Performance Garage

I take Zumba here with Ford Family Fitness and I will follow this family to the ends of the earth hahaha. This Zumba is NO JOKE. I’ve taken other Zumbas and nothing compares to the dance style and the workout you will get from them. The Performance Garage in general I find to be a pleasant and clean environment and all other staff I meet there are courteous.

I came to this venue for the first time to see the play Always Coming Soon: The Future, after winning free admission for a friend and I from Unilocal.The Performance Garage is on an otherwise empty block of Brandywine in the Art Museum Area. I arrived just before show time and it wasn’t hard to find due to the thrown open doors and people milling about.
You check in at a front desk (one person taking names for admission and another selling drink and food tickets (2 for $ 3 or 5 for $ 5). It was a bit hectic and crowded, but they made sure everyone got through and checked in before show time. The stage was close to the seats, and no matter where you sat at this theater you got a good view of the elevated stage. The acoustics were not spectacular, which forced the performers to use microphones. I understand this is largely a dance theater, so normally the acoustics issue wouldn’t be as much of a problem. I liked the intimacy of the theater – the inexpensive nature of the food and drinks sold (one ticket for popcorn and soda, two for beers), and would definitely come back to see another show here.
Review of Always Coming Soon: The Future
I tried and tried to find a review of this play/​musical online, but had no luck whatsoever. I saw that it was performed in a couple of different cities, but I could only find the show descriptor, no doubt provided by the playwright/​composer. The description was incredibly cryptic and I had no idea what to expect at this show.
The performance began once you walked past the lobby into the «garage.» You were directed through a hallway with a zombie yelling things through a megaphone. Then you were deposited where more zombies were selling the refreshments, including fresh air (the first clue that the performance was taking place in some future dystopic society).
I’m not totally sure that I followed the plot after that (perhaps others had this issue as well, hence no reviews). It takes place some time after 2022 after a huge world war that resulted in some people, but not all, becoming zombies. I would say that It was possibly commentary on our society’s commercialism, genetic modification, Monsanto, belief in god (or the government) to do what is right for us without, environmental neglect, or obsession with focusing on the present and not thinking about the future. As a whole, for me, there were too many criticisms, with little focus on each, so you really only got «big picture» commentary.
I would characterize the show as more of a performance than a play or musical. The actors did great work – the show required a lot of hamming it up to the audience – both physically and verbally, which requires a lot of talent and the performers did a spectacular job.
It was an unusual experience, but I am glad I went and would be down to see another BRAT Productions show in the future.

Got free tickets from Unilocal (thanks Michelle!) But I think tickets are relatively cheap. We also bought two 2 food/​drink tickets for $ 3 and got a bag of butter popcorn and a bag of kettle corn. They were pretty small but $ 1.50 is pretty cheap. You could also get soda for 1 ticket or beer for 2 tickets.
The space is large and we were a bit confused about where to go in but finally found it (just keep walking). We checked in and it was a bit hectic with two people taking names and one selling tickets. Turns out the tickets were for food/​drinks. The theater wasn’t open yet so we waited in the waiting area, a collection of chairs and couches in kind of an oversized space.
As for the show… We saw Always Coming Soon: The Future. I’m still trying to understand what happened. It was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced. No wait. It was one of the weirdest things that’s happened, in the world. I’m into theater and I’ve gone to a lot of smaller productions, community theater, whatever, but this was some avant garde new age theatre that was just over my head? Too cool for me? Let’s just say we walked in to the stage area through a hallway of mirrors greeted by zombies offering us fresh air for a ticket and that was the least weird thing that happened. The stage is large and close to the audience (watch out front row, you might get messed with). The actors were very talented and their singing was great. The band was great too. As for the story line… Still trying to understand what happened there. I imagine this is what shows are like off off off off off Broadway, like so off you’re in Bushwick.
Not personally for me but definitely an interesting experience and cheap, so if you’re into doing weird random things, check it out!