West Philadelphia photographer Ronald Corbin studies people and their environments, but not necessarily at the same time. In his series The Black Wall, showing at the Light Room Gallery through April 17 as part of his "Photographs from the Streets" exhibit, Corbin places his subjects against a backdrop of black plaster at the corner of Fifth and Main in Los Angeles. By framing them in a uniform, head-and-shoulders manner, he removes any information about their surroundings — and by extension, our preconceptions about their lives. Why is the aloof man with the wispy gray beard titled "King of 6th Street"? How come the gentleman in the camo jacket and headphones is wearing a necklace of pacifiers? What kind of music is he listening to? By comparison, Corbin's series Kensington is much more about the place and its effect on the people. The photos are raw and unsettling: Amid littered streets under the El, a couple shoots up. Bruised faces cower in splintery, dilapidated rooms. But Corbin also finds moments of warmth and love on the neighborhood's streets, like the cranky, comical couple in Sue Ann with Husband.

Artist talk with Ron Corbin, Sat., March 5, 2 to 4 p.m., free, exhibit through April 17, The Light Room, 2024 Wallace St., 215-765-0262, thelightroom.org.

Philadelphia native Nicky Silver's 1993 comedy Pterodactyls is, in the author's own words, an AIDS play. "But clearly," he writes in the introduction of his collection Etiquette and Vitriol, "it's also about family, death, marriage, parents, children, fear, love, class, economics, the end of our species and, of course, denial." New City Stage Co.'s production, directed by Brenna Geffers, features a great cast: Barrymore Award-winners Cheryl Williams, Bruce Graham and Jered McLenigan, plus Kevin Meehan (Flashpoint's Nocturne) and Ginger Dayle, as a Main Line family coming apart at the seams. It's about dinosaurs, both literal and figurative, just before the meteor hits — and it's very, very funny.

"It's an original production, not a traditional Swan Lake," says artistic director Roy Kaiser of the Pennsylvania Ballet's version of the classic. Originally created and choreographed by New York City Ballet's Christopher Wheeldon in 2004, this Swan takes the story out of the woods and into 19th-century Paris. "What I wanted was a production that fit the size and personalities of Pennsylvania Ballet," Kaiser explains, "not a ballet for 80 or 90 dancers, but for 40." And it's nothing like Darren Aronofsky's film version, either. "That wasn't a ballet documentary," Kaiser says. "It was a piece of cinema." So you mean not all ballerinas stab each other with nail files?

It's safe to say the exhilarating colors and whimsical reveries of Marc Chagall's modern-folkloric art stand perfectly well on their own. But Philadelphia Museum of Art curator Michael Taylor's spring exhibit places the Russian-born artist alongside his coterie of Eastern European émigrés, many of whom shared this pivotal Parisian moment under one roof. "Paris Through the Window: Marc Chagall and His Circle" focuses on the artists who populated the three-story Montparnasse live-work space, La Ruche ("the beehive"), which became a breeding ground for modern immigrant art in a then-religiously tolerant Paris. "I think you would have to fast-forward to the 1960s to find a similar communal atmosphere," says Taylor, whose show features some 70 paintings and sculptures from Chagall and peers like Amedeo Modigliani, Jacques Lipchitz and Chaim Soutine. Most prominent on display, though, is the hybrid nature of Chagall's early work. "Even when he's in Paris, he's really painting his hometown," says Taylor. "While everyone else was painting landscapes and still lifes, he was painting scenes of Jewish life that was rapidly disappearing, but also updating it with Cubism and other trends in modern art."

Through March 13, $30, Quintessence Theatre Group, 7137 Germantown Ave., 877-238-5596, quintessencetheatre.org.

When photographer Alfred Wertheimer set out on the road with a 21-year-old Elvis Presley, his subject was a popular singer but not yet an icon. It could be argued, in fact, that the images Wertheimer captured during the course of 1956 were partly responsible for cementing the proto-King's ascendancy. Candid snapshots of young celebrities today are a means of attack: Upskirts, endangered infants and substance-clouded stares are the coin of the realm. But the indelible portraits that Wertheimer created that year aren't gotcha shots but intimate encounters, recognizably human while still graven moments of history. Much of it was timing: Presley attained an unprecedented degree of celebrity in '56, so the photog was alongside him in his last unguarded moments, before his hangers-on closed ranks and his stardom eclipsed his reality. The Michener pairs Wertheimer's photos with a retrospective of another American icon, Muhammad Ali.

Feb. 19-May 15, Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, 215-340-9800, michenermuseum.org.

