THEATER
‘Jeffrey Dahmer: Guilty but Insane’
Sunday through May 9
BrainSpunk Theater
2825 Ormes St.
$10-$20, 215-278-9504
BrainSpunk Theater presents this new one-man show written and performed by Josh Hitchens, providing an up-close and personal encounter with one of America’s most notorious serial killers — perhaps, for some, too close for comfort. Hitchens focuses on one of the first questions we ask whenever a person commits such monstrous acts: Where is the line between insanity and sanity, confusion and guilt? ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’
Through May 17
Plays and Players Theatre
1714 Delancey St.
$25-$50,215-218-4022
Theatre Exile presents Edward Albee’s notorious 1962 play about a bitter, married couple who draw a younger couple into the madness of their relationship, which resembles trench warfare far more than a marriage. Lost in shared illusions and drowned in booze, they’re the perfect picture of the dysfunctional and are examples to live against. Bottles are broken, but hearts seem to have been shattered much earlier. COMEDY
Karen’s Dream
Friday and Saturday
Plays and Players Theatre
1714 Delancey St.
$7, 800-838-3006
karensdream.brownpapertickets.com
The all-female sketch group ManiPedi performs this comedy show, mixing dance, spoken word and music in with their theatrical stylings, all to delve deep into the subconscious of Karen. Who is Karen? You’ll just have to find out. Other performers include the Wire Mothers, performing a tribute to fictional would-be Broadway composer Mel Buttermench, and Baltimore’s Wham City Comedy. BOOKS
Michelangelo Signorile
Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine St.
Free, 215-567-4341
This author on LGBT issues will discuss his latest book “It’s Not Over,” in which he claims that, while the gay rights lobby has won many important victories over the last few years, full-on social acceptance of LGBT individuals is still a ways off. Signorile should know — he’s been one of the most prominent and outspoken commentators on these issues since the ’80s. ART
PhiladelphiaArt Book Fair
Friday and Saturday
The Annex on Filbert
830 Filbert St.
Free, phlartbookfair@gmail.com
Featuring 50 exhibitors from 10 states, this fair, presented by Philadelphia Photo Arts Center and the Print Center, will be a treat for lovers of art books and independent publishing, with books from individual artists as well as larger institutions. Scheduled events also include artist talks and bookmaking discussions. Photographer Emmet Gowin is the keynote speaker. MOVIES
‘Kicking and Screaming’
Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Roxy Theater
2035 Sansom St.
$9-$10, 267-239-2941
Noah Baumbach’s first film, from 1995, tells the stories of a group of college graduates who remain on campus, desperate to avoid a confrontation with the so-called “real world” — because, as another film of the era declared, reality bites. Despite its two-decade vintage, this Generation X tale seems just as relevant as it did back in the day. ART
Tyler Lyke: Eclectique
Through May 3
Twenty-Two Gallery
236 S. 22nd St.
Free, 215-772-1911
Tyler Lyke paints taut circles of color that have a vibrant, burning energy, as if they’re a bunch of tiny galaxies in a Universe zoom-out, or atomic particles bonded together. If viewed from far enough away, they produce a slight optical illusion, buzzing with excitement. Their passionate vitality reflects Lyke’s stated concern for existential and spiritual seeking. DANCE
Project Moshen: The Hidden Truth
Friday and Saturday
The Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine St., $20
Jazz dancer/choreographer Kelli Moshen and her company present her latest work, “The Hidden Truth,” exploring “the most unique and mysterious inner workings of woman’s psyche.” Sigmund Freud famously despaired of finding an answer to the question, “What does a woman want?” Perhaps dance can succeed where mansplaining failed. MUSIC
Tim Berne’s Snakeoil
Friday, 8 p.m.
Barnes Foundation
2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
$15
Avant-garde alto sax player Tim Berne has been keeping true to his small-group style since the 1980s. His band, Snakeoil, has been celebrated for its improvisational hive-mind and Berne’s freewheeling, but carefully constructed compositions. Vienna Teng
Friday, 8 p.m.
World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut St.
$30, 215-222-1400
Singer-songwriter Vienna Teng graduated from Stanford with a degree in computer science, and even after her career took off, she found time to earn two master’s degrees from the University of Michigan — allwhile recording her most elaborate album to date, 2013’s “Aims.” ComposingOur Lives
Saturday, 8 p.m.
Gould Rehearsal Hall
1616 Locust St.
$15, 267-402-2055
The classical music students at the Curtis Institute of Music will tell personal stories to accompany the musical pieces they’ll perform, giving listeners a hint of the person behind the player.
Things to do in Philadelphia
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News
Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis talks war in Gaza, antisemitism during visit to Philadelphia
History Column: Preserving historic train stations in Philadelphia
2025 Mummers Parade: What to expect for the fan-favorite event
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Philly Starbucks coffee shops participate in nationwide strike
Entertainment
Sports
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A Flyers Letter to Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick (Foles)
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