HELL NO, WE WON'T GO
The Camden 28
Philadelphia International House
Wed, 7 p.m.
3701 Chestnut St.
(215) 387-5125, $8-10
www.ihousephilly.org
It's not yet that time of year for Oscar fare, so in the meantime, the International House offers a sampling of quality movies. Usually Camden isn't a city you associate with quality, but The Camden 28 has racked up its fair share of acclamation. The winner of the Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Philadelphia Film Festival, The Camden 28 tells the story of 28 antiwar activists who were arrested by the FBI for breaking into a draft board office and destroying draft records. The film follows their dramatic incarceration and trial. The Camden 28 became icons of the antiwar movement for their stubborn opposition to what they saw as an unjust war. All this generation's antiwar movement can boast of is Cindy Sheehan's half-hearted hunger strike and a few broken Starbucks windows.
ZERO SUM GAME
Zero 7 w/ Jose Gonzalez
Theatre of Living Arts
334 South St.
Thu, 9 p.m., $18
(215) 922-1011
www.theateroflivingarts.net
If you're like most Penn students, you probably know Zero 7's music from the Garden State soundtrack which you, like, totally heart. The UK group makes mellow hits for the Zach Braff-inclined electronica crowd. As for Jose Gonzalez, if you're not already familiar with him, it's only a matter of time before he finds his way onto a Braff soundtrack or an episode of Grey's Anatomy (which, incidentally, you also totally heart). Gonzalez hails from Sweden, has Argentinean parents, but sings in English, proving he's not your average singer-songwriter. So if you like the music on The O.C., had the Garden State soundtrack on repeat all fall semester '05, or just need new music for your post-break-up mix, then Thursday's show at TLA is just what Dr. McDreamy ordered.
READ, WHITE AND BLUE
Lois Murphy Reading and Fundraiser
The Khyber
56 S. Second St.
Wed, 7 p.m., $10-20
(215) 238-5888
www.litpac.org
When the Republicans recruit celebrities for their cause, they draft men like Ted Nugent and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In contrast, the Democrats think chick-lit authors Curtis Sittenfeld and Jennifer Weiner are more suitable for their fundraising efforts. Nothing says victory in the red states like a reading by the author of a coming-of-age story set in a New England prep school. This particular event is for Lois Murphy, congressional candidate for the Sixth District. In addition to Sittenfeld (author of Prep) and Weiner (Good in Bed), the LitPac event will include readings by Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights), Ken Kalfus (A Disorder Peculiar to the Country), Elise Juska (Getting Over Jack Wagner), and Lise Funderburg (Black, White, Other: Biracial Americans Talk About Race and Identity).
TOUCH ME ELMO
The Rocky Horror PUPPET Show
The Theatre at 2111 Sansom Street
Thu, Fri, 8 p.m., Sat, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., $15
(215) 413-1318
www.livearts-fringe.org
Thanks to the raunchy Team America: World Police and the hilarious Avenue Q, puppets have been freed from the G-rated boundaries of Sesame Street. But sex between puppets hasn't yet become pass‚. And as part of enjoying that newfound freedom comes the next logical step: cross-dressing puppets. Instead of performing songs about the letter A or the number 7, these liberated puppets sing dirty ditties about sexual deviancy. Little Fish Theatre Collaborative is putting on The Rocky Horror PUPPET Show as part of the Philly Fringe Festival. There are four shows, so there's no reason you should miss out on the marionette madness.
LAST COMIC SHAKING
Josh Blue
The Trocadero
1003 Arch St.
Fri, 8 p.m., $28.50
(215) 922-LIVE
www.thetroc.com
Whoever says cerebral palsy jokes aren't funny must have missed Josh Blue's meteoric rise to fame via NBC's Last Comic Standing. Normally you'd think it would be wrong to laugh at someone with Blue's condition, and you'd be right. But Blue uses his cerebral palsy as the basis for his stand-up and to disarm stereotypes and erase misconceptions. Blue is a frequent guest star on television, including Comedy Central's Mind of Mencia, a talented artist and an accomplished US. Paralympic Soccer player. His stand-up, however, is what's earned him a following on college campuses and propelled him to victory on Last Comic. Even if you didn't follow Blue on Last Comic this summer, his performance at the Trocadero should be more than enough to figure out why he's got so many people talking and laughing.
