The Phlash Center City trolley will have special hours this Friday and Saturday to accommodate Independence Day celebrations. The Phlash will operate until 7PM on Friday and until 11PM on Saturday. (Via RJ) The Inquirer tells the story of how a plan to convert an empty convent in Germantown into apartments for formerly homeless men went south, in order to underscore the problems Mayor Nutter is likely to face with his initiative to fight......

Mum Puppettheatre founder Robert Smythe...

Leading philly.com today is news that two South Jersey natives were killed in Iraq. 20-year-old Antonio Coulter was sentenced to 36-72 years in prison for shooting police officer Richard Decoatsworth last September. In only but the most recent blow to Republicans, the Inquirer reports that Pennsylvania Democrats have substantially increased the number of registered voters in their party, while Republicans have lost affiliates. The Phillies broke their losing streak! Let this be your inspiration for......

You know that kid at your middle school who was always EXCITED for your once-monthly library day? Yeah, that was me. Which is how I ended up reading George Orwell's Animal Farm when I was eleven. The librarian looked at me in confusion when I brought it up to the check-out. My parents asked if I was sure I woldn't rather read another Nancy Drew book. (This was long before Harry Potter.) But I......

There's no question that the puppets are extraordinary, both in execution and handling. The acting, too, leaves nothing to be desired. But there's something about Mum Puppettheatre's production of The Master and Margarita that's just... too much. It was nothing short of ambitious for Mum to mount director Adrienne Mackey's adaptation of the now-classic Mikhail Bulgakov Russian novel, and perhaps therein lies the problem. With twenty major characters worthy of mention on the book's Wikipedia......

Martina Plag demonstrates how puppets' eyes are carved deeply into their skulls so as to convey emotion. Mum Puppettheatre's production of The Master and Margarita opened last week (our review is forthcoming), but before it opened, I was invited to Mum's basement to see how the dozens of puppets needed for the production would take shape. It's key to remember that, despite the title of this article, Mum is a puppettheatre: one that presents......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Some Art for the Wall: 5th Annual Emerging Artists and Emerging Leaders Art Auction, with entertainment by local guitarist Marisol Rampolla and an open bar, at Drexel University - Paul Peck Alumni Center (32nd and Market), 7PM. $10 There Are Some Who Aren’t?: Local author Lynn Hoffman reads from his novel bangBANG, the story of “a feisty Philly waitress,” at Molly’s Bookstore (1010 S. 9th), 7:30PM. Free......

So, you've read Phillyist's overwhelmingly positive review of Mum Puppettheatre's production of A Christmas Carol earlier today and you want to see what the to-do was all about? You lucky duck, you. Because, you see, Mum loves Phillyist. And Mum loves Phillyist readers. So much so, that they're offering a special discount to all Phillyist readers: go to this link and get five dollars off of every ticket you buy! The offer is only valid......

Disney has this remarkable ability to adapt classic fairy tales and works of literature, distill them down to their basic moral cores, slap a happy ending on the end where one might not belong, and make us forget how incredibly dark their source material is. So it is with Mickey's Christmas Carol, and, to a certain extent, the now-Disney-owned Jim Henson Company's feature film, The Muppet Christmas Carol, the two interpretations of Dickens' cherished holiday......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Flea Market, Theater Style: Clothing Flea Market from theatrical stock at the Wilma Theater (265 S. Broad), 3-7PM. Free admission (most items $2-20). Also on Saturday, 12-4PM. Requires Audience Participation: Improv with The N Crowd at the Actor’s Center (257 N. 3rd), every Friday, 8-10PM. $10 SATURDAY Rare Bird: Part of the Philly Improv Festival, featuring Jackie, Cathcart & Olson, and iMusical at the Mum Puppettheatre (115......

It's interesting: in the late 1950s, it seems that the whole world was afraid of the dangers of groupthink. Here in the United States, terrified anti-communists were producing Invasion of the Body Snatchers. And in France, a country still in many ways reeling from German occupation during the war, absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco created Rhinoceros, a play about the people of a village transforming into the aforementioned animals, as a statement against fascism. Up until......

Performances: Flamingo/Winnebago (The Lucidity Suitcase Intercontinental/Le Chat Lunatique/Thaddeus Phillips) (Future Showtimes); The Fantoccini Brothers Return (Mum Puppettheatre) (Future Showtimes) A note for next year to the PLAF organizers: however long someone tells you that a performance is, add ten minutes to it before you print the program or update the website. People who love the Festival want to see as much during it as they can, and so they schedule performances more or less back-to-back,......

If you go through my archives on Phillyist (I'm at nearly 1000 posts – wow!), you might learn a few things about me: I'm from Texas. I love Mexican food. I overuse em-dashes. And puppets make me entirely too happy. Which is why I agreed to review the latest installment in Mum Puppettheatre's Boy and Dog series, even though I try to keep my children's theatre reviews to a minimum (let's face it: if you're......

The lovely, lovely folks at Mum Puppettheatre just emailed us to thank us for checking out their production of The Fantasticks. So thrilled were they by the review that they want to extend a special offer to Phillyist readers: mention Phillyist's review of the show and receive 50% off on the price of your tickets. That's more money to spend on post-show cocktails at your favorite Old City watering hole! Mum Puppettheatre Presents: The Fantasticks......

