Think you know a lot about nature? Want to prepare a great Valentine’s Day dinner? We’ve rounded up some of the things about to take place in Philly.
Vaccinating the Incarcerated
Coronavirus has spread through American prisons and jails killing thousands and infecting countless more. New vaccines are offering a glimpse of hope for the men and women behind the walls. But when will incarcerated people receive the vaccine? Our panelists will discuss critical questions surrounding the vaccination process for incarcerated people. Feb. 2 at 6pm. Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary. Easternstate.org
Theatre Exile Presents Anna Moench’s ‘Sin Eaters’
Toeing the lines between satire and harsh reality, “Sin Eaters” is a hilarious, poignant and brutal examination of the human experience and how the daily toil of life transforms our perceptions of ourselves and those around us. Mary is a content moderator, one of the unseen people who scrub our social media feeds of violent, sexual and otherwise disturbing imagery. As she goes deeper into the recesses of the internet, she finds a graphic video that makes her question her relationship, her sanity and her own capacity for violence. “Sin Eaters” is the fourth play by award-winning playwright Anna Moench and will be directed by Theatre Exile Resident Artist Matt Pfeiffer, featuring Philadelphia-based actors Bi Jean Ngo and David M Raine. Feb. 11 at 8pm. Theatreexile.org
Nature Trivia Night
Put your nature knowledge to the test at our third annual virtual trivia event. It’s a cornucopia of questions covering the scaly, feathered, furry, and even slimy members of the animal kingdom. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third place teams. Teams can consist of 1-6 players. A Zoom link will be in the confirmation email received after registering. Jan. 28 at 7pm. Presented by Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. schuylkillcenter.org
Semlor To-Go & A Movie at Home
Join the American Swedish Historical Museum this Valentine’s weekend for some Swedish sweets and ABBA beats. Treat yourself to a rich semla (a Swedish pastry filled with cream and almond paste) along with a hot cup of coffee and a film. This year, the Auxiliary will continue the tradition with advanced semlor order and pickup and a link to a live viewing of the ABBA documentary “Super Troupers: 30 Years of Music,” so you can watch at home. Semlors are $6 each and orders are due by Feb. 10. Feb. 13 at 11am. Register at americanswedish.org/events
Valentine’s Day Virtual Cooking Class
Join 12th Street Catering for a Paella Virtual Cooking Class to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Attendees will be guided with live video instruction from executive chef Adam DeLosso during this one-hour event. Kits include all necessary ingredients and are available for onsite pickup, local delivery and priority overnight shipping. This virtual event takes place in your kitchen and is the perfect reimagined date night. Celebrate the holiday of love by creating a culinary masterpiece. Feb. 12 at 5:30pm. Call 215-386-8595 or email info@12stcatering.com to register.
Staying in? We’ve got some events you’ll want to check out
As you await your turn in the COVID vaccination line, you might want to stay in. But you still want to do something fun right? No worries. We found these upcoming events on eventbrite.com that should keep you laughing, shrieking and more.
