Envision an average guy named Craig having a relaxing night in with the pals. In a moment of vulnerability, he begins divulging some recent struggles he has encountered in his home life. His friends encourage him to remain optimistic during these challenging times through their warm words of wisdom. He feels truly seen as a wave of unconditional acceptance gently washes over him. Then, out of the corner of his ear, he overhears one of these friends suddenly break into song. By the time the rest of the group joins in, he realizes they are reciting the lyrics of Inoj’s “I Wanna Be Your Lady,” popularized by 2016’s Running Man craze, with utter sincerity. If audiences can find even a sliver of fascination in this bizarre episode, they will be pleased to know it is just one of several delightfully awkward scenes that give life to A24’s latest feature comedy, “Friendship.”

The film follows the frustratingly unfulfilling life of Craig Waterman, portrayed by cringe-comedian Tim Robinson of “I Think You Should Leave” and “Detroiters” fame. Isolation plagues every corner of Craig’s existence, from his morally questionable job at a marketing firm to his dispassionate relationship with his wife and son. This bleak reality is upended by the arrival of Craig’s new neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd), weatherman by day and punk vocalist by night. Austin takes an immediate liking to Craig, inviting him into the alluring adventures of his world. But after a disastrous evening that leaves Austin thoroughly embarrassed, Craig is shunned from his newfound friendship. Desperate to recapture the brief glimmer of excitement found in Austin’s arrival, Craig’s equally hilarious and distressing quest for fulfillment puts himself and the lives of those around him at continual risk.  

Many will be quick to liken “Friendship” to a 90-minute string of comedy sketches, where each scene is tonally and structurally similar to the vignettes found in Robinson’s sketch comedy show “I Think You Should Leave.” All of the hallmarks of that series–the frantic escalation of conflict, the offbeat dialogue, the uncomfortably surreal atmosphere–are, indeed, present in this film. Fans of Robinson’s previous work will be pleased to hear that “Friendship” executes these aspects of his signature style with grace, seamlessly blending creative visual gags, slapstick humor and a myriad of satisfyingly comedic setups and payoffs. 

However, unburdened by the inherent limitations of a comedy sketch show, this film is allowed to be more than a compilation of disconnected slices of entertainment. Although each scene in “Friendship” could theoretically be enjoyed in this isolated manner, they are composed and sequenced in such a way that the film always maintains a sense of forward momentum. As a result, it constantly feels like it is building upon itself both narratively and comedically, rarely flatlining or becoming stale. The smooth transition of Robinson’s style to the big screen is all the more impressive considering “Friendship” marks both his and Director Andrew DeYoung’s first significant leaps into film.

This feature-length format also affords the opportunity for “Friendship” to be surprisingly topical and dense in its depiction of male loneliness in the modern age. The film satirically conveys how the male ego often finds itself at odds with man’s desire for true belonging. Thematically correlating with Craig’s marketing job, Robinson and Rudd’s characters both attempt to project idealized images of themselves to feel fulfilled. The gradual crumbling of these illusions constructed by the ego leads to increasingly wince-worthy, self-destructive behavior. This perpetual struggle at the core of the film is as saddening as it is foolish, making it ripe for comedic exploits. Following in the footsteps of the absurdist comedies that came before it, the film makes full use of its niche brand of humor to expose the peculiarity of relevant social issues in both an entertaining and insightful light. In doing so, “Friendship” delivers a uniquely uncomfortable, yet endlessly mesmerizing artistic experiment. 

“Friendship” releases in theaters nationwide on May 23. 

In a sudden announcement last week, President Donald Trump declared his intention to levy a 100 percent tariff on “any and all movies coming into our country that are produced in foreign lands.” In a post through his own social media platform called Truth Social, he claimed that Hollywood is “dying a very fast death” as a result of filmmaking moving outside of the United States. He further claimed that this is a “national security threat” for supposedly spreading “propaganda” from other nations. However, Hollywood could actually die a much faster death if foreign production is hindered.

