Jewish Book Festival: Philly Writes!
Open Mic Night
The Gershman Y
Broad and Pine streets
Thu, 7:30 p.m., $12
(215) 446-3021
www.phillyjcc.com
Philly writes! Well, not Philly per se, but rather local Jewish literary talent. It's an open mic night featuring short readings from ten selected, newly published authors. That's sooo beatnik. I mean it's basically the same thing. Only instead of berets they'll be wearing yarmulkes. And instead of coffee, maybe some Manischewitz? Hey, wait a minute. If they are selected authors, how is this an open mic? What a rip off.
Donna Quinn
Cafe Lift
428 N. 13th St.
Fri, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.,
through Nov. 30, free
(215) 922-3031
Feel like ordering $8.50 French toast with Pumpkin cannoli filling, while perusing the artwork of artist Donna Quinn? Even if you don't order the gourmet items, such as smoked salmon panino, the accompanying gallery pieces should provide some artistic levity to the European decor. And who wouldn't want to relax to a nice caprese salad after indulging in the arts?
Near Eastern
Archaeology:
Tales from the Tells
Museum of Archaeology
and Anthropology
3260 South Street
Sat, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., $20
(215) 898-4000
www.museum.upenn.edu
A quick vocabulary lesson: "tell" not only means to convey information, but it also signifies a mound that arises in the earth due to erosion. Learning about archaeology is fun! What's even more fun is learning about archaeology from people that actually know what they're talking about, like the experts that will be speaking in this program. Find out about Jerusalem, Baghdad, Ancient Mesopotamia, and all the hot spots of Near Eastern archaeology.
Conflict: Perspectives, Positions, Realities in Central European Art
Slought Foundation
4017 Walnut Street
Wed-Sat, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., through Dec. 31, free
(215) 222-9050
www.slought.org
Central Europe is a diverse, heterogeneous area. This art exhibit aims to reflect these characteristics by offering art that is unique to each artist; rather than displaying one dominant artistic style to unify the exhibit, there is "pluralism of the aesthetic strategies." If that isn't enough for you, the exhibit is also free. At no cost to you, it is possible to get past the stereotypes and prejudices and absorb the dynamic culture of this oft-overlooked region.
Elfi von Kantzow Alvin
American Swedish Historical Museum
1900 Pattison Ave.
Tue-Fri, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.,
Sat-Sun, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.,
through Feb. 5, free
(215) 389-1776
www.americanswedish.org
Honestly, did anybody think there was any sort of Swedish community in Philly? Swedes outside of Sweden? Who knew? Well, now everybody knows, so go check out the Elfi von Kantzow Alvin exhibition. A Swedish interior designer, von Kantzow has designed sets for Broadway, as well as designed homes, restaurants and offices. Also, being an active part of the Scandinavian art scene, she has promoted other Nordic artists in New York City. Feel the need to expand your knowledge of Swedish culture? Then the ASHM is the place to be!
Frogs: A Chorus of Color
Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Sun-Sat, 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., through May 14, $8-$10
(215) 299-1000
www.acnatsci.org
Looking for love? Look no further than the new exhibit, Frogs: A Chorus of Color. On display is a vast array of potential Prince Charmings that are only a kiss away. Whether you prefer dark and handsome (check out the tropical tree frog), the All-American look (try the American bull frog), or simply desire someone with a bright disposition (see the golden mantella frog), this exhibition contains an amphibian for everyone.
Screening of
The Apple
International House
3701 Chestnut Street
Mon, 6 p.m., $5
(215) 895-6575
www.ihousephilly.org
Along the lines of Flowers in the Attic, in The Apple, Iranian film director Menahem Golan explores the true story of a man from Tehran who locked away his daughters for their entire lives because "My daughters are like flowers. They may wither and die in the sun." Organized by the Penn Cinema Studies program, this screening enables you to learn about the role of women in Iran and to discuss the cinematic significance of the film afterwards with a Penn professor.
Mitsuko Uchida,
piano
Kimmel Center for the
Performing Arts
260 S. Broad Street
Fri, 8 p.m., $22
(215) 893-1999
www.kimmelcenter.org
The Kimmel Center, that acclaimed performance space that houses Broadway plays and recently hosted The Barber of Seville, presents Mitsuko Uchida's all-Mozart piano recital. The twenty-year-old Philadelphia Chamber Music Society aims to bring classical music to Philadelphia for an affordable price, and Ms. Uchida is the next performer of the society to bring Mozart to the masses.
Dark Star Orchestra
Electric Factory
421 N. 7th St.
Sat, 10 p.m., $18
(215) LOVE-222
For those of you with cool parents, the Grateful Dead was the backbone of your upbringing. However, unless your parents were insane, you didn't actually get to go to a Grateful Dead concert. But here's your chance to come close to the real thing. Dark Star Orchestra is a Grateful Dead cover band that doesn't just play its music, but gives concerts that are exact duplicates of those given by the original band. Welcome back to the '80s.
