Category: Uncategorized

Corinna Burns is a Philadelphia-based actress who has had the pleasure of working with many area companies. Favorite productions include PAY UP! and ISABELLA with Pig Iron Theatre Company, PUMPGIRL and LITTLE GEM with Inis Nua Theatre Company, THE ENGLISH BRIDE with Theatre Exile, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at the Arden Theatre, and PHOENIX with Flashpoint Theatre Company, among others. HOMEBODY marks her debut at Plays & Players, and she is grateful for the opportunity to take on such a linguistically challenging piece!

As the Philadelphia theater community “recovers” from the excitement of the Fringe Festival, Plays and Players Theatre reboots the artistic mind in their kick start festival for the season. The Second Annual Fringe Recovery features our member artists as they conquer the task of creating a play from scratch in 24 hours. Within this time frame, the artist will write throughout the night, rehearse all day, and premiere the following night. 

This year’s festival will be produced by Associate Artistic Director Amber Emory, a freelance director who is focused on new and ensemble-built work. She has worked on projects that have been seen on the Arena Stage as well as in the Wilma Theatre. In between directing for theaters here and abroad, she serves as the Outreach and Partnerships Associate for Directors Gathering, a service organization advancing the craft of theatre directing through community, advocacy, pedagogy, and praxis.

Audience members will be blown away at the raw talent and art that will be exhibited.

TO PARTICIPATE:
1. You must be a member at Plays & Players
2. Email Amber Emory at aemory@playsandplayers.org and include your desired part: Playwright, Actor, or Director. You MUST be available 5PM Friday October 3rd through Midnight October 4th. A resume attachment is recommended but is not required.
NOTE: Most directors and playwrights have been chosen, but we do need more actors.

The 24-Hour Festival is designed to be a fun event to bring us all together as a Plays & Players community. It is a volunteer opportunity, but it comes with FREE FOOD!

Event Information: October 4, 2014: 7pm & 9 pm Skinner Studio, Plays and Players Theatre

$15 General Admission

Posted by Greg Nanni on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 · Leave a Comment 

Sean O’Casey’s stunning drama, Juno and the Paycock, offers a compelling look at the family conflicts of struggling Irish matriarch Juno Boyle and her Herculean attempts to keep her children safe and her husband “Captain” Jack Boyle sober despite his foolish schemes and the ongoing troubles. When offered the chance of the lifetime, the Boyles think that life in the tenements will change completely, yet things rarely go as planned. Set in early 1920s war-torn Dublin, Juno and the Paycock is the second of the Dublin Trilogy that the Irish Heritage Theatre will produce as part of its O’Casey trilogy.

The Irish Heritage Theatre with Plays and Players Theatre presents….

Juno and the Paycock

by Sean O’Casey

directed by Peggy Mecham and featuring a host of local talent

October 16^th thru 31^st, 2015

at Plays and Players Theatre

1714 Delancey Place, Philadelphia PA 19103 215-735-0630

Showtimes: Wednesday-Saturday at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm

Tickets are available online at www.irishheritagetheatre.org

Posted by Greg Nanni on Friday, July 17, 2015 · Leave a Comment 

The One-Minute Play Festival (#1MPF) & Plays and Players Theater Present

THE 3^rd ANNUAL PHILADELPHIA ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2^ND

MONDAY, AUGUST 3^RD

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4^TH

ALL PERFORMANCES AT 8PM

AT  The Main Stage at PLAYS AND PLAYERS THEATER

1714 Delancey Pl
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Tickets are $20

BUY TICKETS!

Featuring Brand New One-Minute Plays by:

Seth Bauer, Barbara Bellman, BJ Burton, Joe Byers, Rufus Caleb, Matt Casarino, Jim Christy, Mark Costello, Joy Cutler, Bill D’Agostino, Chris Davis, Alex Dreman, Darin Dunston, Quinn Eli, Jeremy Gable, Jacqueline Goldfinger, Susan Goodell, Brian Grace-Duff, Katherine Clark Gray, Lindsay Harris-Friel, Michael Hollinger, Robert Kangas, MJ Kaufman, Sharon Kling, Tim Martin, Susan McQuilkin, Greg Nanni, Erlina Ortiz, David Robson, Seth Rozin, Kristen Scatton, Ed Shockley, Samuel Toll, Bruce Walsh, Davey White, Douglas Williams, & Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon

Plays Directed by:

Nick Anselmo, Leigh E. Bicica, Carly Bodnor, John Doyle, Amber Emory, Christina Franklin, Christine Freije, Craig Getting, Kristen Hammond, & Sarah Mitteldorf