The growth of film industries across the world has been heavily shaped by the rise of globalization. In terms of both art and commerce, cinema has benefited immensely from international collaborations to the point that they have become an essential part of the filmmaking process. Hollywood films regularly feature actors and technicians from all over the world, in addition to utilizing international filming locations. On top of this, visual effects work for some of the biggest studio productions in Hollywood—including Avatar, Dune and the Marvel Cinematic Universe—is commonly outsourced to foreign companies, such as the British-Indian company DNEG. These practices help to reduce production costs; levying such high tariffs on foreign productions will not make it any more affordable to get the same work done in the United States. 

As a result, even the most successful franchises could end up falling apart as budgets skyrocket to unmanageable levels. This could have catastrophic effects on the American box office, and in turn, the economic viability of the film industry itself. In response to the idea of the tariffs, Congresswoman Laura Friedman—“the only current member” of Congress who has experience in film—expressed her concern that they could potentially make it “more expensive” to go and watch movies, among other issues. This implies the possibility of ticket price hikes, which might make movies inaccessible to the working class altogether.

The move could be intended specifically to target films coming from foreign countries, standing as yet another example of the Trump administration’s attempts to push against diversity and representation. Trump’s apparent resistance to the growing relevance and appreciation of world cinema would come as no surprise to those who recall his displeasure when “Parasite” won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020. His choice to label foreign films as “propaganda” indicates his aversion to the diverse cultural perspectives that make the nation what it is. Depending on the legalities, this latest addition to Trump’s spree of tariffs could take matters a notch further, potentially cutting millions of people off from stories that represent them and trapping audiences into an echo chamber of cultural rigidity.

The irony is that screening foreign films only helps U.S. theaters sustain business. Major theater chains such as Regal and independent theaters alike are increasingly incorporating world cinema into their screening schedules. In fact, at some of these locations, it is not uncommon for nearly half of the films screening in a week to be from foreign countries, with a particular inclination towards Indian films, given the growing diaspora in the United States. This could prove especially helpful for theaters when Hollywood faces dry phases, such as during the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, when major productions were halted and awaited releases such as “Dune: Part Two” were postponed. 

With all of this in mind, the news has naturally thrown Hollywood into a state of uncertainty, especially as the true legal implications of the announcement remain unclear. Many filmmakers have shared their confusion regarding the situation; some warn that it would destroy the industry, some doubt that such tariffs would even be possible to implement and still others have been left wondering what the specifics would be. 

Soon after Trump’s post, actor Jon Voight—who Trump recently appointed as “Special Ambassador to Hollywood”—shared a more detailed proposal that seems to address at least a few of these questions; for example, it targets theatrical, broadcast and streaming content. It proposes that productions occurring in foreign countries through tax incentives be tariffed by 120 percent of the value of the said incentive, in a bid to nullify the benefit. It also indicates that 75 percent of a film’s production should occur in the United States in order to gain a domestic tax incentive, although it is not mentioned how any of this would be calculated.

In fact, there continues to be little sign of any actual legal developments regarding the situation. As such, it is still up for speculation exactly how far the definition of “produced in foreign lands” would stretch. The details—and even whether any of this will actually happen—are unclear, but one thing that is clear is that it would not be good news for the film industry.

Some performances are meant to be a spectacle–big stages, fireworks, confetti drops. Others, like Sombr’s and Daniel Seavey’s recent show at Brooklyn Bowl in Philadelphia, are all about connection. On April 15, they put on a show in a packed venue with hundreds of screaming fans, yet the night felt amazingly personal.

The second the band emerged on stage wearing crisp black suits (very  Beatles-coded), the mood shifted. The crowd gasped when the music started. Sombr took the stage dressed in all black, which coordinated with his band. His music had weight to it, the kind that can be felt in the chest. It was emotional without being over-the-top, drawing the crowd in without needing to say much at all.

Early on in the set, an audience member yelled, “white boy of the year!” Sombr cracked up laughing and had to stop playing, admitting he could not concentrate after that. His audience interaction proved Sombr’s personability and made the crowd love him even more.

Songs like “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” and “Undress,” the latter of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, were clear crowd favorites. There was high anticipation as he finished his set with “Back to Friends”, his highest-streamed track. When the final chords echoed through the venue, Sombr leapt off stage into the VIP section and disappeared, leaving fans gasping and buzzing.