Two music festivals are hitting the Philadelphia area this weekend, and they couldn't be more different. The first is R5 Productions' This Is Hardcore 2006 fest. It starts Friday night at 5:30PM "*SHARP*," goes from noon until who knows when on Saturday and Sunday, and it's at the Starlight Ballroom all three days. We must not be hardcore enough, because we recognize pretty much none of the artists on the bill (which you can......

Mother's Day has Philadelphia origins, having been conceived by resident Anna May Jarvis, as well as recognized here first as an official holiday. We only feel the need to share these facts because this Sunday is Mother's Day (and if you're just realizing this now, Phillyist has to warn you that all the good Mother's Day cards are already taken), and we wanted to let you know there are some things happening around town to......

I need to begin this review by apologizing, profusely, to the cast and crew of The Biggest Box of Crayons. I've been burning the candle at both ends, and I may have dozed off for a few minutes at the beginning of the show. This was by no means a reflection on your abilities, but rather a reflection on the fact that I need to get more sleep. I issue this apology because I......

Philadelphia does love its centennial celebrations. Here we are, still in the throes of the Franklin tricentennial madness, and we've decided to commemorate a bicentennial birthday, too! The 200th birthday in question in this case belongs to Edwin Forrest, famous Philadelphia actor and namesake of the Forrest Theatre. To mark this milestone anniversary of his birth, Mayor Street has declared today "Edwin Forrest Day." Forrest was sort of the Will Ferrel of the mid-19th century;......

This week's quote comes from Enid Bagnold, who once said: "The theatre is a gross art, built in sweeps and over-emphasis. Compromise is its second name." Now, on with the listings! Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - This show is one of our favorite guilty pleasures, when done well. February 28-March 6 at the Merriam. Tickets available online. Proof - What Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn was made into a movie starring......

This week’s quote comes from Shakespeare’s Richard III, act five, scene four. In this scene, the king’s horse has been killed in battle, and he’s so desperate to stop fighting on foot that he offers his kingdom for a horse. Full quote: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” Why did we choose it? Because Shakespeare starts us of this week. Now, on with the listings! Love’s Fire - We at Phillyist are......

Shark lust! Victory-obsessed little league coaches! Meta theatre! The meaning of life! See what Philly’s got cookin’ on stage this week… Moon Over Buffalo - Nothing we like better in a play than a play within a play. Meta is the new black, you know. Playing at the Bristol Riverside Theatre November 15-December 4. Ticket information is available on the production website. Alarms & Excursions - Answers to life’s big questions by the author of......

A new month means plenty of new theatre in the area. See below for the great shows going up this week! Coyote on a Fence - Capital punishment is a hot topic these days. Everyone’s got an opinion. This play, by local playwright Bruce Graham, concerns two death row inmates, will be presented by The Stagecrafters from November 11-26. For tickets and information, see the production website. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast - These days,......

We're sorry we're late this week, folks. There was just so much good theatre this week that we found ourselves a little overwhelmed, and we needed a moment to handle the excitement. Eve Ensler: The Good Body - From the woman who brought you hits like “my vagina is like a flower,” comes this examination of what women really feel about their bodies. The writer also stars in this one-woman show, October 11-16, at the......

The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! - The name basically says it all, folks. If you know musicals, if you like musicals, if you’ve ever been dragged to a high school performance of The Sound of Music, this show is for you. Playing at the Prince Music Theatre, downtown, October 1-30. The Rocky Horror Show - Come on, admit it. You’ve seen the movie. You know the talkbacks. Now revel in the opportunity to throw......

We’ll be back in Philadelphia tomorrow (after an extended stay with the folks in Texas), and we’ve certainly picked a good theatre weekend to return for! Macbeth - We all read it in high school, and we probably remember it at least a little, so we’ll spare you the trouble of reading our summary and just let you check out the Curio Theatre Company’s production of “The Scottish Play.” The play opens this weekend and......

We’re still Deep in the Heart of Texas, as it were, but our love for performing arts in Philadelphia knows no bounds. Keep reading for exciting upcoming events! Hairspray - Those of us who are fans of the Fox summer hit So You Think You Can Dance have heard the producers say on more than one occasion that they’d like to be able to say that big girls can dance. Hairspray proves that at least......

Even while on vacation in Texas, we’re still keeping track of what’s going on in Philadelphia’s Theatre Scene. Read on! The Marriage Play - The Triangle Theater brings you a very limited run of this Edward Albee play before it continues on to the Deertrees Theatre in Maine. Performances will be August 17-20 at 8 PM. Tickets are $20, or $15 for seniors and students with valid IDs, and can be purchased over the phone......

We know that a lot of sites link to the previous week’s listings rather than repeat listings. But since we’re not worried about wasting paper, and because we’re only trying to make things easier for you, we’re going to continue to repeat listings over and over and over again till you just can’t take it anymore. And by that point, the run of the show will be over, and you won’t have to. Waiting for......

Lots of people seemed jazzed about our decision to include Philly-area listings last week, so we’re going to keep doing it until someone’s got a bone to pick. See the end of the article for contact info about all your bone-picking needs. 10 for 10: A Spark Showcase Festival - Ten local theater companies present ten ten-minute plays, ranging from musical comedy to all-girl action (not that kind, you pervs). July 26-31 at the Mum......