Konono No. 1
World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut Street
Sun, 8 p.m., $18-$40
(215) 222-1400
www.worldcafelive.com
I'll tell you a secret: there's a really big world out there past Penn's campus. Because that's easy to forget sometimes, check out Konono No. 1 playing at World Cafe Live. Founded over 25 years ago, the band comes from Western Africa and plays traditional instruments, some of which have been made from salvaged car parts. Here's your chance to see a unique musical and cultural experience right at your front door.
Echo and The
Bunnymen
Theatre of Living Arts
334 South Street
Tue, 8 p.m., $25
(215) 922-1011
Echo and the Bunnymen just released an album called Siberia, which should give you a hint that these guys have mastered the art of loneliness. Taking their cues from the Doors, these guys brooded through the '80s, broke up, made some changes to their lineup, and came back in the late '90s to brood some more. You've probably heard their eerie music on the soundtrack of Donnie Darko. So bring your angsty thoughts to the venue, and Echo and the Bunnymen will provide an appropriately dark, post-punk soundtrack.
Aerosmith with
Lenny Kravitz
Wachovia Center
3601 S. Broad Street
Wed, 7:30 p.m., $35-$125
(215) 336-3600
Where are you running next Wednesday? If you don't want to miss a thing, walk this way to the Wachovia Center, where Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz will be rocking out. Aerosmith is practically an American institution, and Kravitz is so suave you can't help but like him, so why not give in and enjoy the two together? Just don't be surprised if the concert leaves you yearning for Buicks and Gap jeans.
GLO
Shubin Theatre
407 Bainbridge Street
Thu, 7 p.m., Fri-Sat, 8 p.m., Sun, 2:30 p.m., $10-$15
(215) 592-0119
www.greenlightplays.com
Founded on the grand tenet that all boys have cooties, Green Light Theatrical Productions seeks to promote women in society. For the first time, the company presents six one-act plays, all written and directed by wise and talented women. Get in the holiday spirit with "Santa Loves Colon Cancer," or learn about pronouns with "There's No I in We." Men just can't write stuff this clever. Because they have cooties.
The Magic Flute
Prince Music Theater
1412 Chestnut Street
Thu-Sat, 8 p.m., Sun, 2:30 p.m., $30
(215) 569-9700
www.curtis.edu
Everyone needs a little Mozart in his or her life, if only to replenish some of the brain cells lost last weekend. My eighth grade teacher always said classical music makes you smarter. With the second round of mid-terms in full force, we could all use a little extra help. So consider going to see Mozart's Magic Flute at the Prince Music Theatre as studying. And this is a study aid you can actually tell Mom about.
Endgame
Triangle Theater
1220 N. Lawrence St.
Thu-Sat, 8 p.m., Sun, 7 p.m., $10-$20
(215) 545-0876
www.hungertheatre.org
Hunger Theatre is committed to reaching a wide audience with an art form that "expresses the emotional and spiritual struggle of human existence in a direct, profound manner." Whew! That's quite a goal, but at least these guys dream big. Their current production, Samuel Beckett's Endgame promises to challenge you to the point where even Freud would blush.
Coyote on a Fence
Stagecrafters Theater
8130 Germantown Avenue
Fri-Sat, 8 p.m., Sun, 2 p.m., through Nov. 26, $15
(215) 247-8881
www.thestagecrafters.org@Listing Text 2005:Inmates' rights and the death penalty are touchy subjects, but the play Coyote on a Fence has few qualms about tackling the issues. Two inmates, one of whom is a mass-murderer and the other the murderer of an "evil man," must reconcile their views on the penal system and the definition of guilt. Thrown into the mix is a reporter whose goal is to find the truth behind the psyches of these vastly different men, and a prison guard who finds justice through corporal punishment. Through these characters, Coyote on a Fence plays with the notion and purpose of prison, and ultimately, morality.
Swimming in the Shallows
Walnut Street Theatre - Studio 5
825 Walnut Street
Fri-Sat, 8 p.m., Sun, 2 p.m.,
through Dec. 4, $18-$20
(215) 635-2137
www.philadelphiatheatre
workshop.org
"Gays, lesbians, heteros, sharks!" With a tag line like that, what more is there to say? At first glance this play, telling the story of five friends dealing with the ups and downs of life, may look like a less musical version of Rent. However, the Philadelphia Theatre Workshop not only showcases new talent, it chooses plays you could not see anywhere else. Translation: You wouldn't want to take your parents to this. Which makes it that much more appealing.
The Heidi Chronicles
Tomlinson Theater/
Randall Theater
1301 W. Norris St.
Thu, 7 p.m., Fri, 8 p.m.,
Sat, 2 p.m.,
date and times vary
through Dec. 3, $18
(215) 204-1122
www.temple.edu/
theater
If you love to laugh (who doesn't?) and if you love to overanalyze life (who doesn't?), then viewing Wendy Wasserstein's The Heidi Chronicles is a must. The play, which has won both the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, explores contemporary life by following characters from their time in high school in the '60s through various stages of adulthood. Told with humor to keep you laughing and just enough sentimentality to be provocative, this play is a must-see.
