Cara Stefchak TTN

Temple’s design landscape architecture studio of Spring 2012 presents its designs for Philadelphia’s Reading Viaduct in an exhibit called “above l below l beyond” at Next American City on Girard Avenue. Tonight was the opening night for the exhibition of student work.

The exhibit, held as part of DesignPhilly, is meant to open a dialogue about the possible uses for the three-mile unused railroad corridor. University of Pennsylvania students collaborated on the exhibit, which will remain at Next American City through December. Amy Syverson and Diana Fernandez, both landscape architecture alumnae, helped put together the exhibition.

Check out The Temple News on Tuesday, Oct. 16 for an article on “above l below l beyond” in Arts & Entertainment.

For Interact Theater, which has had its home in Philly for more than 20 years, plays and live performances offer a venue for discussion and presentation of lesser-known/discussed issues throughout society. They dually act as a tool to effect social change in all facets of the community.

Their current production, “The How and the Why,” housed at the intimate Adrienne Theater between 20th and 21st streets on Sansom, stays true to the company’s mission. Set at a university in Massachusetts, the play’s storyline works on two different levels. Zelda is an accomplished professional in her field of evolutionary biology, with years of experience behind her. When her daughter — who she gave up for adoption and had never previously met — ends up in her office one day, the story continues on to explore the sentiment of reuniting mother and daughter.

The other level that the play works on is a discussion of gender and science. Rachel is also studying evolutionary biology, like her mother, and has formed a ‘revolutionary’ hypothesis regarding female menstraution — not your typical discussion of science, or evolution, if you ask me. The play delves deeper, not only into the two women’s relationship, but into the constructs of scientific exploration and gender in today’s society.

The women act continuously through two 45-minute halves during the show, and as the only two characters, their discussions provide the basis for the show. Interact stays true to their mission with the concepts explored in the play, which will run at the Adrienne through Nov. 13.

In support of his third major label release, “Young Love,” Nashville singer/songwriter, Mat Kearney, will be performing this Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Theater of Living Arts in Philadelphia. Tickets can be purchased at http://tlaphilly.com/event/020046C6CB218C2D

Stay tuned for an interview with Kearney in next week’s “Street Sounds!”

As part of EgoPo Classic Theater’s Festival of Jewish Theater season, the Prince Music Theater on Chestnut Street is hosting a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Set in the family’s attic annex, the iconic Holocaust story stays true to Frank’s writing. The play uses narration from the diary to progress the scenes in the play.

The families in the story survived in their hideout for more than a year and were captured by the Nazis just as Allied forces began liberating European countries. Though the families’ fates weren’t included in Anne’s diary, historical records say that the families were taken to concentration camps on one of the last Nazi trains out of Holland. Anne died of Typhus at the Bergen-Belsen camp just a month before its liberation.

Sara Yoko Howard, a recent Temple grad, plays Anne’s character. Russ Widdall, who plays the character of Mr. Van Daan, is also a Temple graduate. Temple theater professor and faculty production manager Matthew Miller worked as the scenic designer and production manager for the show.

The show runs until Nov. 6. Other productions as part of the Jewish Theater Festival include a world premier of “The Golem,” and “A Dybruk.” Find out more about the shows at egopo.org.

The sixties counterculture movement saw the likes of Dylan, Joan Baez, and others, especially folk artists, who’s music had its roots in the voice of the people. They unified and vouched for demonstrators, and eventually became nearly synonymous with the movements they promoted. A story on NPR last weekend asked where’s the music of the occupy movement, and beyond that, will there be 21st century protest music to unite this cause?

It’s a good question, especially because it can’t be answered by the ‘hippie drum circles’ that have also become interchangeable with the Occupy movement. Not to say that bongo drums and banjo strumming don’t have the same unifying qualities — music in any shape or form can bring people together out of passion and pure enjoyment. The role of protest music isn’t necessarily to put a famous face and tunes to the movement, but it certainly something worth noting in comparison to past mass protests in the U.S.

Rumors of a concert by Radiohead at Occupy Wall Street on Sept. 30 turned out to be just that — rumors. Though appearances have been made by a few artists. Neutral Milk Band stopped by Zuccoti Park for a quick set on Oct. 5. Immortal Technique also stopped by for a performance of “A Toast to the Dead.” On Oct. 6, Talib Kweli dropped a track off his newest album (Talib Kweli at Occupy Wall Street), as well as “Thieves in the Night,” a jam from Black Star (Kweli and Mos Def). Kanye West and Russell Simmons both visited the Occupy site in New York on Oct. 10. Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco, among numerous other artists, have vocalized support for the movements across the country.

A performance at City Hall by folk/punk band Mischief Brew is slated for tomorrow night at 9:30 p.m. If it doesn’t happen we’ll have to wait and see what other sounds might take the place of incessant bongo drumming and chanting.