12 Things to Do in Comedy, Poetry, Movies and Magic

Magician Nate Staniforth performs at PhilaMOCA on Friday. (Anna Jones Photography)

Mary Shelley @ The Rosenbach | Wednesday, January 17
Jennifer Summerfield performs her one-woman play about Frankenstein author Mary Shelley on the last day of her life.

Half & Half @ Helium | Wednesday, January 17
A night of all-south Asian comedians including Rishi Mathur, Raj Belani, Ed Pokropski, Usama Siddiquee, Gracie Canaan and Akaash Singh. This clip is NSFW:

Fix It: Healthcare at the Tipping Point @ Friends Center | Wednesday, January 17
Nonprofit org HealthCare 4 All PA hosts a screening of this documentary film about the rising cost of healthcare in the U.S.

Yolanda Wisher’s Rent Party @ the Rosenbach | Thursday, January 18
Philly poet Yolanda Wisher hosts monthly parties featuring artists from a variety of disciplines. This month’s theme is Black Girl Magic and features performances by Gabrielle Civil, Sirlance Gamble, Husnaa Hashim, Carol Moog, Jaléssa Mungin and Mark Palacio.

Charade @ South Street Cinema | Thursday, January 18
Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn star in this 1963 comic thriller set in Paris and directed by Stanley Donen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9LNqq4t28E

Stephanie Burt and Daisy Fried: Poetry Reading @ Big Blue Marble Bookstore | Thursday, January 18
A reading by two notable poets. Harvard professor Burt is the author of several collections and co-poetry editor at The Nation. Villanova professor Fried is poetry editor for literary journal Scoundrel Time and the author of several poetry collections as well.

Sam Morril @ Helium | Thursday-Saturday, January 18-20
The standup comic is a former intern on the Colbert Report and currently hosts People Talking Sports on MSG Network.

Ministry of Secret Jokes @ Good Good Comedy Theatre | Friday, January 19
Doogie Horner’s mysterious comedy series comes back to life after a six-year hiatus. The lineup is a secret.

Nate Staniforth: Real Magic Tour @ PhilaMOCA | Friday, January 19
Staniforth was the host of Breaking Magic on the Discovery Channel and is author of the book Here Is Real Magic. Somebody once called him “the Bob Dylan of magic,” which is nonsense. He’s clearly the Joan Baez of card tricks.

Women’s March on Philadelphia @ Benjamin Franklin Pkwy | Saturday, January 20
You did it before, now do it again. Gather at Aviator Park/Logan Square at 10:30 a.m., march up the Parkway at 11 a.m., then rally at noon at Eakins Oval. Speakers include Vashti Bandy, Amy Gunzelman, Melissa Robbins and many more.

Blade Runner 2049 @ Trocadero | Monday, January 22
“Are you a replican or a replicant?” is not something Jared Leto says in Blade Runner 2049 but I’m telling you he almost says it. It’s on the tip of his tongue. That’s how weird and useless his character is. But the rest of this movie is excellent.

Andrea Gibson @ Fillmore Philly | Tuesday, January 23
The Colorado poet wins fans with their righteous, evocative verses that explore sexuality, politics and the search for humaneness in an inhumane world.