Curated by:

Dominic D’Andrea & Caitlin Wees

***

The One-­Minute Play Festival (#1MPF) America’s largest and longest running short form theatre company, founded by Producing Artistic Director, Dominic D’Andrea .#1MPF is barometer project, which investigates the zeitgeist of different communities through dialogue and consensus building sessions and a performance of many moments. #1MPF works in partnership with theatres sharing playwright or community-specific missions across the country. #1MPF creates locally sourced playwright-focused community events, withthe goal of promoting the spirit of radical inclusion by representing local cultures of playwrights of different age, gender, race, cultures, andpoints of career. The work attempts to reflect the theatrical landscape of local artistic communities by creating a dialogue between the collective conscious and the individual voice.

In each city, #1MPF works with partnering organizations to identify programs or initiatives in each community to support with the proceeds from the work. The goal is to find ways give directly back to the artists in each community. Supported programs have ranged from educational programming, youth poetry projects, teaching artists working in prisons, playwright residencies and memberships, and community arts workshops.

Annual partnerships have been created with theaters in close to 20 cities including: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Trenton, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Boston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Seattle, Dallas, Austin, Indianapolis, Anchorage, and more, with partnering institutions like Primary Stages, Victory Gardens Theatre, Cornerstone Theatre Company, The Playwrights Foundation, Boston Playwrights Theatre, Actor’s Express, InterAct Theatre, Mixed Blood, Passage Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Kitchen Dog, Salvage Vanguard, ScriptWorks,  ACT, Perseverance Theatre, and others.

Notable #1MPF contributors have included: David Henry Hwang, Neil LaBute, Tina Howe, Donald Margulies, Nilaja Sun, Lydia Diamond, Phillip Kan Gotanda, Kristoffer Diaz, Rajiv Joseph, Sam Hunter, Karen Hartman, José Rivera, Craig Lucas, Mike Daisey, Greg Kotis, Michael John Garcés, & close to 600 famous, emerging, and midcareer playwrights.  For more information visit: www.oneminuteplayfestival.com

PLAYS AND PLAYERS THEATER has provided an “Off-Off-Broadway” atmosphere to Philadelphia theater patrons for 104 seasons, producing theater that reflects its community. As a coalition of theater artists and enthusiasts, Plays & Players strives to provide intelligent, inclusive and diverse plays that engage and entertain audiences, to invest in local talent, and to preserve its historic landmark home.

Posted by Greg Nanni on Sunday, February 1, 2015 · Leave a Comment 

SLAM. is a live theatre game where playwrights face off in a 5-minute battle-of-the-plays. Playwrights show new work within a timed setting, are assigned actors, and are judged by industry professionals and their peers. THE WINNER’S PRIZE? A free evening in the Plays and Players 3rd Floor Skinner Studio to showcase the SLAM. Champion’s piece. The competition is a four month long process: the first round takes place on the first Sunday from April to June (April 5, May 3, June 7),  and the second round takes place on July 5th. On the following month, we will showcase the SLAM Champion’s piece.  See The Rules section for more information on how to play. SLAM. takes place on Sundays at 7 pm, at Plays and Players Skinner Studio. Competition days are just $5 for admission, and the SLAM Champion’s reading in the space is FREE to attend. Check back to find out when our next season of SLAM. begins.  Follow us on Twitter: @phillySLAM and CLICK HERE to follow us on Facebook

How SLAM Works:

FORMAT

SLAM Theatre is a first Sunday of the month competition in two rounds.  The winning playwright receives an evening at Plays and Players Skinner Studio to use as a reading or performance of their winning play. The first three Sundays comprise of Round One: an elimination round.  Up to ten playwrights compete each month in Round One. The two plays with the highest scores at the end of each evening’s SLAM will advance to Round Two: Finals in month four. Six plays will compete to win an evening in Plays and Players theatre space.

Round One

April 5, May 3, June 7 at 6:30 PM at Plays and Players: Up to 10 plays can compete.  Playwrights will have 5 minutes on stage to showcase their play, showing 1 scene or a portion of 1 scene.  The scene is cast at random from actors who dropped their names in the hat at the beginning of the evening.  After each play is shown, judges will give feedback –no scores—followed by the audience’s feedback.  There will be a break after the first five plays.  At the end of the evening, judges decide which two plays will advance to Round Two: Finals in month four.