Daniel Seavey followed with a lighter, more carefree energy. His stage presence was playful and confident, very much in sync with the audience. With only a drummer to accompany him, Seavy drove the rest of his set with layered tracks and a looper pedal, seamlessly combining live playing with pre-recorded backing. The whole performance felt intentional and intimate.

There were stripped, acoustic moments too, with everyone in the audience singing along. Seavey even asked the crowd to choose a song he could play a cover of. When “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan was shouted out, he did not hesitate. He built it from the ground up on the spot using the looper pedal, adding vocals, percussion, guitar and the cello with a laid-back kind of showmanship that left the entire room stunned.

Other notable mentions of the set included fan favorites like “Sleeping With the Lights On” and “Gateway Drug”, but the most striking moment came when he played “Eden”, a yet-to-be-released track. It is not easy to win a crowd over with a song they have never heard before, but Seavey did it easily.

It was the interactions that united the crowd and the performers. Neither artist gave the performance as if they were monologues, but rather they strode through the crowd, probed, teased and paused to really look at their audience. It made the night less of a concert and more like a conversation between artist and viewer.

In the end, this show was about more than the music. It was about being authentic and present, even if it meant stopping a song or risking a live cover. Both Sombr and Daniel Seavey accomplished that with ease.

For the sea of teenage girls who turned up prepared to scream and sing along (quite a few got caught whispering about how tall and handsome Sombr was), the night was as perfect as they could have ever hoped for.

Molchat Doma (Молчат Дома), meaning ‘Houses are Silent’ in English, one of the most iconic Slavic post-punk bands, kicked off their Feb. 12 performance at the Franklin Music Hall with a bang alongside their special guests, Sextile. 

Post-punk, a branch of the punk movement which was later integrated into the goth movement,  is a genre and subculture categorized by the combination of various styles of music (such as disco, jazz, funk, punk, rock, dub and dance music) and, of course, punk (that is, far-left and non-conformist) ideologies. Founded in 2017, Molchat Doma is a Belarusian post-punk-inspired trio that, in recent years, has captivated international audiences. Currently, their lineup includes Egor Shkutko (vocals), Roman Komogortsev (guitar, synthesizer, drum machine) and Pavel Kozlov (bass guitar, synthesizer).

The opener, an LA-based group known as Sextile (featuring Melisa Scaduto and Brady Keehn), took the stage by storm playing some of their most popular and most danceable tunes such as “Disco”, “Crassy Mel” and “Contortion”. The duo, often categorized as electronic punk, synth punk and post-punk have been known to draw inspiration from artists such as Daniel Ash, The Cramps, Christian Death, Brian Eno and Throbbing Gristle. The group exited exactly as they entered – with a bang – as vocalist Melissa Scaduto, in true highly-political punk fashion, displayed an enormous white flag reading “ABORTION RIGHTS NOW” as the audience erupted into cheers.

Since their debut, Molchat Doma has accrued an enormous following across Western and Eastern Europe through platforms such as YouTube and Bandcamp. However, in 2020, the band signed over to a North American record label known as Sacred Bones Records (the same record label as Sextile). Following this decision, their music took off in North America thanks to the help of a little app known as TikTok. Their song “Sudno” also known as Судно in Russian charted no. 2 on the Spotify worldwide Viral50 chart at that time. 

With the rising popularity of alternative music, specifically goth genres such as post-punk, coldwave, darkwave and synthpop, Molchat Doma has maintained popularity worldwide with an adoring fanbase. Known for their wonderfully gloomy atmosphere and introspective lyrics, Molchat Doma’s music typically focuses on the paralyzing feelings of loneliness and darker emotions. Despite this, most of their songs are incredibly danceable with a moderate to fast tempo and synth-driven, 80s-inspired electronic beats. 

Following Sextile’s upbeat opening came a sudden ominous turn. The venue went dark as a one-note deep drone-like sound took over the room before a cyclorama lit up with a wash of deep blue light. Komogortsev and Kozlov took the stage strumming simple chords as the audience began to sway. Soon, Shkutko joined the stage as the venue shook with excitement. 

