Looking for something fun to do? Here are some arts and culture events in Philly this weekend that you can’t miss.
Chester County Studio Tours
The annual two-day event is back this weekend in Chester County on May 14 and 15. Throughout the tours, Philadelphians will be able to meet other creatives and art lovers and become immersed in the talent scattered throughout the county. The event is meant to showcase, highlight, and share artists with art connoisseurs, collectors, and curious neighbors, and this year might be the biggest yet with over 66 studios on the docket. Studios will exhibit painting, sculpture, jewelry, photography, clay, glass, paper and fiber, and all artists will be present to interact with both buyers and browsers.
As a release states, visitors are encouraged to design their own self-guided tour with the Chester County Studio Tour’s new interactive website by visiting countystudiotour.com. Visitors can click the “add to Itinerary” button of their favorite artists, and have Google Maps plot the most efficient route, providing turn-by-turn directions to each chosen studio. This year’s event has also added a “Find 5!” feature, which will find the five closest studios for the visitor.
The County Collector Series will also be back this year, and during which, anyone can collect an original framed 6” x 6” piece of art for $75. In total, two-dimensional artists have created original works of art in a 6” x 6” frame, and three-dimensional artists have created special pieces for the series. The tour is free and open to the public this Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 15, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Various locations, countystudiotour.com
‘This Is The Week That Is’
1812 Productions’ wildly-popular political satire, ‘This Is The Week That Is,’ will be continuing its run at the Plays & Players Theatre this weekend. What makes this production so compelling is the way it changes based on what’s happening in the world. It’s Philadelphia’s own ‘Saturday Night Live‘ with a sprinkle of ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ in a way—and the performers match the caliber of what people can expect when headed to a sketch comedy show of this degree. The unique production incorporates sketch comedy, musical parodies, and news-desk style reporting that changes nightly depending on the news happening in real-time. Anyone interested can check online for tickets and showtimes to experience it first-hand for themselves.
1714 Delancey Pl., 1812productions.org
Bethlehem Bach Festival
May 13 and 14 mark the beginning weekend of the Bethlehem Bach Festival, and over the course of the two weekends (it will continue on May 20-21), visitors can enjoy performances, lectures, dinners, and more. Presented by the Bethlehem Bach Choir, the festival is a tradition enjoyed by thousands of people throughout the country and beyond since the American premiere of Bach’s Mass at the first Bethlehem Bach Festival in 1900.
As the official website states, the Bethlehem Bach Choir performs the works of Bach and promotes appreciation of the aesthetic and spiritual value of Bach’s music while striving for musical excellence during this event. The choir also engages its audience – locally, nationally, and internationally – through education, performance, and the programs of its Bel Canto Youth Chorus. A full list of events and happenings can be found online.
Various locations, bach.org/bach-festival
Gloria Dei Church’s Book Festival
The historic Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church will be hosting its first-ever book festival this Sunday, May 15. While on-site in Queens Village, visitors will be able to meet and greet Philly-area history authors, listen to author readings and interviews, partake in book-buying and book-signings and more. The festival — which takes place from 1 to 6 p.m. rain or shine — also includes food, refreshments and two 15-minute tours of the oldest church in Pennsylvania. A few highlighted authors at the event include Cordelia Frances Biddle, Jennifer L. Green, Joel Spivak, Hal Taylor, Lynn Miller, David S. Traub and more.
916 S. Swanson St., preserveoldswedes.org
Bristol Riverside Theatre’s ‘A Few Good Men’
Bristol’s latest production is here to show audiences that they can handle the truth. Based on the Academy Award-nominated film, ‘A Few Good Men’ follows a team of lawyers who uncover a high-level conspiracy covered up in the name of patriotism. Some may remember the famous film starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore, but at its core, the show is about morality and where you draw the line at what your duty is, and what your human experience is—this legal drama also showcases one woman fighting for her place in a world of men for a case surrounding two teenage marines accused of murder.
As a release states, to get prepared for the show, BRT Producing Director Ken Kaissar reached out to a local high school JROTC program before starting rehearsals. The contact led him to a luncheon with two local JROTC heads and he was then put in touch with Colonel Vincent J. Ciuccoli, a Professor of Naval Science who works with the ROTC programs at Villanova and UPenn. He’s also the CO of the Philadelphia NROTC Consortium.
Tickets (available online) to ‘A Few Good Men’ start at $43, with discounts available for students and military. The show runs until May 22.
120 Radcliffe St., brtstage.org
