Connect with us
Flager & Associates , PC
lower bucks hospital

Human Interest - Bensalem Township

Philly GRIT Returns with Influencer Satire, Queer Theater & Cabaret

Published

on

South Philadelphia-based theatre company Theatre Exile’s Philly GRIT series returns this March, spotlighting bold, unfiltered solo performances by Philadelphia-connected artists.

Running March 18–29 at Theatre Exile, located at 1340-48 S. 13th Street, Philly GRIT features three solo performances that move from influencer culture to queer reinvention and cabaret celebration, each pushing form and storytelling in unexpected ways.

The lineup includes A Vacation by Bastion Carboni, The Dangers of Tobacco by Anton Chekhov and Justin Jain, and Camp Cookie, a one-night-only cabaret event by Cookie Diorio.

Philly GRIT continues Theatre Exile’s commitment to amplifying provocative voices and presenting work that is raw, irreverent, and deeply human. This year’s lineup features Bastion Carboni, Justin Jain, and Cookie Diorio. Throughout March, theatergoers can explore their takes on influencer culture, a reimagined Chekhov classic through a contemporary queer lens, and a glittering cabaret celebration to welcome spring. 

“Each of these works takes audiences on a distinct theatrical journey, from a fictional influencer’s descent into purgatory to a bold reimagining of Chekhov through a contemporary queer lens,” said Deborah Block, Theatre Exile’s Producing Artistic Director. “They’re funny, fearless, and emotionally honest. They reflect the complexity of the world we’re living in and illuminate the importance of being thoughtful about how we choose to walk through our lives.” 

A Vacation is a dark comedy about manifesting, destiny, and the dangerous consequences of unchecked entitlement. With biting humor and razor-sharp satire, playwright and performer Boston Carboni (he/him) skewers influencer culture, spectacle, and the moral cost of chasing clout at any price. 

Colton is an influencer for the ages, a self-appointed documentarian of the extreme. He has built a massive following by going where others are too afraid, or too restricted, to go. From war-torn wastelands to dictatorial regimes, Colton is the VIP pass to humans surviving the inhumane, offering “exclusive access” to what they’re not allowed to see. Now, he’s taking audiences to Purgatory. 

Carboni is the author of Holier Than Thou, Sometimes Callie and Jonas Die, Scattershot, and An Obviously Foggot. He is a recipient of fellowships from The Albee Foundation and the Vermont Studio Center and is the Artistic Director of Poison Apple Initiative and co-creator of the long-running political cabaret His work spans playwriting, performance, and drag under the alias Pilar Salt, blending satire, provocation, and theatrical daring. 

Performance dates are from March 18 to March 28. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets (BUY TICKETS menu selection)

The Dangers of Tobacco is a Chekhovian one-act receives a wild comedic overhaul in this inventive mash-up of classic and contemporary storytelling. What begins as a lecture about the dangers of smoking, reluctantly delivered by a weary professor at his wife’s insistence, quickly unravels into a confession of a life lived in quiet compromise, haunted by the question of “what could have been.” 

Barrymore Award-winning performer, Jain, deconstructs Chekhov’s text and explodes it into a deeply personal narrative rooted in their experience as a first-generation queer Filipino-American. Blurring the boundaries between performer, character, and clown, Jain weaves together humor, memory, and cultural identity in a playful yet piercing theatrical experience. 

Jain is a Barrymore Award-winning performer. For over 15 years, Jain served as co-Director of the alt-comedy theatre company, The Berserker Residents. Jain has performed Off-Broadway and with many regional theaters. His directorial credits include The Good Person of Setzuan at The Wilma, She Kills Monsters at Arcadia, and The Chinese Lady at InterAct.

Performance dates are from March 19 to March 29. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets (BUY TICKETS menu selection) 

Camp Cookie for one night only, March 26, Philadelphia-based drag performer Diorio, a classically trained vocalist, songwriter, and activist known for their boundary-pushing cabaret work nationwide, returns to Philly GRIT to shake off the dark of winter and usher in spring with glitter and heart. Drawing on a rich artistic background in opera, musical theater, and queer activism, Diorio created Camp Cookie as a love letter to storytelling and the power of shared experience. 

