4 Things to Do Tonight in Philly: Weird Larry the Puppet, Trippy Japanese Theater and More
Malvern, Pa. brothers Ben and Mike Lebovitz are premiering their TV pilot/short film Welcome to Brownsville this week at PhilaMOCA. The protagonist of the film is a puppet named Weird Larry, ”a registered sex offender who’s taunted into misadventures and epic musical numbers as he tries to escape to Thailand where he can freely be himself.” Before he makes it, though, he needs to get past a bunch of cops, racists, drug addicts and “monster scientists” who want to study his brain. Think Avenue Q, but even less kid-friendly. Catch the trailer here. 7 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St.,tehmuppetz.com.
If you’re looking for a weekend-kickstarting dance party, DJ Student Driver is coming to Johnny Brenda’s tonight to host Modern Kicks, a set of post-punk, brit pop, new wave and shoegaze. 8 p.m., free, Johnny Brenda’s Downstairs, 1201 N. Frankford Ave.
Photo courtesy of Shinsuke Suginou.
Niwa Gekidan Penino, a theater company ran by Japanese psychiatrist-turned-playwright Kuro Tanino, comes to FringeArts to present The Room Nobody Knows. The “psychologically twisted” tale finds two brothers living in one apartment on the night of the elder brothers birthday. One is downstairs creating “unusual objects” for the occasion, while the other, freakier brother is in the upper room going through it with his head full of bizarre alter egos. ”The brothers’ enigmatic, erotic world — replete with pig faces, phalluses, demented plastic heads and secret compartments — plays out on a comically claustrophobic set.” Soundsvery Fringe-y, and, if the above photo is any indication, not safe for kids. Thu.-Sat., Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 8 p.m., $29, 140 N. Columbus Blvd., fringearts.ticketleeap.com.
While it may not be as trippy, Theatre Exile‘s second offering of the season also concerns two brothers, Austin and Lee, in Sam Shepard’s contentious True West. The show finds the rivaling siblings reuniting for the first time in years, each ”struggling through their jealousies in order to sustain superiority by stealing each other’s characteristics.” Sounds like being home for Christmas all over again. Jan. 30-Feb. 23, $20, Plays and Players Theater, 1714 Delancey Place, theatreexile.org.
