March 31-April 6, 2005

artpicks

Fanning the Flames

Playwright Bruce Graham and actor Tom McCarthy have that classic love-hate relationship with Philly sports teams. They cheer sometimes, they boo sometimes, they commiserate almost daily. The love side, of course, is too strong for them to actually root against the Eagles — even though a championship would surely have rained on the effectiveness and, sadly, the timelessness of The Philly Fan. The one-man play, which debuted at the Fringe Festival in September, recounts the ups and downs of an Archie Bunker-ish man's life, with various Philadelphia sports heartbreaks (and those oh-so-occasional moments of glory) serving as mile markers. It's a nostalgic comedy that the Barrymore-winning actor commissioned his old pal Graham to write with the help of a Pew grant. Fueled by post-Fringe enthusiasm — and post-choking-quarterback Super Bowl meltdown devastation — original plans to revive the play upstairs at the Walnut were scrapped for a bigger production on the Arden's Arcadia Stage. Call it the silver lining on the dark cloud of Philly sports.

The Philly Fan, March 31-April 17, $18-$25, Arden Theatre Co., 40 N. Second St., 215-922-4462, www.theatreexile.org. April 5 performance preceded by the discussion "Will a Championship-Starved City Ever Be Satisfied?" April 12 performance followed by a panel discussion with McCarthy, Graham and director Joe Canuso, and hosted by Big Daddy Graham.

—Patrick Rapa

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