First Person Arts Festival, Birdman Live and more to do in Philly

FESTIVALS

First Person Arts Festival
Through November 19
Various locations
$0-$22
firstpersonarts.org

This is the final weekend of the First Person Arts Festival, the event series celebrating storytelling in a variety of forms. In “White Like Me: A Honky Dory Puppet Show,” the stage is set for a cast of “action figures, toy cars, busted dolls, and other weird junk” to tell a surrealist tale about the white man and his imminent descent into minority status land. For an evening of adult-only tales, hit up “Sex for Sale” on Friday for a peep into Philadelphia’s sex industry.

Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival
Through November 19
Various locations
$11-$300
pjff.org

The Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival wraps up this weekend with a slew of Philly premieres. There are four on Saturday night alone in a short film series called “Women in Shorts” that, as the name suggests, features a collection of quick flicks about ladies. That opens with the multi-award-winning “Women in Sink” that finds Israeli director Iris Zaki chatting with women of various backgrounds while they get their hair done at a salon in Haifa.

SHOPPING

Franklin Flea Holiday Market
November 19, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Historic Strawbridge’s Building
801 Market St.
Pay as you go
franklinflea.com

Just in time for the holidays, Franklin Flea kicks off the first in its series of four holiday markets taking place at the Historic Strawbridge’s Building. The airy, chandelier-punctuated space plays home to dozens of vendors selling everything from vintage clothing and antiques to jewelry and all kinds of home decor. If you’re hungry, local street food vendors will be on site to feed your growling tummy. Upcoming Franklin Flea Holiday Markets take place November 26 and December 3 and 17.

Eric & Christopher Open House
November 19-20, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Eric & Christopher warehouse
410 E. Walnut St., Perkasie
Pay as you go
ericandchristopher.com

Home goods designers Eric & Christopher open up their warehouse in Bucks County for a rare look inside the studio in which their adorable farm animal-inspired pillows, totes and more are created. The opportunity affords shoppers the chance to purchase the goods, which are typically sold wholesale-only.

PERFORMING ARTS

“Sunset, o639 Hours”
Through November 20
The Wilma Theater
265 S. Broad St.
$50
balletx.org

Philadelphia contemporary dance troupe BalletX kicks off its 11th season with a reprisal of Matthew Neenan’s critically acclaimed “Sunset, o639 Hours.” The compelling composition utilizes innovative choreography, a 1930s-inspired score and brilliant lighting techniques to tell the triumphant yet tragic tale of American pilot Captain Edwin Musick, who completed the first airmail service between the U.S. and New Zealand in 1938.

“Five Points”
November 18-20
The Arden Studio Theatre
62 N. Second St.
$19-$34
11thhourtheatrecompany.org

11th Hour Theatre Company presents the first of two musicals in its Next Step Concert Series. “Five Points” takes us back to Manhattan at the onset of the Civil War. In a slum inhabited by poor immigrants and free black families, an African American man finds meaningful connection with a widowed Irish father nervous that his son may be drafted.

“The Nutcracker”
November 18-20
Upper Darby Performing Arts Center
601 N. Lansdowne Ave.
$9-$22
udpac.org

Get a headstart on your holiday nut-cracking with the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Society’s three-day performance of Tchaikovsky’s much-loved holiday tale. The family-friendly (and affordably priced) spectacle enlists classically trained dancers and professional soloists to tell the story of a young girl who gets swept away to a kingdom of mouse soldiers, sugarplum fairies and Russian tea dancers.

BiRDMAN LiVE

November 19, 8 p.m.
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
3680 Walnut St.
$25
annenbergcenter.org

Catch a unique screening of “Birdman” that features a live performance by Grammy-winning jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez, who will play the movie’s soundtrack as the film plays. “Birdman,” which snagged the 2015 Academy Award for Best Picture, stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up movie actor trying to make a comeback on the Broadway stage.

ART

“Melt/Carve/Forge: Embodied Sculptures by Cassils”
November 19-March 5, 2017
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
118-128 N. Broad St.
Free with $15 museum admission
pafa.org

PAFA makes way for the very first solo museum exhibition in the United States by Canadian sculptor and performance artist Cassils. The exhibition features photography, video and sculpture inspired by acts of violence experienced by the LGBTQ community. Cassils comes to PAFA on December 2 for a sold-out performance piece in which the artist “unleashes an attack” on a 2,000 pound lump of clay. The show is only illuminated by the flash of a camera, which “which burns the image into the viewer’s retina.” Ouch.

“I Got Woke, Who Got Next?”
November 19, 7-10 p.m.
Lansdowne Ballroom and Latin Dance Social Club
211 W. Baltimore Ave.
$10-$15
ticketleap.com

On the heels of a gut-punching election season, local artist Zoeh opens her latest exhibition that spotlights “the power we have over our own happiness.” The opening night soiree features Zoeh’s visual art and writings complemented by a Q&A with the artist, music from Groove Control Productions and dance lessons from Lansdowne Ballroom and Latin Dance Social Club.