Improv Comedy The N Crowd – Livestream
Join in for livestream improv comedy with the N Crowd! Tickets: Free, but there’s a suggested $5 donation. The N Crowd has performed improv comedy shows every Friday since 2005. Its rotating cast of hilarious performers play a variety of improv games you may have seen before and ones you’ll never see anywhere else. Friday, Feb. 5. 8pm. eventbrite.com
Philadelphia Online: DG Footlights
Presented by the Dramatists Guild of America, Philadelphia’s DG Footlights on Zoom continues with “Jesse and Grace: A Best Friends Story” by Sandy Asher and David Harrison. Jesse and Grace have been best friends forever. It’s never mattered that Jesse is a boy and Grace is a girl. They’ve always understood each other, protected each other, comforted each other, and shared their jokes, toys, dreams, and love of poetry and basketball. But now they’re in fourth grade and about to celebrate their 10th birthdays – and things start to get complicated. Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7pm. Free. eventbrite.com
Immanuel Wilkins + Jacob Cooper: Artist to Artist Talk
Presented by the American Composers Forum, the Philadelphia Chapter will present an online artist talk between acclaimed saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins and composer Jacob Cooper, a 2020 Pew Fellow. The two artists will discuss their creative process, reflect on their artistic influences and share recent work. Tuesday, Feb. 2, 5pm. Free. eventbrite.com
Lunchtime Lessons: Black Futures Pitch Competition
Venture Cafe Philadelphia is hosting an online pitch competition to highlight and resource Black startup founders. Applicants will compete for a $10k grand prize and in-kind business resources, sponsored by Boomi. Join this session to learn how to get involved. Monday, Feb. 1, noon. Free. eventbrite.com
EnTRANSed: A Trans and Non-Binary Drag Show
Join Pearlstein Gallery on Feb. 3 at 7:30pm. on twitch.tv/pearlsteingallery for EnTRANSed: A Trans and Non-Binary Drag Show. This program celebrates and explores Trans and Non-Binary identities through seven Philly-based drag performers. These local favorites will serve up hot dishes ranging from traditional to experimental performances with lip sync, dance, video and more. Online. Eventbrite.com
Virtual Philly Ghost Walking Tour
Although Philadelphia may have played a pivotal role in American democracy, Philadelphia also has a spooky side to inspire world-renowned authors such as Edgar Allen Poe to write “The Murders of Rue Morgue” and “The Raven” and Bram Stoker’s research for “Dracula” and David Lynch’s inspiration for “Eraserhead.” This virtual walking tour delves in the ghastly tales of supernatural sightings of German soldiers, as well as famous sites such as Bishop White’s House, Pennsylvania Hospital, City Hall, Independence Hall, Walnut Street Theater and so much more. Saturday, Feb. 13, 8pm. $35. eventbrite.com
What’s new on Netflix next month
Have you binge watched all of the shows you want to binge watch? No more movies you want to catch? No problem, as Netflix has announced its new arrivals for February. We went to netflix.com and picked out some of our favorites about to hit the small screen.
Strip Down, Rise Up
From Academy Award-nominated director Michèle Ohayon comes “Strip down, rise up,” an intimate film about a diverse and vibrant group of women who heal their trauma and body image issues through sensual movement and the art of pole dancing. Premieres on Feb 5.
Pelé
This documentary feature tells the story of iconic footballer Pelé, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he attained. As well as unprecedented interview access to Pelé, the film includes astounding archive footage and interviews with legendary former teammates including Zagallo, Jairzinho and Rivellino. The story looks back at the extraordinary 12-year period in which Pelé, the only man to win three World Cup titles, went from young superstar in 1958 to national hero in 1970; a radical yet turbulent era in Brazil’s history. Premieres on Feb. 23.
Firefly Lane
Based on the New York Times bestselling book, “Firefly Lane” is the sweeping story of two inseparable best friends and their enduring, complicated bond, spanning four tumultuous decades. The series stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke. Premieres on Feb. 3.
The Crew
“The Crew” stars Kevin James as a NASCAR crew chief for the fictional Bobby Spencer Racing team. When the owner steps down and passes the team off to his daughter Catherine (Jillian Mueller), James has to protect himself and his crew from her attempts to modernize the team. Freddie Stroma, Sarah Stiles, Gary Anthony Williams and Dan Ahdoot also star. Paris Berelc and Bruce McGill guest star. Premieres on Feb. 15.
Malcolm & Marie
Sam Levinson teams up with Zendaya and John David Washington for an achingly romantic drama in which a filmmaker (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) return home following a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits what’s sure to be imminent critical and financial success. The evening suddenly takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love. Working with cinematographer Marcell Rev, Levinson creates a film of rare originality; an ode to the great Hollywood romances as well as a heartfelt expression of faith in the medium’s future. Premieres on Feb. 5.
Space Sweepers
Set in 2092, spaceship Victory is one of the many that live off salvaging space debris. Crewed with a genius space pilot Tae-ho (Song Joong-ki), a mysterious ex-space pirate Captain Jang (Kim Tae-ri), spaceship engineer Tiger Park (Jin Sun-kyu), and a reprogrammed military robot Bubs (Yoo Hai-jin), Spaceship Victory surpasses all other space sweepers. After successfully snatching a crashed space shuttle in the latest debris chase, Victory’s crew find a 7-year-old girl inside. They realize that she’s the humanlike robot wanted by UTS Space Guards, and decide to demand ransom in exchange. Premieres on Feb. 5.
