See This! PIFA 2013 Edition

Can we assume we’ll have an incarnation of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts every two years from here on out? Or is it too soon to tell with only two festivals on the books? Either way, brace yourselves, Philadelphians. PIFA is coming.

The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts is back for its second biennial production, bringing with it a month chock full of music, theater, visual art, and special events. This year’s theme is Time Travel, which at first glance seems a bit odd for an arts festival. Each event portrays a specific event in history or the future and really shows how art can transport us to a different time and space if only for just a little while. I’m incredibly excited to see as many shows as I can fit into my tight schedule. For my own benefit as much as yours, I’ve compiled a list of some of the theater-related events I’m most excited for at PIFA 2013.

Flash of Time: A New Musical

This musical from up-and-coming musical theater writers Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk will receive its world premiere in the Kimmel’s lobby. The show makes use of the giant interactive time machine built specifically for the festival as well as puppetry, special effects and lots of awesome music. One of the songs from the show, “Flash of Time”, is now streaming on the PIFA website, and if this track is anything to go on this show is going to be super-fun. Best of all, admission is free, and with two shows a night there’s plenty of opportunities to check it out! Flash of Time runs Tuesday through Sunday at 7 PM and 10:30 PM from March 28 to April 27.

Vainglorious: The Epic Feats of Notable Persons in Europe After the Revolution – Applied Mechanics

With a 26-person cast of young local artists, Applied Mechanics tells the story of the rise of the Napoleonic Empire in Vainglorious. This is a truly immersive piece in which the audience can explore the set, witnessing private moments between actors. What I love about this style of theater is that each audience member’s experience is unique, and I think that this is a brilliantly ambitious approach to an important part of Western history. Vainglorious plays at the Christ Church Neighborhood House at 20 N. American Street. Student tickets are available for $10 at the box office.

Everyone and I – Azuka Theatre/The American Poetry Review

For their PIFA offering, Azuka partnered with the American Poetry Review to create a new play based on the poem “The Day Lady Died” by Frank O’Hara, penned to commemorate the death of legendary singer Billie Holiday. I’m a big fan of Billie, and I’m interested to see how this play will portray both artists. Everyone and I plays at the Hamilton Garden at the Kimmel Center from March 28 to April 7. Student tickets are available for $7 at the box office.

The Hand of Gaul – Inis Nua

Fulfilling their commitment to producing plays by Irish, British, Welsh, and Scottish writers, Inis Nua presents a play about the aftermath of the handball that knocked Ireland of the 2010 World Cup tournament. Now, I’m a theatre person who doesn’t know a great deal about sports, but The Hand of Gaul’s promise of “international intrigue, a rare Belgian beer, and the world’s most popular sport” makes this a show I’ll definitely be checking out. Plus, I’ve got a soft spot for writers from Ireland and the UK. The Hand of Gaul runs from April 9 to April 28 at the First Baptist Church (1636 Sansom Street). Tickets are available for $20.

For more information on all of these events, check out pifa.org. Happy PIFA-ing! 

P.S. You can now follow Standing Room Only on Bloglovin! I've been using it to read my favorite blogs for a few weeks now and I'm seriously addicted. Check it out! 

Coming Soon...

Well, it seems to have been some time. I sincerely apologize for my absence from Standing Room Only. I won't bore you all with excuses and stories of where I've been for the past two (or however many) months, but just know that much of it is theater-related and it is all awesome. But right now, it's back to business. Sort of.

I have a bunch of great stuff planned for the next few weeks of Standing Room Only. I'll be here to help you make some sense of all the theater you're probably being bombarded with right now, or just to bombard you with some more. For example, I'm seeing a bunch of shows in the next two weeks, most of which I will be reviewing on here. Here's just a few of the shows I'm planning on seeing soon:

• Bad Jews, Roundabout Theatre Company 
• Pookie Goes Grenading, Azuka Theater
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Drexel Players
• The Republican Theater Festival 
• Satchmo at the Waldorf, The Wilma Theater

So yes, I'm sorry this post isn't more interesting, but I felt the need to get the "sorry I abandoned you for two months" stuff out of the way before I moved on to the good stuff. Watch this space, theater fans! 

Know the (Nonexistent) Code: Is It Necessary to Dress Up for the Theatre?

As theatre has changed over the years, our ideas of what constitutes proper theatre etiquette have changed as well. What happens when someone's phone goes off in the middle of a play? Is it okay to sing along in your seat at jukebox musicals like Jersey Boys? And what the heck are you supposed to wear to the theatre?

This last question has been a hotly contested issue in the theatre community in the last few years. As audiences for commercial theatre are widening, their sartorial choices are becoming increasingly more casual. Despite this, there is still some unspoken expectation for audience members to dress up for a theatrical production, particularly at the professional level. This expectation can scare off young people who might be uncomfortable dressing up for a night at the theatre.

I asked some of my Twitter followers how they felt about dressing up for the theatre, and their responses were surprisingly split. Some enjoyed the process of dressing up as part of the general experience of going to the theatre, while others found that the expectation to dress up, “makes the theatre seem too exclusive.” One friend described her personal theatre fashion rules as, “Office-appropriate clothing a necessity; dressy clothing for openings, post-show receptions, and Lincoln Center/the Met.” Another said, “Although there isn’t an OFFICIAL dress code, I hate this sort of social requirement because it does keep certain people away from the theatre or at least makes them very uncomfortable or feel out of place when they are.”

So, what do I think about dressing for the theatre? I think that theatre patrons should be able to wear whatever they want to the theatre, within reason. Personally, I go for a smart-casual look when I’m going to a show. I’ll throw on a dress and a cardigan or a nice blouse and a pair of black pants. I do think that making an effort to look presentable shows respect to the cast and creative team behind a play.

However, the most important aspect to dressing for the theatre is comfort. In the end, you’re going to sit in a theatre for several hours, so while you still want to look presentable, you should wear something that makes you physically and emotionally comfortable. Your sartorial choices shouldn’t detract from your overall experience at the theatre.

How do you dress for the theatre? Do you expect the audience to dress up for a performance, or do you think we should be allowed to wear whatever we want? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.