If there’s one thing to love about Molchat Doma, even if you can not understand the lyrics, it is their stage presence. You do not need to understand to feel the emotion, the desperation and the longing they sing about. Most importantly, you do not need to know how to dance. Being that the band has an international presence, the Feb. 12 audience reflected exactly that: Russian-speaking and non-Russian-speaking, native Philadelphians and those from the outskirts, young, old –  you name it, they were there, celebrating, feeling and expressing a love of electronic, disco-esque, post-punk edginess.

The group dressed in plain clothes, either all black or black and white, as if demanding the audience to focus on the performance itself, rather than the performers. Utilizing incredible light displays, from the peacefulness of the comforting blue cyclorama to the fear-inducing wash of red light to the bright white flashing strobe lights, and wall-trembling bass and drone notes, Molchat Doma live is a remarkably immersive experience that transforms a regular performance into a physical, emotional journey that will have you transported to another dimension, even if just for the night. 

Towards their closing, the band played some of their most popular songs including “Son,” “Volny” and “Belaya Polosa” to which the audience broke out into sways, dancing, jumping and, much to the dismay of many, a mosh pit  (which are typically associated with heavier genres of alternative music like hardcore punk and metal). Despite the aggressive swinging of limbs and distressed non-participating audience members, the crowd broke out cheering “MOLCHAT DOMA! MOLCHAT DOMA!” as the group announced their final song,“Na Dne,” for the night. 

As the trio exited the stage the crowd continued its frantic cheering, again chanting the band’s name, but this time they demanded that they play “ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!” With great pleasure, the three returned for an encore featuring fan favorites such as “Kletka,” “Toska” and “Tancevat” before closing with their most popular song by far, “Sudno,” to which the audience erupted into motion as Molchat Doma concluded an excellent night of community, wild fervor and a passion for post-punk music.

Molchat Doma (Молчат Дома), meaning ‘Houses are Silent’ in English, one of the most iconic Slavic post-punk bands, kicked off their Feb. 12 performance at the Franklin Music Hall with a bang alongside their special guests, Sextile. 

Post-punk, a branch of the punk movement which was later integrated into the goth movement,  is a genre and subculture categorized by the combination of various styles of music (such as disco, jazz, funk, punk, rock, dub and dance music) and, of course, punk (that is, far-left and non-conformist) ideologies. Founded in 2017, Molchat Doma is a Belarusian post-punk-inspired trio that, in recent years, has captivated international audiences. Currently, their lineup includes Egor Shkutko (vocals), Roman Komogortsev (guitar, synthesizer, drum machine) and Pavel Kozlov (bass guitar, synthesizer).

The opener, an LA-based group known as Sextile (featuring Melisa Scaduto and Brady Keehn), took the stage by storm playing some of their most popular and most danceable tunes such as “Disco”, “Crassy Mel” and “Contortion”. The duo, often categorized as electronic punk, synth punk and post-punk have been known to draw inspiration from artists such as Daniel Ash, The Cramps, Christian Death, Brian Eno and Throbbing Gristle. The group exited exactly as they entered – with a bang – as vocalist Melissa Scaduto, in true highly-political punk fashion, displayed an enormous white flag reading “ABORTION RIGHTS NOW” as the audience erupted into cheers.

Since their debut, Molchat Doma has accrued an enormous following across Western and Eastern Europe through platforms such as YouTube and Bandcamp. However, in 2020, the band signed over to a North American record label known as Sacred Bones Records (the same record label as Sextile). Following this decision, their music took off in North America thanks to the help of a little app known as TikTok. Their song “Sudno” also known as Судно in Russian charted no. 2 on the Spotify worldwide Viral50 chart at that time. 

With the rising popularity of alternative music, specifically goth genres such as post-punk, coldwave, darkwave and synthpop, Molchat Doma has maintained popularity worldwide with an adoring fanbase. Known for their wonderfully gloomy atmosphere and introspective lyrics, Molchat Doma’s music typically focuses on the paralyzing feelings of loneliness and darker emotions. Despite this, most of their songs are incredibly danceable with a moderate to fast tempo and synth-driven, 80s-inspired electronic beats. 