Camp Cookie weaves together original songs, reimagined classics, and heartfelt monologues exploring identity, survival, and belonging, set against the intimate, communal energy of a campfire gathering. This speakeasy cabaret blends live vocals, laughter, drinks, and of coursecookies, transforming the stage into a space of joy, reflection, and connection.

Performance Date is March 26 at 7 p.m. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets (BUY TICKETS menu selection)

Post-show discussions follow the March 22 and 25 show dates and are included in the price of a general ticket. 

Audiences can choose from a variety of two-show Flex Pass Subscriptions, starting at $30, to see Philly GRIT and The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar). Single show tickets are also available online or by calling the Theatre Exile box office at 215-218-4022.

Click here for more information. Follow Theatre Exile on Facebook, X and Instagram.

 

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Flager & Associates , PC
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Human Interest - Bensalem Township

Police Seek Info on Missing Teen Believd to be in Lower Bucks Area

Published

on

Police from Plumstead Township Police Department with an assist from Tullytown  Borough Police  are asking for help from the community in attempting to locate a missing  17 year-old .

Ryan  Jaatar Age 17 is  5ft 8in Brown eyes and has been since January 3, 2026, police say.

Jaatar was last seen by his father at their residence, in Plumstead Township.

Jaatar’s, according to investigators  is believed to be in the Levittown/Bristol/Croydon area.

Anyone with information, please contact Detective Stacie Arnosky at sarnosky@plumstead.gov or 215-766-8741, ext. 120 or Contact the Tullytown Borough Police Department at 215-945-0999. You can also submit a confidential tip at through this link.

Continue Reading

Cops

No Selling Coquito for You LCB Authorities Say to Croydon Deli Owner, Employee

Published

on

The owner and an employee of the Croydon based State Road Deli Market have been charged for allegedly selling Coquito to customers.

According to state authorities, on Dec 23, 2025, a web complaint was received reporting the State Road Deli Market, located at 2518 State Road, Croydon posted on their Meta Page that they were taking orders for Coquito -coconut-based rum alcoholic beverage- for the holidays.

Investigators from the the state’s Liquor Control Board on Dec. 29, 2025, contacted the tipster who reported that they saw multiple Facebook posts from the premises advertising sales of homemade Coquito. Continued on this date, an open source query yielded the premises’ Facebook page displaying a post with a picture of a bottle of Coquito, and stated that they were taking orders with prices of  $8.00 for virgin (non-alcoholic) and $12.00 with alcohol.

(The ” Coquito”  posts have since been removed – a review of the deli’s Meta page.)

Investigators on Dec. 30, 2025, reviewed state data that showed the premises was not licensed by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). Additionally, PLCB certification confirmed that the premises did not have any authority to sell alcoholic beverages within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (CWOPA).

On Jan. 3, 2026, at 3:01 p.m., Liquor Control Officers Messinger and Marrow entered the premises where  Ofc. Marrow  removed one (1) bottle of Coquito from the cooler and placed it on the counter. The clerk (later Identified as Effie Mae McMahon) confirmed that the bottle contained alcohol as written on the label. Marrow handed McMahon $13.00, and was provided ¢.28 in change, and the sale was rung up.

The bottle was secured, and later placed into evidence with a sample sent for laboratory testing. Continued on this date, a search of PA State Department records identified that the premises’ owner was Wilfredo M. Sanchez. A further open source search identified Wilfredo Miguel Sanchez-Caparachin and McMahon as workers at the premises. A further query of Bureau databases disclosed that neither Sanchez-Caparachin nor McMahon are registered and/or authorized by the PLCB to sell liquor within the CWOPA, officers wrote in court papers.

On  Jan. 14, 2026, at 7:15 a.m., Investigators returned to the  deli where they  noticed four bottles of Coquito in the cooler. A bottle was placed on the counter, purchased for $13.00. The bottle was secured, and later placed into evidence with a sample sent for laboratory testing, investigators said

On Jan. 21, 2026, at 7:01 a.m.,  investigators Messinger and Marrow entered the premises where Marrow noticed two bottles and purchased one (1) bottle of Coquito, court papers show.

