Beth Hebrew Synagogue in downtown Phoenix isn’t your typical place of worship. Besides religious services, the storied site has hosted film screenings, architectural lectures, and, perhaps most notably, a panel discussion with members of the Russian protest-art collective Pussy Riot. Continuing in that vein is a late October theatrical adaptation of…
I wondered, as I headed to a second-week performance of Black Theatre Troupe’s Rasheeda Speaking, if it would be possible for a production starring Lillie Richardson and Katie McFadzen to be lousy. Could it be in some way lacking if the supporting cast were Joseph Kremer and Pamela Fields? How…
What happens in the studio shouldn’t always stay in the studio. Studio Visit is a monthly series that profiles artists in their studios. We ask them questions, they provide answers, and then we have a nice discussion about their work. This month: Katharine Leigh Simpson, whose work blends visual and…
Several Phoenix artists were honored Thursday, October 13, during the Mayor’s Arts Awards, presented with Phoenix Center for the Arts at Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix. Phoenix Center for the Arts is operated by a nonprofit arts organization with an education focus. Its downtown Phoenix venue includes a…
Sometimes it becomes difficult — almost impossible — to separate the character from the actor. The Christopher Walkens and Steve Buscemis of the world will always be viewed as themselves first, their portrayals second. The same can be said for characters who align closely with the personalities of the men…
Going out on a budget? Easy. This weekend in metro Phoenix, you’ll find everything from fresh-out-the-kitchen comedy, a quickie history lesson by way of a party, and some serious pride. For more things to do, see New Times’ curated calendar of events. Out of the Kitchen When they aren’t busy flipping…
On an early fall evening, comedian Alisha Ratan is sitting outside a central Phoenix coffee shop with her improv partner, Meredith Howell. They’re discussing a recent sketch they saw that left Ratan stone-faced: a tired trope where the “nice guy” main character has been dumped by his girlfriend for a…
Looking for the best things to do in metro Phoenix from Monday, October 10, through Sunday, October 16? The Valley’s offerings include a celebration of our newfound Indigenous Peoples Day, an opportunity for True Blood fans to freak out (just a little bit), the return of Phoenix Fashion Week. For more, see…
Normally, you’d have to log a lot of miles to see dance performances created by nearly two dozen diverse choreographers. But local dance festivals are making it easier to sample the metro Phoenix dance scene, where offerings include classical ballet, contemporary dance, and flamenco, to name a few. For several…
Mention the words “rock opera,” and most people think of either Tommy, the tale of a pinball wizard with a disturbing childhood, or Jesus Christ Superstar, about the perils of mixing faith with fame. Now though, there’s a new rock opera to add to that roster. It’s called Something Inside…
New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from Friday, September 30, through Sunday, October 2. For more, see our curated events calendar. Fall Forward Sun Devil football may have kicked off over a month ago, but Arizona State University celebrates the start of a new season this…
Anti-immigrant rhetoric flows freely in Donald Trump tirades about Mexicans and Muslims. Refugees are fleeing Middle East violence in record numbers. And America’s demographics are shifting to reflect the increasing diversity of its people. Today, nearly one in five Americans have Latino or Hispanic heritage, according to the Pew Research…
A lone saguaro stands near a bit of border fence surrounded by vast desert expanse in the first photograph visitors see when entering Lisa Sette Gallery. The image prompts viewers to consider the chasm between border rhetoric and reality. It’s one of many fall 2016 exhibitions and performances in metro…
If you’ve ever hitched a ride with me to or from Arizona School for the Arts (where I’m currently enrolled), you’ve probably heard the soundtrack to In the Heights blast from my speakers. The 2008 Tony-winning show was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, hip-hop’s voice in Broadway’s increasingly diversifying musical scene…
The 26th annual AriZoni Theatre Awards took place Monday, September 19, at Tempe Center for the Arts. More than 20 theaters, in addition to several youth theaters, participated in this year’s awards — which are meant to honor excellence in local theater. Awards for general (rather than youth) theaters were…
[nueBOX] recently announced that oneTON collective and AZ Dragoneers have been selected as its fall 2016 artists-in-residence. Each will create new work, and present public programming as part of its residency. They join the list of 24 other artist-in-residence programs created through [nueBOX], which was founded in 2014 by Julie…
Tempe theater company Childsplay was recently awarded a $28,125 grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation in New York. The East Coast foundation’s arts program focuses its support on contemporary dance, jazz, and theater artists. This is its fourth award to Childsplay, which David Saar founded in 1977 while he was a…
It’s been quite a year for the local performing arts scene. Arizona Theater Company barely escaped shuttering by raising $2 million to mount its 2016-17 season. Mesa Arts Center welcomed [nue]BOX as a new resident artist. Stray Cat Theatre found a new home at Tempe Center for the Arts. And…
There is plenty to like about iTheatre Collaborative’s new production of The Velocity of Autumn, now playing at the Herberger Theater Center. Carefully paced direction by iTheatre cofounder Rosemary Close lends a casual, real-time feel to Eric Coble’s melodrama, and performances from Judy Rollings and Brad Bond bring his long,…
Make haste if you’re an artist looking for new places to show your work in metro Phoenix. We’ve found 17 open calls for art, and some have rapidly approaching deadlines. Here’s a roundup of artist opportunities to keep on your radar in coming days and weeks. Arizona State Fair Exhibition…
The Bridge Initiative creates opportunities for women playwrights. For its next event, Bridge is partnering with Southwest Shakespeare Company to present the first reading of New York playwright Liz Duffy Adams’ newest work. Tracy Liz Miller, who co-founded The Bridge Initiative in Mesa with Brenda Jean Foley in 2014, invited…
The last chapter of Jen Kirkman’s newest book, I Know What I’m Doing and Other Lies I Tell Myself, is an homage to Joan Rivers, a comedic hero and resident mom-in-her-head. But instead of referring to Rivers as a “female comedian,” as many do, she describes her as “a stand-up who also happened…
