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Edward Albee is perhaps best known for harrowing domestic dramas like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, but his first play, 1959's one-act The Zoo Story, portraying an encounter between two strangers, has always stood apart from that oeuvre. That is, until the dramatist recently penned a prequel one-act, Homelife, fleshing out the backstory of one character's marital difficulties. The two very different acts "echo and reflect each other," explains Mary Robinson, director of PTC's local première of the pairing. Homelife's discussion of "animalistic" sex, for instance, complements the brutish treatment of violence in the original piece. "It's a very mature play."
Through April 19, $46-$59, Philadelphia Theatre Co. at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St., 215-985-0420, philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.
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Video-star curators Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher return to Philly yet again as part of a coast-to-coast tour: Featuring montages and mash-ups culled from an enormous collection of found VHS tapes, the Found Footage Festival celebrates everything you tried to get rid of at a garage sale in 1995. From '80s hunks (hello, Fabio) and Playboy centerfolds to self-defense and sexual harassment, FFF's latest greatest trash-to-treasure hits will make you laugh until it hurts.
Sat., March 28, 8 p.m., $10, 941 Theater, 941 Front St., 347-255-7350, foundfootagefest.com.
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Fashion artist Cat Chow's Not For Sale — an evening gown made in 2002 from 1,000 shredded dollar bills — is a fitting metaphor for these times of fiscal foolhardiness. It's one of more than 70 objects that subvert and reimagine various paper products to create novel and occasionally incisive works. With Book Implosion (pictured), Edwin Jager has used hose clamps to roll a thick Webster's dictionary into a bongo drum, repurposing a staid classroom reference as an instrument that can't produce a sound. In its new, cylindrical form, the tome may have pop culture appeal, but — clamped tightly shut, the words trapped inside — it's lost all function.
March 28-June 28, Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, 215-340-9800, michenerartmuseum.org.
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Packing 'em in at the Forrest Theatre for 17 years running, this one-night-only annual event features Pennsylvania Ballet dancers in original works choreographed by fellow PABers and a guest local dance-maker, all of whom work gratis. Everyone throws their heart and soul into the event, which benefits MANNA, an organization that delivers meals to persons living with HIV/AIDS. While the cause is sobering, the show is a celebration, with the dancers and choreographers often gamely stretching beyond the confines of their ballet repertoire and lovin' every minute of it.
Sat., March 28, 8 p.m., $50-$100 performance, $150-$200 performance and afterparty, Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St., 215-496-2662, ext. 136, mannapa.org.
The Clay Studio's exhibition honoring Helen Williams Drutt English is somewhat of a misnomer. Sure, the woman has a sensational eye for art, but she's done plenty more than observe. She's been an educator, gallery owner, curator, author and all-around booster for contemporary craft. English helped launch the careers of numerous artists, including Robert Arneson, Anne Currier, Bill Daley and Peter Voulkos. The exhibition features works by these and many others, all of whom English represented or exhibited. The Clay Studio also hosts a weekend-long "Hats Off to Helen" celebration, featuring a lecture, gallery talk and gala dinner feting this crafty lady.
Exhibition runs March 28-April 26, The Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St., 215-925-3453, theclaystudio.org.
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