Round Two: Finals

July 5 at 7 PM at the Tank: The top ranking plays from the previous three months advance to finals; there will be 6 plays. Each playwright will get 10 minutes to present his or her play. The SLAM team will introduce a director to team up with each playwright.  The duo will have cast their own actors, rehearsed their scene(s) and give them some direction, and they may have even rewritten their play based on the judges’ feedback. After each 10 minute section, the judges will have about a minute each to give some initial feedback to the playwright—what they liked, didn’t like, what could be improved, questions that came up, etc. At the end of the evening, judges decide on the single winning play.  The writer of that play will be  SLAM Champion for the first competition series,  and will receive an evening Plays and Players which is free to the public to attend. After SLAM, everyone goes out for drinks to toast the new SLAM Champion, and networking and fun times will ensue.

PLAYWRIGHTS:

For round one, you will have 5 minutes on stage to showcase your play. You may divide the time however you would like; we suggest using 1 minute to set the scene and 4 minutes to showcase a section of their play. Please come prepared with as many copies of your play as there are characters in the scene you wish to show; there’s a Fedex Office and Print on the corner of S. 16th and Chancellor Street. Plays and Players will not be able to print out copies of your play. One play per playwright per SLAM series; if your play does not advance you can bring it back with revisions. This keeps things fresh and allows all playwrights equal stage time.

ACTORS:

Each play in Round One is cast at random. Actors are drawn from the hat: women for women’s parts, men for men’s parts.  If you’d like to act, write your name on a card (color coded for men/women) and drop it in the bucket before SLAM starts.  Come prepared to act with emotion, not improvisation, reading the role you are assigned as it is written.  Please do not change the playwrights’ words since the competition is based on what they have written. In Round Two, playwrights are paired with a director, cast their own actors and can rehearse and direct them, or not.  If you are interested in acting in a play in Round Two, ask the playwright.

JUDGES:

There will be three judges for each SLAM.  Two of the judges will be industry professionals, selected beforehand, and one will be an audience volunteer, selected  that  evening.  While everyone has taste, we recognize that those professionally involved in the performing arts have special insight into the industry and we are eager for them to join the SLAM community and give their informed feedback on plays. Judges may not act in nor submit a play for the evening(s) which they are judging but are encouraged to do so for any other evening. Interested in judging SLAM? Send an email with credentials and contact info to phillyslamtheatre@gmail.com

Produced with PDC and sponsored in part by the Melissa Lynch Foundation.

For more information on our playwright residency partner, PDC, please go to www.pdc1.org.

2014/15 EAR Residents

PDC @ Plays & Players Playwrights in Residence: Jeffrey Stingerstein

Melissa Lynch Memorial Acting Residents: Joseph Ahmed and Nicole Godino.

BUY YOUR TICKETS TO EAR FUZZ! Members see the show for free as long as they present their membership card.

Read more about this year’s residents

The EAR (Emerging Artists in Residence) program is open to playwrights and actors in the Greater Philadelphia area. This year the Melissa Lynch Memorial Acting Residency will be open to two actors and the PDC @ Plays & Players Playwrights Residency will be open to two playwrights. This 8-month residency, which will run from October 2014 to June 2015, is an exclusive opportunity for actors and playwrights to work on artistic development at one of Philadelphia’s oldest and most respected theaters.

If you are interested in applying for the EAR Residency, applications will be available in Summer 2015.

About EAR

The aim of the EAR Residency is to develop theater artists’ work towards goals that they have articulated for themselves. The focus of this program is artist development, not the development of a specific performance or project. Emerging can mean many things to many people, and the applying artists are encouraged to decide for themselves if that is an appropriate label. Most importantly, we request that the artist decide if this is a year where they would want to prioritize the opportunity to step back, ask big questions, examine why they are making the artistic choices they make and to try to find out what kind of artist they want to be.

The residency provides activities designed to inspire, encourages experimentation, offers support and guidance from artistic leaders, and the structure and discipline to really focus on the journey and seek results. While the residency is an educational opportunity by nature, we are happy to offer the opportunity for absolutely free.

Details of EAR

Residents are members of Plays & Players, and the PDC @ Plays & Players Playwrights Residents, if not already PDC members, become members of that organization (www.pdc1.org for more information.) The residency is designed to accompany a full time career, and requires 15 hours commitment per month. Residents are also required to volunteer for 5-10 hours per month at Plays & Players.