Following Sextile’s upbeat opening came a sudden ominous turn. The venue went dark as a one-note deep drone-like sound took over the room before a cyclorama lit up with a wash of deep blue light. Komogortsev and Kozlov took the stage strumming simple chords as the audience began to sway. Soon, Shkutko joined the stage as the venue shook with excitement. 

If there’s one thing to love about Molchat Doma, even if you can not understand the lyrics, it is their stage presence. You do not need to understand to feel the emotion, the desperation and the longing they sing about. Most importantly, you do not need to know how to dance. Being that the band has an international presence, the Feb. 12 audience reflected exactly that: Russian-speaking and non-Russian-speaking, native Philadelphians and those from the outskirts, young, old –  you name it, they were there, celebrating, feeling and expressing a love of electronic, disco-esque, post-punk edginess.

The group dressed in plain clothes, either all black or black and white, as if demanding the audience to focus on the performance itself, rather than the performers. Utilizing incredible light displays, from the peacefulness of the comforting blue cyclorama to the fear-inducing wash of red light to the bright white flashing strobe lights, and wall-trembling bass and drone notes, Molchat Doma live is a remarkably immersive experience that transforms a regular performance into a physical, emotional journey that will have you transported to another dimension, even if just for the night. 

Towards their closing, the band played some of their most popular songs including “Son,” “Volny” and “Belaya Polosa” to which the audience broke out into sways, dancing, jumping and, much to the dismay of many, a mosh pit  (which are typically associated with heavier genres of alternative music like hardcore punk and metal). Despite the aggressive swinging of limbs and distressed non-participating audience members, the crowd broke out cheering “MOLCHAT DOMA! MOLCHAT DOMA!” as the group announced their final song,“Na Dne,” for the night. 

As the trio exited the stage the crowd continued its frantic cheering, again chanting the band’s name, but this time they demanded that they play “ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!” With great pleasure, the three returned for an encore featuring fan favorites such as “Kletka,” “Toska” and “Tancevat” before closing with their most popular song by far, “Sudno,” to which the audience erupted into motion as Molchat Doma concluded an excellent night of community, wild fervor and a passion for post-punk music.

What if a simple idea – a forest fire, a snake or a pink water droplet – could turn into a full-fledged theatrical performance? For a group of young playwrights in Philadelphia, that is precisely what happened. Through Drexel University’s Mantua Theater Project, their stories leaped off the page and onto the stage, turning their ideas and emotions into vibrant, live performances.

Led by Nick Anselmo, this program has been a hub for creative expression for 15 years. Over the last five years, Anselmo has worked closely with Drexel students to mentor kids, ages 8 to 14, in crafting and producing their own plays. But this is more than just a writing exercise—it empowers young voices and gives them the confidence to be heard. Each year, a unique challenge or theme guides their storytelling, but at its core, this initiative helps kids realize that their words hold power.

“They love watching their writing come to life,” said Theater Production Manager Paul Jerue. “It’s more than just words on a page; it’s about taking ownership of their stories and seeing them performed by real actors.”

This year’s production, “Superpower Plays,” exemplified that impact. Each play explored themes of strength, transformation and individuality in ways that felt deeply personal to the young playwrights. One story depicted the fierce force of a raging forest fire, symbolizing both destruction and renewal. Another followed a cunning snake, navigating change and adaptability. The pink water droplet became an unexpected yet beautiful metaphor for embracing uniqueness in a world that often demands conformity. Simple ideas, perhaps, but on stage, they carried a depth of emotion and meaning far beyond their origins.

The process is just as rewarding for the faculty and Drexel students involved. “It’s really fun,” said one faculty member. “Seeing them put everything together, piece by piece, and then watching it all come alive – it’s a kind of magic.”

That magic does not just stay in the classroom. Much like the murals that brighten Mantua’s streets, these performances become vibrant reflections of the community – stories of hope, struggle and resilience told through the raw, unfiltered lens of children’s imaginations.

As the final curtain falls, the audience is left with more than a performance. It is a reminder that storytelling is one of our most powerful tools. Sometimes, the voices that leave the most significant impact are the ones we least expect – the ones still discovering their power and just learning how to speak up.

Molchat Doma (Молчат Дома), meaning ‘Houses are Silent’ in English, one of the most iconic Slavic post-punk bands, kicked off their Feb. 12 performance at the Franklin Music Hall with a bang alongside their special guests, Sextile. 

