Theatre Philadelphia proudly announces the return of Philly Theatre Week with 81 organizations, 100 events and 315+ performances between February 7 to 17, 2019. This new 10-day celebration will showcase the vibrant and diverse theatre scene in the tristate region, and help make theatre even more accessible to the community. Participating organizations range from professional regional theatres, to local community theaters, to self-producing artists, and everything in between. Events will include full performances, workshops, panels and more in Philadelphia and suburbs, plus in New Jersey and Delaware. All tickets for participating shows are free, $15 or $30. Philly Theatre Week tickets are officially on sale now at www.phillytheatreweek.org and through the TodayTix app. This year’s Philly Theatre Week is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Theatre Philadelphia will host two preview events, free and open to the public at Cherry Street Pier, 121 N. Columbus Blvd. First Friday at Cherry Street Pier (Friday, February 1, 5-8pm) will include gallery tours of the 14 resident artists, preview performances of Philly Theatre Week events, and cash bar and food. The big Theatre Week Kick-Off and Open House 9 Saturday, February 2, 1-4pm) invites audiences to interact with participating Theatre Week artists in a casual midday open house. The event will also include rolling preview performances throughout the space. This is the perfect afternoon activity to start planning your Theatre Week schedule.
“We are proud to continue Philly Theatre Week as a new annual tradition in our region, celebrating the breadth and diversity of artists and organizations that make Philadelphia a vibrant hub for performing arts.” said Theatre Philadelphia Executive Director Leigh Goldenberg. “Philly Theatre Week was designed to introduce new audiences to our region’s theatre scene, while encouraging existing theatre-goers to step out of their comfort zone and try something new with a variety of events and discounted price points. .”
Philly Theatre Week runs February 7 to 17, 2019, with 81 organizations, 100 events, and 315+ unique performances. Visitors and residents will find something for everyone with a diverse collection of world premieres, cherished classics, lavish productions, low-budget readings, experimental workshops, award-winning actors, in-depth discussions, local voices, and more.
Participating organizations include a range of professional theatres, community theatres, academic institutions, self-producing artists and small-budget companies. Activities will take place everywhere from Center City to the suburbs, Bucks County to Wilmington, and South Jersey to the Main Line.
While the website for Philly Theatre Week has a full rundown of organizations, events and performances, below find a teaser of activities:
** For local premieres: Philadelphia Dramatists Center’s “Heartbreak Hotel;”; Curio Theatre Company’s “Three Sisters, By Rashdash, After Chekhov;” Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium’s “Dream Girl by Elmer Rice;” Val Dun & Jenna Kuerzi’s “Johnny Depp: a Retrospective on Late Stage Capitalism;” EgoPo Classic Theatres ““Three Sisters Two;” Hella Fresh Theatres ““Cana of Galilee;” Theatre Exile’s “An Oak Tree,” Inis Nua’s “Box Clever.”
** For the love of the classics: Delaware Theatre Company’s ““Saint Joan;” Media Theatre Company’s ““Julius Caesar;” The Wilma Theater’s “Romeo and Juliet;” The Savoy Company’s “Come, Bumpers! A Night of Gilbert and Sullivan and Cocktails;” Quintessence Theatre Group’s “Awake and Sing!”
** For regional stages: Bristol Riverside Theatre’s “On Golden Pond”, South Camden Theatre Company’s ““The Duck Variations & The Dumb Waiter””,Bucks County Playhouse’s “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story;” and People’s Light’s “Sweat by Lynn Notage;” Eagle Theatre’s “Ragtime: The Musical”
** For our area’s Universities: Temple Theatres’ “Fabulation by Lynn Nottage;” Villanova Theatre’s “Youth by James Ijames;” University of the Arts “Equinox New Student Play Festival”
** For food and drink lovers: A Different Path’s ““Screen Test: Take 2;” Chris Davis’ “Your Sunday Best;” Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center’s “Jazz Cocktail Hour;” Juniper Productions’ “Best of Cocktail Plays”
** For the musically inclined: Philadelphia Theatre Company’s “Bridges of Madison County;” Philly Improv Theatre’s “Thank You, Places;” 1812 Productions’ “Broads;” Opera Philadelphia’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream;”
** Black History Month-themed events: August Wilson Consortium’s “The Black Experience in the Art of Drama: Revisiting the Works of August Wilson, Lorraine Hansberry, Amiri Baraka, and James Baldwin;” Beacon Theatre Production’s “”The Spirit of Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I A Woman?;” EgoPo Classic Theatre’s ““Book Club Discussion: We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates;” Theatre in the X’s “The Colored Museum at the African American Museum of Philadelphia;” Kaleidoscope Cultural Arts Collective’s
“Detroit ’67;” Passage Theatres “To My Unborn Child: A Love Letter from Fred Hampton;” Arden Theatre Company’s “74 Seconds…to Judgement.”
** For the whole family: Arden Theatre Company’s “A Little Mermaid (a reading);” Praise The Lord Players Puppeteers’“Diamonds in the Rough;”
** Valentine’s Day events: Tongue & Groove Spontaneous Theater‘s “The Love Experiment;” Philly Improv Theatre’s ““Not Yet Rated: An Improvised Rom-Com;” Tiny Dynamite’s ““A Play, a Pie, and a Pint: Valentine’s Day Takeover of Philadelphia Brewing Company”
“We are thrilled about the renewed and increased interest in Philly Theatre Week from participating organizations after our first year. Last year’s 10-day event generated over $250,000 in revenue for the theatre community, and we know this year’s impact will be even bigger,” added Goldenberg. “Our region’s residents and visitors alike will see exactly why greater Philadelphia is a world-class region.”
Participation in Philly Theatre Week was free for the above and other participating organizations, artists and businesses. Enrollment was open to independent artists, organizations, theatres or establishments within a 35-mile radius of Philadelphia’s City Hall. Extensive outreach efforts included theatres, galleries, schools, artists, screening rooms, and all theatre-supporting restaurants and businesses.
Philly Theatre Week was the brainchild of Goldenberg and her team at Theatre Philadelphia. The idea dates back to 2017 when Goldenberg was in search of a new flagship program that would focus on inclusivity and reducing barriers to participation.
“Theatre Philadelphia wanted to create a new signature program that would draw even more attention to the region’s theatre organizations and artists,” added Goldenberg. “We wanted to make a big and impactful statement about the importance of theatre in our city and region, and bring artists together in a collaborative and equitable format. Like Philly Beer Week, Center City Restaurant Week or Philly Tech Week, this festival celebrated theatre alongside our city’s other flagship events that are nationally known and recognized.”
Philly Theatre Week is presented by Theatre Philadelphia in partnership with TodayTix and sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional Theatre Philadelphia funding is provided by the WIlliam Penn Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.
Theatre Philadelphia has partnered with the international ticketing platform TodayTix for 2019 Philly Theatre Week to offer reduced-price tickets exclusively through the app. For select performances with participating theaters, $15 and $30 tickets will be available for purchase. Reservations for free events can also be made through TodayTix. Download the TodayTix app or visit the website for more information.
For additional information, please visit www.phillytheatreweek.com or call 267-761-9950.
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