The residency breaks down into four topics:

1. Play Another Part (playwrights become actors, actors become playwrights) – October/November

2. Change Your Medium (try on another style, method, or art form you’ve never tried before) – December/January

3. Fight Your Fear (face the thing that scares you most in your artistic journey) – February/March

4. What Is Theater (attempt to figure out who is the theater artist you want to be) – April/May

Each topic involves five activities over the two month period: two individual meetings, two “group shares”, and tech/performance of EAR Fuzz. Once a month, residency leaders lend an “ear” to check-in with the residents and/or arrange private meetings/workshops with other people of inspiration.  Also monthly, all the residents gather for field trips to spark creativity followed by “group shares,” all based off of the goals defined on an individual and group basis. Past field trips have included a class at the Philadelphia Circus School, a puppet making workshop with Robert Smythe, a discussion with Isaiah Zagar in his private Philadelphia Magic Gardens studio, a tour of Laurel Hill Cemetery, observing a rehearsal from Headlong Dance Theatre, and meetings with couples therapists, dentists, interpreters, and more. In March specifically, residents take a 24 hour artists retreat as their field trip. This work culminates in an open rehearsal of work conceived on the theme of the period, called EAR Fuzz, sharing the growth that unfolds on stage with an audience of fellow members and the general public. Each EAR Fuzz ends with a “communal ritual” with the audience in celebration of the growth, and an opportunity for audience to share their inspiration from the evening on an arts & crafts style feedback board and casual merriment at Quig’s Pub at P & P.

You can support the E.A.R. residency by donating to our Ongoing Campaign, which helps us run all of our programming. If you want your money to go solely to the E.A.R. Residency, please specify when you donate.

DONATE TODAY

It’s hard to shock theatre goers these days…until you bring in politics.

Plays and Players proudly presents ‘An American Presidency: a Theatrical Response,’ a festival catering to all aspects of how we perceive the presidential election. With something funny, something new, something daring and historically true, the festival caters to all tastes and outlooks during the presidential campaigns.

24 Hours Later: A Presidential Survival Guide

November 7, 2012 – 7pm & 9pm

A direct response to the presidential decision, 24 Hours Later: A Presidential Survival Guide presents an immediate reaction to the night of November 6, 2012 and the decisions made by a nation. Kicking off just before the polls close on November 6th, three original plays will be created in the wake of the presidential decision, written by the three playwrights and starring actors from the 2012-13 Emerging Artists-in-Residence Program at Plays & Players, as well as other local talent. The playwrights will face several challenges as the night goes on with live voting and other feedback from the electorate, providing a unique opportunity for audience participation in the creative process. After working through the night, the plays will be produced by a full team of designers, directors and actors for two performances at 7 and 9 pm on the night of November 7th.

Ticketing Information

Cast and Creative Team

Directed by Mark Kennedy, James Stover and Malika Oyetimein.

Written by Alisha Adams, Tommy Butler and Robin Rodriguez.

Starring Amanda Atkinson, Marci Chamberlain, Emily Gibson, Jenna Horton, Laurel Hostek, Aaron Lofton, Cathy Mostek, Iraisa Ann Reilly and Robert Stineman.

Voices of a People’s History of the United States

Co-presented by Iron Age Theatre and South Camden Theater Company

November 10, 2012 – 8pm

It’s time to look back at the political history of our country with Voices of the People’s History of the United States. Created to showcase and celebrate the voices left out of history books, Voices of a People’s History of the United States is the companion piece to Zinn’s seminal work, A People’s History of the United States. Voices brings to life the extraordinary history of ordinary people who built the movements that made the United States what it is today, ending slavery and Jim Crow, protesting war and genocide, advancing gay and women’s rights, and struggling to right wrongs of the day. After performances in Norristown and Camden, this Philadelphia premiere performance will feature former Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl starting quarterback Michael J. Boryla and internationally renowned blues artist, Guy Davis, son of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, and many others.

10% of all proceeds donated to Broad Street Ministry. Special post-show reception to meet Michael J. Boryla and Guy Davis, and full cast, included in a “VIP” meet-the-artist ticket for $50.

Ticketing Information

Cast and Creative Team

Co-Directed by Daniel Student and John Doyle.

Also starring Chuck Beishl, Richard Steven Bradford, Tina Brock, John Cannon, Marci Chamberlain, Gregory Winston Day, K.O. Delmarcelle, Tiffany Joyner, Alaina Nelson, Bill Rahill, Roderick Slocum, Peggy Smith, Daniel Student, James Tolbert III, Damien Wallace, Bob Weick, Leila Wright and Kara Zhang.

The Republican Theatre Festival

November 12-14, 2012 – 7pm

The Republican Theater Festival, produced by Forearmed Productions, has received a lot of controversy by the public and media is sure to get you riled up in your seats. At the same time, the performances are meant to be “an antidote for polairization,” as the festival’s creator (and registered independent), Cara Blouin, puts it. The festival will feature ten plays from playwrights across the country that cover a range of topics from free speech and the Occupy Movement, to political differences within families and a conservative perspective on the American Dream, and ultimately addresses what it means to be Republican in today’s America.

