Philadelphia's Legends House is marking its 15th season by putting a loaded acronym inside a fairytale — and asking audiences to look past the political shouting match. "KOLD: The Truth Behind the Tales" will bring young performers to the Kimmel Center for an original production about identity, immigration and the humanity that can get flattened by slogans.
The show is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Perelman Theater, with performances at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $64, including fees, according to CBS Philadelphia. Inspired by the word ICE, the production aims to move beyond partisan scorekeeping and ask who gets to have a happy ending.
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Legends House has spent 15 years helping Black girls develop their voices through theater, dance and performance training, while pairing the arts with mental-health support. On its own website, Legends House describes its academy as a safe haven focused on the whole child — mind, body, spirit and creative voice.
Founder Shayna Yvonne Rudd told CBS Philadelphia that the idea for "KOLD" grew from what she saw while working as a school therapist, including the effect immigration enforcement issues had on young people. Dazani "Serenity" Lewis, who joined the program at age 3 and is preparing for college, is helping shape this year's production after leading a school protest against ICE during her senior year.
That student-to-advocate arc is part of what makes this more than a seasonal showcase. Lewis is not simply returning to perform; she represents the kind of civic voice Legends House says it wants to build, with fairytale framing used to question why immigrants and Black girls are so often denied the tidy endings promised in classic stories.
The production also reflects Legends House's wider model, in which families are involved and performance is treated as a route to confidence rather than just applause. The organization's academy materials say its training is designed to develop communication, leadership, advocacy and self-trust — not merely stage polish. Legends House says students are being prepared to lead, express themselves and become creators beyond the theater.
In other words, "KOLD" arrives as a theater event with a civic pulse: a Philadelphia-made production using fairy tales to challenge who gets centered in them. With two performances at the Perelman Theater on Aug. 22, the 15th-season centerpiece is built to leave audiences with more questions than a neat storybook bow.
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