Cameron Kelsall

Every other year, the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) brings some of the world’s most dynamic artists, dance and theater companies, installations and interactive exhibits to the City of Brotherly Love. What is the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts? Produced by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, PIFA transforms this city into a living tribute to the power of creativity coming from some of the most acclaimed avant-garde performers on the planet—folks like gender-bending performance artist Taylor Mac and whimsical French dance troupe Transe Express. As such, the 11-day schedule of shows run the gamut from trippy to serene, featuring everything from a 24-hour musical about the history of popular music in America and a production of Hamlet performed with sheep to an aerial dance party that takes place on a “human chandelier” hanging over Broad Street. The whole thing closes out with the massive and quirky PIFA Street Fair on the Avenue of the Arts, one of the season’s most-anticipated festivals in Philadelphia. When is PIFA 2018? The festival runs May 31 to June 10 at various times throughout each day. Where is the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts? Shows take place all over the city, including the Kimmel Center, Belmont Plateau and the Merriam Theater. If that seems overwhelming, check out our curated guide to PIFA 2018 below to discover the coolest-sounding experimental shows that we think are absolutely worth seeing.

Once upon a time, Broad Street came before Broadway: Philadelphia was a mecca for musicals in development, with shows like Bye Bye Birdie and Chicago trying out here prior to going to New York City. We even had the storied Prince Music Theater, which was specifically created to spotlight new work. Those days are gone: Philly’s once major role has largely been subsumed by private readings and industry-sponsored workshops. But Michael Philip O’Brien would like to change that. As cofounder and artistic director of 11th Hour Theatre Company, O’Brien has led a local musical-theater resurgence. Since its 2004 inception, his company has produced 21 full-length productions, including two world premieres. It’s also picked up 15 Barrymores and has been hailed as the most significant force for new musical theater in the city. O’Brien sees untapped potential for new musicals within the Philadelphia theater ecosystem. “The community here has been very passionate about new plays, but new musicals have lagged behind,” he says. “We feel like we have an opportunity to change that, and we have such a sophisticated and theater-savvy audience that we believe this is the prime city to try out new work.” That theory will be tested when 11th Hour premieres Big Red Sun, an original musical by John Jiler and Georgia Stitt, at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Old City. Jiler was so impressed with 11th Hour’s 2009 production of his musical Avenue X that he sent O’Brien the script for Big Red Sun. In

Juniper Productions made a splash—pun very much intended—last fall with Cocktail Plays, a series of liquor-themed vignettes performed at Philadelphia Distilling in Northern Liberties. The Society Hill–based company has planned a similarly unique staging for Splinter and Crack, their first full-length theatrical production. Splinter and Crack, written by Jessica Bedford and directed by Barrymore Award winner Harriet Power, explores the complicated relationship between a prominent academic and her adult daughter. The play will be mounted from April 26 through May 13 at Hamilton Studios in the burgeoning Spring Arts district. This raw space, developed and owned by Arts & Crafts Holdings, has never hosted a theatrical performance. That fact doesn’t faze executive producer Sonya Aronowitz, who set out to disrupt traditional expectations. “As a producer, I want to open up the world of theater and provide an immersive experience for the people of Philadelphia,” she tells Time Out Philadelphia. “It’s really important to think carefully about the venues and to not think immediately about producing in typical spaces.” This method has been successful for Juniper, with Aronowitz reporting sold-out performances during the run of Cocktail Plays, including several first-time theatergoers. Audience members responded well to the relaxed environment at Philadelphia Distilling, often lingering after the show to enjoy spirits and mingle with the performers. “The audience has been through a share