How much drama can you handle? | Things to Do

My name is Rosa Cartagena, an arts and entertainment reporter at The Inquirer. I’m thrilled to meet you all as the new writer for our Things to Do newsletter! You’ll hear from me once a week, with a list of events and activities curated by my colleagues on the Features team and, of course, me. Think movies, outdoor concerts, restaurant pop-ups, family-friendly outings and more. I’ll also call out things that catch my attention — we want this newsletter to be like a picnic in your inbox; with something fun for everyone. Please let me know what you think!

A bit about me: I joined The Inquirer after working as the senior editor at Bitch: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture (which sadly shuttered last year), and before that I covered arts and culture in D.C. at Washingtonian magazine. I’m a cultural omnivore and some of my recent favorites include Abbott Elementary (of course), Boston Strangler, and N.K. Jemisin books.

Further below, I share one of my embarrassing Philly firsts, but for now — let’s talk about the weekend! Find quirky, fun, and outrageous shows at Philly Theatre Week, which kicks off today. Explore hikes, parks, and beaches that are perfect for your pup, see our rundown of new restaurants opening this season, and learn about the Ladies in Waiting, the all female and nonbinary band behind Six: The Musical. (And don’t forget to check out our regularly updated weekly and weekend events calendars.)

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, email me back here.)

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

Theatre Week is back for its sixth year with some 100 performances of 50 shows from 41 theater organizations in the area running March 23 through April 2. Even more incredible: Tickets bought through organizer Theatre Philadelphia are pay-what-you-can. Yes, all tickets. There’s something for every kind of theater-goer, whether you’re looking for comedy (Electoral Dysfunction from Crossroads Comedy Theater), interactive mystery (A Golden Girls Murder Mystery: A Philly Story from Without A Cue) or Shakespeare (The Tempest from Quintessence Theatre Group). The real question is how much drama can you handle?

🍽️ Time to drool: Springtime means new beginnings, and Philly’s restaurant scene simply won’t quit. Find a new favorite dish from the 30 spots opening this season.

🥪 Speaking of food: Don’t forget to cast your vote in The Inquirer’s Cheesesteak Bracket. Which whiz is best? Let us know!

👑 Belt it out: The all-in-one concert-game show-musical Six opened at the Academy of Music this week and while the queens — King Henry VIII’s ex-wives — are the stars, their backing band the Ladies in Waiting have their own fascinating stories.

🎨 Rare works: Explore never-before-seen artworks from 20th century realist painter Andrew Wyeth who grew up in Chadds Ford, Penn. Catch “Home Places” at the Brandywine Museum of Art.

📷 Lens of truth: A new exhibit at the Barnes Foundation examines apartheid in Sue Williamson and Lebohang Kganye’s “Tell Me What You Remember.”

🇺🇸 Revolutionary women: The Museum of the American Revolution’s “Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia” spotlights James Forten, but on Friday night you can learn all about the women in the Forten family who kept his undertold legacy alive.

📅 On the Inquirer calendar this weekend: Check out a Chocolate, Cupcake & Wine Tasting, the Stock Market Flea, and comedy show “Noel Miller: Everything Is F#&ked.”

Are you a visual artist living in Philadelphia? Here’s some good news. Philadelphia Contemporary is opening applications for its Velocity Fund. The rare opportunity comes from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, wherein individual artists can receive up to $5,000. The application cycle for 2023 is open from March 24 through June 6.

🐕 Doggo adventures: Skip your regular walk and take Bosco to one of the 21 best dog parks, beaches, and hikes around Philly.

🪴 Get dirty: Composting might seem like a far-fetched idea for city living, but it’s actually not that difficult to try. In our composting guide, find where to go and what to compost.

🥘 Family meal time: Fasting for Ramadan? We rounded some places in Philly where you can break your fast.

💻 Libraries, community centers, and business centers throughout Philadelphia have computers you can use for free.

🛍️ Here are 18 organizations that will take your clothing, furniture, and more to help communities in Philly, including groups who will pick your stuff up.

Embarrassing, I know. But I really wanted to catch up on Creed so… I spent my first two weeks in the city binge-watching the entire franchise. It’s such an addictive underdog story and I loved Rocky’s attitude, especially in the first two films. The man was cool, disarming egotistical competitors with hilarious disses. I won’t lie, I hated the way my man Apollo Creed went down in a mishmash of patriotic confusion against the Russian boxer (I was convinced he was a robot, btw). I guess it was worth it for Adonis Creed’s backstory? I enjoy a good underdog story and boxing flick, so I don’t know why I waited so long. Now whenever I walk under an overpass, I imagine Mighty Mick’s Gym or Adrian’s pet shop. Speaking of Rocky, have you heard this podcast about our favorite statue?

Fat Ham, written by Philadelphia playwright James Ijames, opened on Broadway this week, but it first premiered at the Wilma Theater in Center City. Which Shakespeare classic does it retell?

A) The one about a prince who seeks to kill his uncle

B) The one about a magic-induced shipwreck

C) The one about a hallucinating Scottish king

D) The one about star-crossed lovers

📮 Write me back to let me know which of the above is correct.

This week, I finally watched Tár (why did nobody tell me Cate Blanchett fully tackles a guy?) What movie are you enjoying these days? Let me know!

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear about what you’re getting up to in the city. For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me here.