Post-punk, a branch of the punk movement which was later integrated into the goth movement,  is a genre and subculture categorized by the combination of various styles of music (such as disco, jazz, funk, punk, rock, dub and dance music) and, of course, punk (that is, far-left and non-conformist) ideologies. Founded in 2017, Molchat Doma is a Belarusian post-punk-inspired trio that, in recent years, has captivated international audiences. Currently, their lineup includes Egor Shkutko (vocals), Roman Komogortsev (guitar, synthesizer, drum machine) and Pavel Kozlov (bass guitar, synthesizer).

The opener, an LA-based group known as Sextile (featuring Melisa Scaduto and Brady Keehn), took the stage by storm playing some of their most popular and most danceable tunes such as “Disco”, “Crassy Mel” and “Contortion”. The duo, often categorized as electronic punk, synth punk and post-punk have been known to draw inspiration from artists such as Daniel Ash, The Cramps, Christian Death, Brian Eno and Throbbing Gristle. The group exited exactly as they entered – with a bang – as vocalist Melissa Scaduto, in true highly-political punk fashion, displayed an enormous white flag reading “ABORTION RIGHTS NOW” as the audience erupted into cheers.

Since their debut, Molchat Doma has accrued an enormous following across Western and Eastern Europe through platforms such as YouTube and Bandcamp. However, in 2020, the band signed over to a North American record label known as Sacred Bones Records (the same record label as Sextile). Following this decision, their music took off in North America thanks to the help of a little app known as TikTok. Their song “Sudno” also known as Судно in Russian charted no. 2 on the Spotify worldwide Viral50 chart at that time. 

With the rising popularity of alternative music, specifically goth genres such as post-punk, coldwave, darkwave and synthpop, Molchat Doma has maintained popularity worldwide with an adoring fanbase. Known for their wonderfully gloomy atmosphere and introspective lyrics, Molchat Doma’s music typically focuses on the paralyzing feelings of loneliness and darker emotions. Despite this, most of their songs are incredibly danceable with a moderate to fast tempo and synth-driven, 80s-inspired electronic beats. 

Following Sextile’s upbeat opening came a sudden ominous turn. The venue went dark as a one-note deep drone-like sound took over the room before a cyclorama lit up with a wash of deep blue light. Komogortsev and Kozlov took the stage strumming simple chords as the audience began to sway. Soon, Shkutko joined the stage as the venue shook with excitement. 

If there’s one thing to love about Molchat Doma, even if you can not understand the lyrics, it is their stage presence. You do not need to understand to feel the emotion, the desperation and the longing they sing about. Most importantly, you do not need to know how to dance. Being that the band has an international presence, the Feb. 12 audience reflected exactly that: Russian-speaking and non-Russian-speaking, native Philadelphians and those from the outskirts, young, old –  you name it, they were there, celebrating, feeling and expressing a love of electronic, disco-esque, post-punk edginess.

The group dressed in plain clothes, either all black or black and white, as if demanding the audience to focus on the performance itself, rather than the performers. Utilizing incredible light displays, from the peacefulness of the comforting blue cyclorama to the fear-inducing wash of red light to the bright white flashing strobe lights, and wall-trembling bass and drone notes, Molchat Doma live is a remarkably immersive experience that transforms a regular performance into a physical, emotional journey that will have you transported to another dimension, even if just for the night. 

Towards their closing, the band played some of their most popular songs including “Son,” “Volny” and “Belaya Polosa” to which the audience broke out into sways, dancing, jumping and, much to the dismay of many, a mosh pit  (which are typically associated with heavier genres of alternative music like hardcore punk and metal). Despite the aggressive swinging of limbs and distressed non-participating audience members, the crowd broke out cheering “MOLCHAT DOMA! MOLCHAT DOMA!” as the group announced their final song,“Na Dne,” for the night. 

As the trio exited the stage the crowd continued its frantic cheering, again chanting the band’s name, but this time they demanded that they play “ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!” With great pleasure, the three returned for an encore featuring fan favorites such as “Kletka,” “Toska” and “Tancevat” before closing with their most popular song by far, “Sudno,” to which the audience erupted into motion as Molchat Doma concluded an excellent night of community, wild fervor and a passion for post-punk music.