Ticketing Information

Featuring

Propaganda by Mike Long, Occupy This by CJ Ehrlich, Battle Hymn by Ludmilla Bollow, 501(c) Me by David Marcus, The Abortion Bomb by Basil Considine, Home from College by Eric Balchunas, Downsizing Undercoat Man by Walt Vail, Running Amok by Quinn Eli, Eternal Flowers by Lavinia Roberts, and Volley by Hank Schwemmer

Presidents Who Kick A$$

November 15-18, 2012 – 8pm

On a lighter note, Plays & Players presents its newest edition of the ever-popular comedy show Superheroes who are Super! This current showcase, Presidents Who Kick A$$, features three election-related stories brought to life with props, sound effects and a great mix of comedy and love for the material. This time on Superheroes, Superman needs President John F. Kennedy’s help to protect his secret identity; the first teenage president, Prez Rickards, weathers corruption and environmental disasters on the campaign trail; and Spider-Man teams up with Barack Obama to take on super-villains and the presidency. Running November 15-18 at 8pm, like all productions of Superheroes, this promises to be an evening of homegrown fun and excitement.

Ticketing Information

Cast and Creative Team

Directed by Daniel Student

Starring Lori Felipe-Barkin, Allison Caw, Sean Close, Michael McElroy, and William Touissant

Special Thanks to:

Fat Jack’s Comicrypt “Philadelphia’s Premier Comic Shop”

2006 Sansom Street  Philadelphia, PA 19103

A World Premiere
Written by David Strattan White
Directed by Cara Blouin
November 4-21
Plays & Players Skinner Studio

Starring: Ken Sandberg, Johanna Dunphy, Angela Smith, Langston Darby and Dan Higbee

Sue’s boyfriend is drunk and high. Betty’s is a Sim. Both want to make a man out of the one they love. In local playwright’s David Strattan White’s witty world premiere Simulations, these two friends and the guys they’ve given their hearts to break the boundaries of the real and digital worlds to take control of their romantic destinies — and realize that whether playing the game or getting played, love isn’t all hearts over your head and dips in the hot tub.

Photo credit: Joe Glodek

Book, Music, & Lyrics by William Finn Directed by Daniel Student January 13-30

Plays & Players Skinner Studio

Starring: Brendan Norton, Dan Plehal, Grace Field, Joe Sabatino, Robert Cutler, Sara Schmuckler, Eric Longo, Jason Stockdale, Jennifer Hutten, and Susan Ilene Johnson.

From from the man who wrote The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, this semi-autobiographical musical journey follows Gordon Schwinn through his diagnosis and treatment of a seemingly terminal defect in his brain. Schwinn’s greatest fear is dying with his best songs still inside him, so he works day and night from his hospital bed to get them all out while struggling to maintain relationships with his life partner Roger, his mother, and his best friend and agent Rhoda. Premiering off-Broadway to rave reviews over a decade ago, P&P was proud to introduce Philadelphia theater-goers and musical-lovers to a harrowing yet heartwarming tale about the healing power of art.

Photo credit: Joe Glodek

“A New Brain isn’t an easy show to perform… it’s about a man who collapses and undergoes brain surgery. Even more so, because it involves dark scenes that take place within the man’s tormented mind. That’s why the recent Plays and Players production was so impressive… The cast is exceptionally talented albeit largely unknown.  Even the smaller roles are sung gorgeously.”

-Broad Street Review

“A New Brain at Plays & Players is a rare thing: sophisticated contemporary musical theater that’s also a feel-good, chock-full-of-songs show. With a wildly talented cast under Daniel Student’s imaginative direction, this show is not to be missed.”

-Philadelphia Inquirer

“Director Daniel Student and musical director Melissa Dunphy’s charming, low-budget production superbly brings Gordon’s hopes and fears to life in an intimate audience-on-stage configuration on the P&P main stage — their only miscalculation, since they’ll clearly need more seats.”

