Blues For An Alabama Sky

                                                         Tariq Kanu & Ebony Pullum

The Lantern Theater Company is presenting the Philadelphia premiere of Pearl Cleage’s Blues For An Alabama Sky through March 15, 2026 at St. Stephen’s Theater, 10^th and Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia, Pa.  The set is marvelous.  With a raised platform on the stage, a second apartment is established.  Angel (Ebony Pullman) and Guy (Cookie Diorio) are staying downstairs while Delia (Taylor J. Mitchell) lives upstairs. Guy’s walls are awash with fabric samples and sketches for designs he hopes to submit to Josephine Baker.  He has cupboards that are filled with bottles of champagne that the friends frequently drink to celebrate a moment or to wish for a better one.  When an uncompromising Southern gentleman, Leland, (Tariq Kanu) arrives on the scene and asks, “Isn’t this the time of prohibition?” Guy responds with, “Not in Harlem.” The acting is excellent. Delia is an outgoing activist, hoping to start her own clinic for women. She’s ‘bubbly’, passionate, and eager to fulfill her dreams. Kash Goins is the enthusiastic doctor who is ready to help her. Guy is an optimist, consistent in his beliefs that any day his designs will be discovered and he will be off to Paris, designing costumes for Josephine Baker. He is willing to enjoy himself with champagne while he is waiting.  Angel’s life falls apart when she loses the love of her life and her job minutes apart. Shortly after, Leland comes into her life and although there are some  obvious pitfalls to a potential relationship with him, she becomes pregnant and foreshadows the rest of the play by ending the first act with- “I can’t stand a man who won’t finish what he’s started."- shortly after she observes the gun he is carrying. The second act has many dramatic moments. While the first act is mainly a series of character studies, the second act yields many “Oh No!” utterances from the audience. This is a serious drama, to be sure, but one immersed in joy and laughter as well. For more information or tickets, call 215-829-0395 or visit online at www.lanterntheater.org

Plantation Black

InterAct Theatre Company is known for producing thought-provoking plays. Plantation Black, which is being performed through March 1, 2026, is another such work. It is outstanding in so many aspects. Set on a plantation in both the present day and the Civil War Era, its 6-member cast seamlessly threads back and forth across the stage while the date is projected on the wall to enlighten the audience. The ensemble cast of DeAnna Suppe, Tymothee Harrell, Hannah Parke, Trevor Wiliam Fyle and Eli Lynn play their dual roles to perfection. Lenny Daniels is a warm and caring Big Momma no matter the century. Descendents of slaves have lived on the land for generations. Intermittent music is played throughout evoking a slave’s life on a plantation.  White siblings arrive who think they have a claim to “The Big House.”  Curiously enough, everyone has the same last name.  One absolutely fascinating point about Plantation Black is that the play can have one of six different starting points.  You can see it more than once for a reduced price and the sequence of events might be more straight-forward, but then you would miss out on having those “aha” moments which give clarity to a scene you have just witnessed. This is definitely must-see production. For more information or tickets, contact the box office at boxofffice@interacttheatre.org  or call 215- 568-8079 between  2-6 PM Monday- Friday.