Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
This weekend, take a little time to enjoy the arts and activities both on and off campus before the semester picks up speed. Swat will be offering the traditional dance party in the amphitheater and is even boasting the visit of a “comic hypnotist,” but for those of you interested in something a little further afield, Philadelphia is getting warmed up with a number of cultural and artistic events.
The Philly Fringe Festival, an annual collection of experimental theater, has begun, offering a variety of dance, dramatic, comic, musical, and visual art performance. Prices range from free to $20 (your best bet is to buy tickets there) and a great way to take a look at the options is to go to the Fringe’s website, www.livearts-fringe.org, or stop by LPAC and pick up one of the programs available there. Swat alums can be found in quite a few of the productions, including the Pig Iron Theatre Company’s “Love Unpunished,” as well as “Every Day Above Ground,” “Cell,” “P’s and Q’s,” “The Sea,” “Balletx,” “For Emergency Use Only,” “The Ballad of Joe Hill,” “//Autopilot//,” and “Voices Underwater.” Many of these performances both challenge and entertain, offering audience interaction and distinctive storytelling.
The Fringe Festival will be running through the 16th, but if you’re intending to save the avant-garde for next week, there are certainly other options available. Consider a little night music: you can try “Dueling Guitars” at the Philadelphia Art Museum or the Irish Folk Group “Solas” at the Irish Center (catch the R8 from 30th Street and get off at Carpenter) both of which will be on Friday night at 5 and 8 pm, respectively. You can even call up the Kimmel Center Saturday morning to ask about available rush tickets (which are generally cheaper than those bought in advance) for the touring Broadway production of “Disney’s The Lion King,” which will run all weekend with its final performance this Monday night. Combine any of these with a visit to a museum or an expedition to Chinatown for a thoroughly satisfying escape from your daily devices at Swat.