-Philadelphia City Paper

LOST IN YONKERS

Photo credit: Kyle Ober

Written by Neil Simon Directed by Betty Chomentowski June 2-19

Plays & Players Skinner Studio

Starring: Gavin Becker, Angela Carolfi, Jim Ludovici, Catherine Maroney, Helen McCrane, Jordan Mottram, and Ryan Ruggles

Photo credit: Kyle Ober

Neil Simon’s touching story–and Pulitzer Prize-winning play–of an eccentric New York family in crisis in the summer of 1942. On the run from a loan shark, a frightened and weak-willed father leaves his two teenage boys, Jay and Arty, with their domineering grandmother, who runs a candy store in Yonkers. The effect of the old woman’s tyranny over two generations of offspring becomes evident as she coldheartedly attempts to control not only their lives but also that of her mentally challenged middle-aged daughter, Bella, who desperately yearns for love and independence. The boys are forced to live by their stern grandmother’s rules until their gangster uncle, Louie, comes to town one night and goes into hiding in the family home. Uncle Louie ends up helping both the boys and Bella understand their aging grandmother and realize the importance of acceptance and love, despite the hardship of life in Yonkers.

“Plays & Players’ production of Lost in Yonkers, Neil Simon’s 1991 Pulitzer-winner, is a textured and moving family drama… Director Betty Chomentowski catches just the right tone – the play’s human charm and a grim nostalgia for some bad old days. Despite Simon’s reputation as a Mr. Broadway, his play is well served by this tiny intimate space, making us part of the family.”

-Philadelphia Inquirer

“Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers has a lot of hype to live up to … but as its opening night proved, the Plays and Players cast was up to the task of filling some dauntingly big shoes.”

-Philadelphia City Paper

“Angela Carolfi in a breathtaking performance as Bella, the mentally unstable yet charming female star, and Helen McCrane’s equally superb portrayal of her tired and nasty mother, the Plays & Players production expertly navigates the journey of one young woman from denial and anger to forgiveness and healing… the strong cast and intimate setting of Plays & Players’ 99-year-old theater creates the perfect boiler room for the challenging yet ultimately redemptive confrontations between the grandmother and the next generation.“

-Broad Street Review

New plays by Alisha Adams, Tommy Butler and Robin Rodriguez
Directed by Mark Kennedy, Malika Oyetimein and James Stover

Behind the scenes at the 24 Hour Play Fest
Photo credit: Daniel Student

Starring: Amanda Atkinson, Marci Chamberlain, Emily Gibson, Jenna Horton, Laurel Hostek, Aaron Lofton, Cathy Mostek, Iraisa Ann Reilly and Robert Stineman.

Kicking off just before the polls closed on November 6th, three original plays were created in the wake of the presidential decision.  After working through the night, the plays were produced by a full team of designers, directors and actors for two performances at 7 and 9 pm on the night of November 7th.

Voices of a People’s History of the United States

Co-Presented by Iron Age Theatre and South Camden Theater Company
Co-Directed by Daniel Student and John Doyle

Also starring: Chuck Beishl, Richard Steven Bradford, Tina Brock, John Cannon, Marci Chamberlain, Gregory Winston Day, K.O. Delmarcelle, Tiffany Joyner, Alaina Nelson, Bill Rahill, Roderick Slocum, Peggy Smith, Daniel Student, James Tolbert III, Damien Wallace, Bob Weick, Leila Wright and Kara Zhang.

Voices brings to life the extraordinary history of ordinary people who built the movements that made the United States what it is today, ending slavery and Jim Crow, protesting war and genocide, advancing gay and women’s rights, and struggling to right wrongs of the day.

“By giving public expression to rebels, dissenters, and visionaries from our pastand present VOICES seeks to educate and inspire a new generation working for social justice.”

-New Jersey Stage

” Zinn firmly believed that in order to tell the true and complete story of America, it had to be told not only through the experiences and contributions of the famous and rich and powerful, but also through the eyes of ordinary people, particularly those who were oppressed or discriminated against, as well as dissenters, social activists and visionaries.”

-Montgomery News

The Republican Theatre Festival

Produced by Forearmed Productions and Cara Blouin

Featuring: Propaganda by Mike Long, Occupy This by CJ Ehrlich, Battle Hymn by Ludmilla Bollow, 501(c) Me by David Marcus, The Abortion Bomb by Basil Considine, Home from College by Eric Balchunas, Downsizing Undercoat Man by Walt Vail, Running Amok by Quinn Eli, Eternal Flowers by Lavinia Roberts, and Volley by Hank Schwemmer

The festival featured ten plays from playwrights across the country that cover a range of topics from free speech and the Occupy Movement, to political differences within families and a conservative perspective on the American Dream, and ultimately addresses what it means to be Republican in today’s America.

