Performance
Songs for Any Depression –
Wednesday, November 4
8-10 pm
Concert, presentation, Q&A, book signing, CD signing
In advance: $20 (First Person Arts members) / $25 (general public) – $25/$30 after 10/25 Buy Tickets
The songs of Woody Guthrie became the soundtrack for one of the most tumultuous periods in American history — times that were never more relevant than they are right now. Guthrie’s granddaughter Sara Lee Guthrie and her husband Johnny Irion, along with the storytelling folk duo Kim and Reggie Harris, present a concert of songs that inspired and empowered common folk through the hardest of times. Conversations with historian Julia Foulkes and author/scholar Morris Dickstein (Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression), and a multimedia presentation including photos and readings from first-person narratives, brings to life the rich documentary culture that came of age during the 1930’s. Hosted by Gene Shay.
Salon du Festival – Thursday, November 5
6-8 pm
Presentations by select memoir and documentary artists
In advance: $12 (First Person Arts members) / $15 (general public) – $15/$20 after 10/25
First Person Arts presents an evening of performances by four of the best emerging artists in the memoir and documentary arts, along with the winners of the “In These Hard Times” national competition!
Shelter Opening Reception –
Friday, November 6
5-7 pm
FREE
Reception, exhibition, presentation
Our First Friday reception introduces the work of the 14 artists and ten families who collaborated to create Shelter. After Rebuilding Together Philadelphia helped the families restore their homes, the artists documented the stories of the lives within those walls. Meet the artists and the families and learn what shelter means to each of them. Artist Damon Reaves will perform a new work combining that combines audio and physical action. The performance and his drawings reflect conversations about race and identity that he had with the collaborating homeowner, interpreting shelter as “feeling at home in one’s skin” with both its protection and restrictions.
Exhibition runs through December 31
Karaoke-Obsessed – Friday, November 6
7-8:30 pm
Presentation
In advance: $12 (First Person Arts members) / $15 (general public) – $15/$20 after 10/25
Less than 11 months after setting the world record for a solo trek across Antarctica, Todd Carmichael (founder of La Columbe Coffee) will attempt the first man-haul traverse of Death Valley National Park. After he walks 250 miles through the second-driest place on earth — alone and without assistance, re-supplies, supplemental water or the aid of machine or animal — he comes to the First Person Festival to talk about his daring quests. And after the Festival? A trek across the Namib desert. Don’t miss this exciting conversation with one of the most intrepid adventurers in the world today.
The Guinea Pig Diaries –
Saturday, November 7
7-8:30 pm
Presentation, Q&A, book signing
In advance: $12 (First Person Arts members) / $15 (general public) – $15/$20 after 10/25
A.J. Jacobs, 40 year-old male journalist and author, posed nude, outsourced his life, mastered online dating and became a slave to his wife — all in the name of a day’s work. In a reading from his book of essays, he takes you through his hilarious adventures as a human guinea pig. Hear about his forays into the other personas, and (if you’re game to be a guinea pig yourself) volunteer for an experiment he devised for you.
Grand Slam – Saturday, November 7
9-11 pm
Performance
In advance: $12 (First Person Arts members) / $15 (general public) – $15/$20 after 10/25
Winners of First Person’s much-adored, monthly StorySlams bring their best stories to the stage for the championship round. Be there as these top-notch raconteurs battle it out for the title of “Best Story Teller in Philadelphia”. Advance purchase recommended; this event is expected to sell out.
Sweet Tea – Sunday, November 8
6:00-7:00PM
Presentation, Book signing and Q&A
In advance: $12 (First Person Arts members) / $15 (general public) – $15/$20 after 10/25
In a staged reading based on his book Sweet Tea, performance artist and author E. Patrick Johnson gives voice to a group that has been politely concealed: gay, black men born, raised, and living in the South. The narratives he brings to life are based on interviews with men of different generations, showing how they navigate “good old” southern customs to legitimate themselves as members of southern and black cultures.
Still Bill – Sunday, November 8
7:30-9:30PM
Film screening, Q&A, concert (Philadelphia premiere)
In advance: $20 (First Person Arts members) / $25 (general public) – $25/$30 after 10/25
Just the Two of Us. Ain’t No Sunshine. Lean on Me. The man who wrote the songs that defined a decade walked away from showbiz without a look back. For 23 years, Bill Withers shunned the spotlight and refused all interviews — until filmmakers Damani Baker and Alex Vlack convinced him to tell his surprising story. Still Bill gives us an inside look at Bill Wither’s life and personality, tells why he stopped performing at the peak of his career and who he is today. An amazing portrait of an icon who never gave up his soul. The evening concludes with a live concert of Withers’ classics by the legendary Johnny Ingram of the Funk Brothers, and his band.
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