By B.J. Burton
(University of Chicago Press, 251 pages)
Main Line resident and author B.J. Burton explores Philadelphia’s culturally rich theater history through fascinating one-on-ones with playwrights Bruce Graham, Michael Hollinger, Katharine Clark Gray and others. Perfect for thesp novices and devotees alike. —Lisa Dukart
From the looks of it, CCAA is well on its way to becoming the state-of-the-art community facility the county deserves. I know this because I live just a few miles away, and I’ve witnessed the transformation, inside and out. The recently completed first phase includes significant improvements to the large gallery, ceramics studio, gallery shop and lobby, along with an exterior gussying-up of the existing ’50s-style main structure. And there’s plenty more to come over the next five years. 100 N. Bradford Ave., West Chester, (610) 696-5600,
www.chestercountyarts.org. —Hobart Rowland
Jan. 31 at XFINITY Live!
Snow, rain, wind and cold didn’t make so much as a dent in attendance last year, and it’s unlikely to deter live-music fans this year when Philadelphia’s alternative radio station welcomes Canadian indie-pop act Coleman Hell, high-energy blues-folk sensation Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (pictured), edgy alt-rocker Elle King, and headliner Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. And if it gets too cold, you can always retreat indoors at XFINITY Live! The show is free, but you need a ticket from the station. Visit www.radio1045.com. —L.D.