“I have no qualms about the current Republican Theater Festival, especially since it may introduce some previously unheard voices to mainstream theater and I applaud it for attempting to bring infrequently heard theater viewpoints to light, even if I might not agree with them at all.  Indeed, there are two sides to every street, but all of those roads lead us to the theater, where art trumps didacticism every time, no matter the perspective.”

-Huffington Post

Presidents Who Kick Ass

Directed by Daniel Student

Starring: Lori Felipe-Barkin, Allison Caw, Sean Close, Michael McElroy, and William Touissant

On a lighter note, Plays & Players presented its next edition of the ever-popular comedy show Superheroes who are Super! This showcase, Presidents Who Kick A$$, features three election-related stories brought to life with props, sound effects and a great mix of comedy and love for the material. This time on Superheroes, Superman needs President John F. Kennedy’s help to protect his secret identity; the first teenage president, Prez Rickards, weathers corruption and environmental disasters on the campaign trail; and Spider-Man teams up with Barack Obama to take on super-villains and the presidency.

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON

Photo credit: Dave Sarrafian

Music and Lyrics by Michael Friedman, Book by Alex Timbers Directed by Daniel StudentJanuary 17 – February 3, 2013
Plays & Players Main Stage

Starring: Joe Sabatino, Allison Caw, Max Cove, Jamison Foreman, Billy Kametz, Sam Nagel, Kristen Norine, Brendan Norton, Corey Regensburg, Shannon Remley,  Tim Rinehart, Meggie Siegrist, and Josh Totora

Andrew Jackson was a rock and roll GOD. He rode his outsider bad-boy image and his populist movement into office with promises to reform and representing the other America. What happened next was broken promises and a Trail of Tears.  A brazen political commentary that brings history bloodily to life, and leaves no contemporary political movement, from Obama’s “Yes We Can” to the Tea Party, unscathed.

Photo credit: Dave Sarrafian

“The hilarious parallels to modern politics — Jackson promises to “take our country back” just like today’s Tea Partiers — explode in a suitably loud rock score led by music director Jamison Foreman that makes Jackson a hard-to-like but undeniably magnetic amalgamation of Bruce Springsteen and Freddie Mercury. As the title promises, blood spurts freely, but the real thrill is the contemporary deconstruction of American politics, which haven’t evolved much since 1828.”

-Philadelphia City Paper  

The America Play & Other American Cousins

Photo credit: Daria Maidenbaum

By Suzan-Lori Parks (The America Play)
Other American Cousins by Quinn D. Eli and Kimmika L. H. Williams-Witherspoon
Directed by Suzana Berger (The America Play) and Malika Oyetimein (Other American Cousins) April 4-28, 2013

Plays & Players Skinner Studio

Starring: Lindsay J. Daniels, Langston Darby, Tanya O’Neill, Kirschen Wolford and Steven Wright

From Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks came a remarkable story of an African-American man who looks just like Abraham Lincoln and can be shot by would-be John Wilkes Booths for a small fee. When he disappears into the “great hole in history,” his wife and son go to find him. Questions of race, family, legacy, and the act of theater itself play out in a surprising and emotionally stunning journey.

World premiere short plays, Other American Cousins, named for the play President Lincoln was watching when he was shot, examined American’s place in today’s world and served as a prologue to The America Play.

“Parks’s script is rich in symbolism and metaphor, sending up the idea of the great man of history and questioning our historical memory. Wright portrays a presidential reenactor with suitable nobility and derision, and each cast member turns in a moving performance.”

-Phindie.com

Photo by Daria Maidenbaum

Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney Directed by Daniel StudentOctober 17 – November 3, 2013
Plays & Players Main Stage

Starring: Janan Ashton, Andre G. Brown, Taysha Canales, Jaylene Clark, Erin Fleming, James Tolbert III and Zuhairah

Set Design by Colin McIlvaine, Costume Design by Amanda Sharp, Lighting Design by Chris Hallenbeck, Sound Design by Dan Kontz, Props Design by Danielle Ferguson, Assistant Direction by Sophie Peyton, Dramaturgy by Nell Bang-Jensen, Assistant Dramaturgy by Eric Thomas, Dialect Coaching by Melanie Julian, Stage Management by Lauren Tracy, and Assistant Stage Management by Lena Barnard

From the theater that brought you 2012’s hit production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, came the Philadelphia premiere from the African-American playwright touted as the “next August Wilson,” Tarell Alvin McCraney. A provocative, poignant, fiercely humorous, and ultimately universal story of a “sweet” young man’s journey to discover the “secret” of who he really is and where he really came from. Days before Hurricane Katrina strikes the projects of Louisiana, the currents of his life converge, overflowing into his close-knit community and bringing three generations of characters, all named after African gods, together in the stirring conclusion of McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays trilogy.

