park (52nd and Pine) over the next three Sundays to reimagine The Wiz. 

Theatre in the X’s staging of the African American classic will be an homage to Hip Hop and Black cinema of the 1980s and 90s.

“Our iconic characters will journey through Oz remixed with all the nuance and cultural swag of the Black experience in America,” according to their Facebook post for the event.  Continue Reading

Photos West Philly Local.

Theatre in the X last night staged the premiere of Running Numbers, the tale of a graduating high school senior trying to navigate his way through obstacles in his neighborhood and his family to get his way into college and, just as importantly, pay for it.

In our decidedly unsophisticated opinion, it is really, really good.

The play follows CJ, a brilliant student, as he tries to figure out how he is going to pay for a Penn education. He could get student loans, but his mom doesn’t want to sign the forms (she wants to hide her under-the-table earnings) nor does she want him saddled in debt for the rest of his life. Or, he could go work for the local pimp and drug dealer and make fast cash. Both options weigh heavily on CJ, but he takes the second option and we find him in the opening scene undergoing police interrogation after his arrest.  Continue Reading

Some of the best – and probably the most intimate – theatre in the city gets underway in Malcolm X. Park (51st and Pine) next week when Theatre in the X opens the world premiere of Running Numbers.

Running Numbers is a drama about a high school senior “whose dreams and desperation of going to college and overcoming his environment lead him to fast cash and dangerous situations.” The work is inspired by  “Financial Aid”, an incredible spoken work piece by Carvens Lissaint.

Cheyenne Barboza wrote Running Numbers and Christina May directs. The cast includes Abdul Sesay, Jarrett McCreary, Khadijah Davis, Iman Aaliyah, Aurica Hurst, Angelica Jackson-Thomas, Carlo Campbell, Walter DeShields, Niya Colbert, Brandon A. Drummond and Dwayne Alistair Thomas.  Continue Reading