The investigators reentered the deli, identified themselves to McMahon. McMahon was identified after presenting their Pennsylvania driver’s license as being (20) years old.

Authorities seized the remaining bottle of Coquito from the cooler and both bottles were secured, and later placed into evidence with samples sent for laboratory testing. Ofc. Marrow then recovered the currency used  to make the purchase from the register. Marrow requested that McMahon contact Sanchez-Caparachin to respond to the premises.

While awaiting Sanchez-Caparachin, McMahon was given Non-Custodial rights and agreed to answer questions, court papers show.

McMahon, according to the probable cause, admitted that they did possess and sell Coquito a rum based alcoholic beverage to Marrow on the above listed dates. McMahon further stated that they have been employed at the premises for over five (5) years and continued working under the new owner Sanchez-Caparachin since May 2023, McMahon also admitted that they assisted Sanchez-Caparachin in making the Coquito under Sanchez-Caparachin’s direction.

At 7:50 a.m. Sanchez-Caparachin arrived at the premises and was identified after presenting their Connecticut driver’s license. Sanchez-Caparachin was given Non-Custodial rights, and agreed to answer questions. Sanchez=Caparachin stated that they are the registered owner of the premises since May 2023 and are the sole operator with their only employee being McMahon. Sanchez-Caparachin admitted to purchasing Bacardi Coconut Rum Liquor at various liquor stores in New Jersey and transported
the rum into Pennsylvania in order to make Coquito and sell it at the premises. Sanchez-Caparachin further admitted that since May 2023 they have made and sold about fifty (50) bottles of Coquito and that they do not have a valid license to sell liquor within the state of Pennsylvania.

On Feb.9, 2026, PLCB certification confirmed that McMahon, Sanchez-Caparachin and/or the premises did not have authority to sell or dispense alcoholic beverages in the CWOPA from Jan. 1, 2025 through Jan. 21, 2026, according to court records.

On Feb. 21, 2026 analysis from the Pennsylvania State Police Laboratory confirmed that all samples submitted contained alcohol, the criminal complaint says.

Sanchez-Caparachin has been charged with selling alcohol illegally, selling of alcohol by a minor, and related offenses.

McMahon has been charged with selling alcohol illegally and a related offense.

Both were charged by mail summons and are scheduled to appear for hearings on April. Neither has a attorney of record listed as of publication time.

 

Continue Reading

Cops, Courts & Fire -Newtown Township

Newtown Twp. Police Reports: “Romance Scam” Investigation Launched, Identity Theft Reported and More!

Published

on

By

Newtoown Police

Newtown Township Police Reports – Feb 20 2026 – Feb 26 2026

2/20/26
At approximately 10:25 am a Newtown Township resident contacted police to report a scam attempt. She received an email from someone claiming to have access to her phone with evidence of her wrongdoings. They threatened to send that evidence to all of her friends unless she paid them in Bitcoin. The resident recognized it as a scam and did not fall victim.

2/24/26
Police were dispatched to a Newtown Township residence shortly before 2:00 pm for the report of a fraud-in-progress. The resident explained that his wife had gone to the bank to withdraw $15,000 in cash due to a message she received from someone claiming to be the FBI. Police confirmed that it was a scam and met with the wife at the bank to verify that her accounts were not jeopardized. No money was lost.

Police were dispatched to a Newtown Township residence around 3:30 pm for the report of a romance scam, where the victim suffered significant financial loss. The investigation is ongoing.

PSA: In romance scams, a criminal uses a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and steal from the victim.  Operating on dating apps, social media, or email, these scammers often claim to be overseas for work, such as in the military or construction, to avoid in-person meetings. Never send money, gift cards, or provide bank details to someone you have not met in person.

At approximately 6:15 pm a Newtown Township resident responded to headquarters to report identity theft. Police documented the incident and provided the resident with steps to take to protect her identity from future incidents.

2/25/26
At approximately 11:00 am police were dispatched to Acme Market for the report of retail theft. The investigation is ongoing.

 

Continue Reading

SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our newsletter today to receive a daily email digest of our recent stories.

Categories

Trending