The Thing About Philly
Saturday, September 25th, 2021
Rain date: Sunday, September 26th, 2021
This event will take place OUTSIDE on The Rotunda's front plaza. The building will not be open.
Enjoy a free performance that features storytelling, history, and hijinks. Series 1 will highlight South Philly's Aquarama Theater of the Seas and West Philly's Foo-Foos Sandwich Shop - Home of the Mamma Jamma.
Background Information
The Event
The Thing About Philly is a hybrid artistic project. It combines storytelling/ history /reader's theater /skits & a panel discussion all in one to highlight hyper-local histories, which are, histories that may become lost to posterity because
1. They occurred/existed in a distinct section of the city- meaning only a select group of people knew about it OR...
2. Due to time's passing, only a small percentage of people remember it and it is not a national historic site that would have a lot of information documented about it.
The Histories That Will Be Featured in Series 1
1. Foo-Foos Steak Shop: Home of the Mamma Jama (1970s)- A West Philly favorite that was owned by an infamous man who sold more than steaks
2. Aquarama: Theater of the Sea -1962-1969 which existed in South Philly at 3300 South Broad Street (cross-section Hartranf St.) (Now a CVS). It started to go downhill with alleged ties to the mob and management issues
This event will take place OUTSIDE on The Rotunda's front plaza. The building will not be open.