When it comes to theater of the absurd, Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium has it covered. The ensemble, most recently lauded for its woolly take on The Madwoman of Chaillot, looks for the ridiculously complex, sad and tragic ways in which we cope with the crisis of living. "There is release and a freedom in that," says IRC producing artistic director Tina Brock, who'll oversee the company's new take on late French poet/playwright Boris Vian's 1959 epic The Empire Builders. "Another theme often dealt with in absurd works is the problem of communication — how language can be inefficient and insufficient as a tool. What's funny to me is the minutiae that becomes monumentally important to these characters.." In Empire, a family unable to embrace their fears create a Tower of Babble to outrun it instead. Yet fear awaits them at each step. Anxieties worn on their sleeves, they make a mess of everything. Brock puts it into perspective: " Empire is part Family Guy, part Addams Family, part Roadrunner cartoon with a dash of Samuel Beckett and John Waters thrown in." Absurd, indeed.

Through Feb. 27, $20, Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5, 825 Walnut St., 215-285-0472, idiopathicridiculopathyconsortium.org.

It's been more than 15 years since Savion Glover kicked up a storm for Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk, crafting a fresh, inspired take on tap dance. He's always been known for highlighting the rich musical possibilities of the art form, so it'll be interesting to see what he brings to his latest show, SoLo iN TiMe, where he grooves to the beat of live jazz and flamenco alongside dancers from his own HooFeRzCLuB. To borrow from Walt Whitman, Savion's feet contain multitudes, so expect a heated performance. When he revs up, he's a firework.

Sun. Feb. 13, 3 p.m., $33-$65, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org.

Instead of hiding behind the anonymity of City Paper's I Love You, I Hate You column, be brave and invite the target of your affection/disaffection to a live reading. Azuka Theatre cohorts have selected the awesome, the bad and the most awesomely bad submissions to form the dialogue for this showcase, which member Mark Andrews promises will be universally entertaining. "If you love Valentine's Day, you'll love this," he says. "[And] if you hate Valentine's Day, you'll love this."

Mon., Feb. 14, 5 p.m., $10, Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St., 215-733-0255, azukatheatre.org.

Even after five decades and five seasons of Mad Men, American desire remains the same — at least if advertising has anything to say about it. Collage artist Carolyn Giordano's new exhibit extracts the bold colors and fonts of '50s and '70s print culture — newspapers, cookbooks, magazines — and repastes them into contexts that hold telling clues about our culture (did you know that back then, Miss America was giving bust-line secrets and horse-race betting tips?). Giordano takes up serious subjects, too, including a series that collages colorful old-school cigarette ads and contemporary images of bleach products. Sobering snippets aside, her collages always begin and end with a feeling of enchantment. "I am drawn to the beautiful promises colorful advertisements hold," says Giordano. "The photos and fonts are always inviting me to a party."

Opening reception Sat., Feb. 12, 9 p.m., free, through March 12, Ugly American Bar and Restaurant, 1100 S. Front St., 215-336-1100, uglyamericanphilly.com.

Fri., Feb. 11, 3 p.m., free with $10 admission, Rosenbach Museum & Library, 2008 Delancey Place, 215-732-1600, rosenbach.org.

British playwright Sarah Kane might be best known for how her brief career ended — with her 1999 suicide at age 28 — but her notoriety was assured by her controversial 1995 debut, Blasted, one of only five plays she wrote. Now Luna Theater Co. artistic director Gregory Scott Campbell revives the play first condemned as a sensationalist taboo-breaker for its starkly violent vision of a war-torn England and three lost souls clawing for survival. Belated praise for Blasted emerged after a 2001 revival, when critics compared her work to expressionist drama, Jacobean tragedy and Samuel Beckett. Better late than never.

Through Feb. 27, $12.50-$32, Upstairs at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 866-811-4111, lunatheater.org.

dance

"We put our money into something we believe in," says choreographer Kun-Yang Lin, who in 2008 opened South Philly's CHI Movement Arts Center to oversee one of the city's most sought-after experimental troupes. With intelligence and grace, Lin brings the Far East to Philadelphia with a nearly-sold-out full-length program at the Painted Bride. Retaining the philosophy and style of his native Taiwan, Lin incorporates tai chi and calligraphy into Mandala Project, which he insists is not as mystical as it might sound. "Returning to the circle," Lin says, is Mandala 's true meaning. "It's really about community coming together." KYL also presents an excerpt from Land of Lost Content, focusing on the struggles of the Tibetan people; and a sneak peek at the Scott McPheeters-Olive Prince duet Ragtime, which will première in full at April's Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts. "At this point in my journey," Lin says of the work-in-progress, "this is what I need to do — and the company needs it, as well."

Thu.-Sat., Feb. 10-12, 8 p.m., $25 (Thursday and Saturday, waiting list only), Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914, paintedbride.org.

