Powelton Village: Community Education Center Actors Create Self-Narratives
The Community Education Center, located at 3500 Lancaster Ave., is a nonprofit organization founded by community members in 1973. Housed in a former Quaker school and meetinghouse, the building is now filled with artists of all forms. On any given day, visitors can find African dance classes, yoga sessions, art workshops and more. The space […]
Arts & Entertainment: Accomplished Comedian Finds Home in Philadelphia’s Blossoming Comedy Community
A creator, teacher and a comedian, Justin Jain is one of the founding members of The Berserker Residents, a professor at the University of the Arts, and a well-known face in Philadelphia’s theatre community. Like many theatre artists, Jain’s beginnings were early. His career started when he was 4 years old as a ballet dancer. […]
Arts & Entertainment: Kristen Schier Keeps The Audience Laughing And Students Learning
Kristen Schier wears a lot hats. She currently works as the improv producer at Philly Improv Theatre, the artistic director for The N Crowd, as a senior lecturer at The University of the Arts and as a guest lecturer at Temple University. What is your background in improv? I was always interested in comedy, even […]
Arts and Entertainment: How to Keep Up in the Crazy World of Performing Arts
A career in the theater can be difficult to attain. Philadelphia, however, offers a myriad of tools to help any enthusiastic performer achieve their goals. Whether it is a class at The Philadelphia Acting Studios or an apprenticeship at The Walnut Street Theatre, Philly has it all. We talked to artists about the world beyond the […]
Fox Chase: The Actors’ Group Brings Broadway to Local Stage
Fox Chase resident Joseph Laub’s love of theater began at age 5 when his parents took him to his first show in New York. “’Coco’ I think it was,” Laub said, “with Katharine Hepburn and that was awesome. I would be humming to the tunes down the street.” Laub eventually went on to major in business administration in […]
Germantown: Pushing the Envelope
Nicholas Gillette watched as fellow acrobats from the Almanac Dance Circus Theatre rehearsed complicated maneuvers a few feet behind him. “Steer whole heartedly into that,” he said. The “that” that Gillette is referring to is the love that he and his team have for live performance arts. The five-member ensemble infuses acrobatics, storytelling and physicality into their […]
Olde Kensington: Pig Iron Encourages Students to Find Individual Artistic Vision
The Pig Iron Theatre Company, founded in 1995, has since its inception created over two dozen original works. In 2011, the Pig Iron Theatre Company launched the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training (APT). The school utilizes a two-year program that uses unique teaching methods to train its students in physical- and ensemble-based theatre. […]
Germantown: Program Brings Youth Back to Shakespeare
Young aspiring actors gather together at the Francis Cope House, located at One Awbury Road, bringing the words of Shakespeare to life. Suddenly, a room that only housed a fireplace and an oriental rug, transforms into a stage. For 10 weeks, these young teens have a place to be or not to be, where they […]