What if a simple idea – a forest fire, a snake or a pink water droplet – could turn into a full-fledged theatrical performance? For a group of young playwrights in Philadelphia, that is precisely what happened. Through Drexel University’s Mantua Theater Project, their stories leaped off the page and onto the stage, turning their ideas and emotions into vibrant, live performances.

Led by Nick Anselmo, this program has been a hub for creative expression for 15 years. Over the last five years, Anselmo has worked closely with Drexel students to mentor kids, ages 8 to 14, in crafting and producing their own plays. But this is more than just a writing exercise—it empowers young voices and gives them the confidence to be heard. Each year, a unique challenge or theme guides their storytelling, but at its core, this initiative helps kids realize that their words hold power.

“They love watching their writing come to life,” said Theater Production Manager Paul Jerue. “It’s more than just words on a page; it’s about taking ownership of their stories and seeing them performed by real actors.”

This year’s production, “Superpower Plays,” exemplified that impact. Each play explored themes of strength, transformation and individuality in ways that felt deeply personal to the young playwrights. One story depicted the fierce force of a raging forest fire, symbolizing both destruction and renewal. Another followed a cunning snake, navigating change and adaptability. The pink water droplet became an unexpected yet beautiful metaphor for embracing uniqueness in a world that often demands conformity. Simple ideas, perhaps, but on stage, they carried a depth of emotion and meaning far beyond their origins.

The process is just as rewarding for the faculty and Drexel students involved. “It’s really fun,” said one faculty member. “Seeing them put everything together, piece by piece, and then watching it all come alive – it’s a kind of magic.”

That magic does not just stay in the classroom. Much like the murals that brighten Mantua’s streets, these performances become vibrant reflections of the community – stories of hope, struggle and resilience told through the raw, unfiltered lens of children’s imaginations.

As the final curtain falls, the audience is left with more than a performance. It is a reminder that storytelling is one of our most powerful tools. Sometimes, the voices that leave the most significant impact are the ones we least expect – the ones still discovering their power and just learning how to speak up.

What if a simple idea – a forest fire, a snake or a pink water droplet – could turn into a full-fledged theatrical performance? For a group of young playwrights in Philadelphia, that is precisely what happened. Through Drexel University’s Mantua Theater Project, their stories leaped off the page and onto the stage, turning their ideas and emotions into vibrant, live performances.

Led by Nick Anselmo, this program has been a hub for creative expression for 15 years. Over the last five years, Anselmo has worked closely with Drexel students to mentor kids, ages 8 to 14, in crafting and producing their own plays. But this is more than just a writing exercise—it empowers young voices and gives them the confidence to be heard. Each year, a unique challenge or theme guides their storytelling, but at its core, this initiative helps kids realize that their words hold power.

“They love watching their writing come to life,” said Theater Production Manager Paul Jerue. “It’s more than just words on a page; it’s about taking ownership of their stories and seeing them performed by real actors.”

This year’s production, “Superpower Plays,” exemplified that impact. Each play explored themes of strength, transformation and individuality in ways that felt deeply personal to the young playwrights. One story depicted the fierce force of a raging forest fire, symbolizing both destruction and renewal. Another followed a cunning snake, navigating change and adaptability. The pink water droplet became an unexpected yet beautiful metaphor for embracing uniqueness in a world that often demands conformity. Simple ideas, perhaps, but on stage, they carried a depth of emotion and meaning far beyond their origins.

The process is just as rewarding for the faculty and Drexel students involved. “It’s really fun,” said one faculty member. “Seeing them put everything together, piece by piece, and then watching it all come alive – it’s a kind of magic.”

That magic does not just stay in the classroom. Much like the murals that brighten Mantua’s streets, these performances become vibrant reflections of the community – stories of hope, struggle and resilience told through the raw, unfiltered lens of children’s imaginations.

As the final curtain falls, the audience is left with more than a performance. It is a reminder that storytelling is one of our most powerful tools. Sometimes, the voices that leave the most significant impact are the ones we least expect – the ones still discovering their power and just learning how to speak up.