"Fifteen years ago I killed my sister," Adam Rapp's eerie drama begins. Flashpoint Theatre Co. chose Nocturne, explains director Meghann Williams, to fit this season's theme, "to be alone" (bookended by last fall's stirring Run Mourner Run and May's local première of Quiara Alegria Hudes' 26 Miles ). Starring Kevin Meehan as all five characters in a family consumed by tragedy, Nocturne is an "absolutely gorgeous, if difficult and jarring" drama about "what grief can do to people if left unintended." It's also "very Flashpoint," Williams says — "this intangible thing I can't quite define — usually if there's an apocalypse of some sort, or twisted sadness tinged with the tiniest thread of hope, or if someone dies." So it seems, "very Flashpoint" also means "very good."

Through Feb. 26, $10-$25, Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-665-9720, flashpointtheatre.org.

It can be an education just witnessing the work of Meredith Monk. The composer/singer/choreographer has been an inspiration to and collaborator with many of the most innovative modern artists of the past 40 years, including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Zorn, Bjork and the Coen Brothers (her "Walking Song" pops up in The Big Lebowski ). Bryn Mawr College offers the general public a chance to learn from Monk firsthand, as she takes up residency for one week, offering workshops on composition, vocalizing, theater and film led by Monk herself or members of her Vocal Ensemble. The ensemble will also perform, while Monk will be in attendance for a screening of a documentary about her called Inner Voice. The week culminates in a revival of her 1973 dance work Education of the Girlchild, which traces a life backward from old age to youth.

Jan. 31-Feb. 6, Bryn Mawr College, 101 N. Merion Ave., 610-526-5210, brynmawr.edu.

From oversize flightless birds to spiral-saw sharks, no kingdom is without its weirdos. Get a glimpse of some of nature's creepiest offerings at the Academy of Natural Sciences, where lifelike models and drawings illustrate how these creatures developed peculiar characteristics based on their environment and need for survival. During opening weekend, the Academy will bring out some of their fossilized wonders, too. But watch your back as you're taking it all in: Most of the monsters represented are long extinct, but some are as alive as you and me.

Jan. 29-April 24, $12, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Ben Franklin Parkway, 215-299-1000, ansp.org.

InterAct Theatre Co. gets back to intense political drama with Frances Ya Chu Cowhig's Lidless, about Guantanamo Bay interrogator Alice (Kittson O'Neill) who, 15 years later, has managed (with the help of Army-issued pharmaceuticals) to completely suppress all memories of her prior life — until a Pakistani Muslim (J. Paul Nicholas) tracks her down in her Minnesota flower shop. He demands part of her liver as compensation for the torture and disease he endured in the prison camp. The playwright describes Lidless, set in 2019 when Gitmo is now a Disneyland-like resort, as an "adult fairy tale" exploring our tendency toward national amnesia.

Through Feb. 13, $27-$32, InterAct Theatre Co., 2030 Sansom St., 215-568-8079, interacttheatre.org.

For this year's benefit bash, the pranksters at Pig Iron Theatre Co. combine the decadent whimsy of Alice in Wonderland with the alluring sleaze of a Victorian sideshow, creating an atmosphere that'll rival Dick Van Dyke's thick cockney accent in Mary Poppins. The circus boasts singing, dancing, Hula-Hooping and an interpretation of the classic Chinese opera The Monkey King. Hosted by Quinn Bauriedel and Martha Graham Cracker, the night will also offer a silent auction — with goodies up for grabs like hot-air balloon rides, lobotomies and ballpoint pens.

Fri., Jan. 21, 8 p.m., $25-$75, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-627-1883, pigiron.org.

Don't miss Plays & Players' area première of A New Brain, the seldom-seen 1998 William Finn musical about his harrowing brush with death in an all-sung story of a congenital condition, "arteriovenous malformation" (trust me, it's bad) requiring a craniotomy — making the grim situation more fantastical and inspiring than seems possible. Brendan Norton's Gordon is a songwriter struggling to churn out tunes for TV frog Mr. Bungee (Rob Cutler) when a sudden pain lands his face in a plate of pasta and his ass in a hospital bed. Director Daniel Student and musical director Melissa Dunphy's charming, low-budget production superbly brings Gordon's hopes and fears to life in an intimate audience-on-stage configuration on the P&P main stage — their only miscalculation, since they'll clearly need more seats.

Through Jan. 29, $25-$30, Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, 800-595-4849, playsandplayers.org.

How do you celebrate 18 and three-quarters years of experimental dance? If you're Brian Sanders, you make sure not to leave anything out. To recognize this unusual, Sanders has put together a program that includes something from all 18 of his completed works, including 2010 Live Arts hit Sanctuary. As for that last three-quarters (Junk debuted in March 1992), Sanders is wavering between showing a work-in-progress and holding off. "I'm not sure," he says. "I'm gonna wait to see if I can make it better before I put it in the show." From such a perfectionist, expect nothing but the best.

Jan. 20-23, $25-$35, Arts Bank, 601 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, briansandersjunk.com.