TLA Returning To Its Midnight Movie Roots With New Series
This is how old some of us are: The first time we visited South Street’s Theatre Of The Living Arts, it was to see a movie. In the case of this writer, it was Laurie Anderson’s Home Of The Brave (Dad went through an ever-so-brief avant-garde phase, what can I say), but there’s also a whole generation of Philadelphians who came of age seeing left-field classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pink Flamingos at the TLA in the 1970s and 80s. (Fun fact: The TLA was originally founded as an experimental theater group in the 1960s under the direction of Andre Gregory, of My Dinner with Andre fame. The group included Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch, Sally Kirkland and Ron Leibman who performed exclusively in the Theater of the Living Arts while in Philadelphia.)
DJ Robert Drake is one of that generation who grew up in the TLA’s underground cinema days. And together with the TLA, where they’ve installed a brand new screen and projection system, he’ll be presenting a three-week mini Midnight Movie series. Here’s the run-down:
The fun starts Saturday, July 28 with the classic John Waters’ flick PINK FLAMINGOS – fittingly first screened in Philly at the TLA decades back.
Saturday, August 4 is the uber-classic ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW – complete with a live stage performance from Transylvanian Nipple Productions
And Saturday, August 11 the mini-series closes with the camp classic MOMMIE DEAREST.
Theme costumes are highly encouraged as prizes will be randomly awarded to those who make the extra effort to celebrate the night!
Tickets are just $10 each and available at the TLA box office window and also at Tattooed Mom (530 South Street). You must be 21+ with ID to attend the screenings. You can also purchase tickets online (processing fees will apply).
For those of you who, like us, have been wondering for a while now when South Street — and the generations of us who were shaped in part by hanging out there — was gonna reconnect with its freak roots, well, this is a great step in the right direction. Just one question, though: What, no Liquid Sky?