Photo by Daria Maidenbaum

“It is impossible for this teenager to have a dull moment, and equally impossible for the audience of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s MARCUS, OR THE SECRET OF SWEET to be bored…. Marcus and his crew will make you think, feel, and look at “the ability of being alive” in astoundingly new ways.”

-Phindie.com

THE DISAPPEARING QUARTERBACK

A World Premiere!

Photo by Trevor Reynolds

Written and performed by Mike Boryla Directed by Daniel StudentJanuary 16-February 2, 2014
Plays & Players Third Floor Skinner Studio

Set Design by Danielle Ferguson, Costume Design by Jill Keys, Lighting Design by Amanda Jensen, Sound Design by John Kolbinski, Projection Design by Mike Long, Animation by Emily Homrok, Stage Management by Lauren Tracy, and Assistant Stage Management by Lena Barnard

Mike Boryla was the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1974-1976. He had everything he wanted. But he didn’t want what he had. Two years later, he quit professional football and… disappeared. In a World Premiere one-man show, he returned to Philadelphia for the first time in over 35 years to tell the story of walking away from the sport and the teammates, he loved. With the average life expectancy of a professional football player reported at 55, the effects of concussions becoming ever more clear, and even our president speaking out against its future, should “America’s Game”… disappear? A play for football fanatics and amateurs alike and set in the intimate Skinner Studio, The Disappearing Quarterback puts you inside the helmet of a unique athlete, a self-described “long-haired hippie,” with a passionate purpose and a story to share as he comes home to the city that made him famous.

“[A] highly enjoyable, attention-commanding world premiere at Plays and Players… a compelling, deeply human story that blends a dash of Spalding Gray, the existential quest of Beckett’s hobos, and the beauty of a tightly thrown spiral.”

-Philadelphia Inquirer

DELAWARE MUDTUB AND THE MIGHTY WAMPUM

A World Premiere!

Order a copy of the published version of Delaware Mudtub and The Mighty Wampum

Written by Greg Romero Directed by Candace O’Neil CihockiMarch 13-30, 2014
Plays & Players Third Floor Skinner Studio

Photo by Rachel Dukeman

Starring: Andrew J. Carroll, Heather Cole, Katie Croyle, Tyler Garamella, Maria Konstantinidis, Tess McChesney Kunik and Mary Beth Shrader

Set Design by Colin McIlvaine, Lighting Design by Andrew Cowles, Costume Design by John Hodges, Sound Design by Colin McIlvaine, Props Design by Danielle Fergurson, Dramaturgy by Laurel Hostak, Puppet Design by Leila Ghaznavi, Stage Management by Angie McGuinness, and Assistant Stage Management by Lisa Sullivan

Plays & Players proudly launched a new yearly series that entertains and inspires, P.L.A.Y. (Philadelphia Local Artists for Youth)!  Written by a local playwright with a focus on original and local stories, this imaginative new program offered a theatrically immersive, interactive experience for young audiences, engaged their creativity to help build and spark each performance, sharing living stories that capture the magic all around us.  This season’s work  explored mythic animals local to the area (The Great Blue Heron, The Red Fox, The Box Turtle), people once indigenous to the Delaware River (The Lenni-Lenape), and the rituals and journeys that speak across time and species, reflected through the lens of our season theme, brothers and sisters.

Photo by Rachel Dukeman

“10 year old: It was a little hard to follow what myth they were acting out because they didn’t talk a lot. The characters were really interesting. The otters were my favorite part of the play.

8 year old: It was pretty good. It was hard to understand because they don’t say stuff much about what they are doing or who is who. 

6 year old: My favorite was the bird. I loved all the different characters. I liked when they were throwing berries in the air and eating them.”

-RealTheKitchenAndBeyond.com

SEX, DRUGS, ROCK & ROLL

Written by Eric Bogosian Performed by Eric Scotolati Directed by Allison HeishmanJune 5-21, 2014
Plays & Players Third Floor Skinner Studio

Set & Props Design by Danielle Ferguson, Lighting Design by Andrew Cowles, Sound Design by Daniel Kontz,  Assistant Direction by Erlina Ortiz, Dramaturgy by Lena Barnard, and Stage Management by Lauren Tracy

Photo by Andrew Cowles

Like a hard rock track turned all the way up, Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll is a hilarious, clever, and often riveting roast of the American Male. An intimate one-man show exploded on to Plays & Players’ stage, bringing to life 10 off-beat characters in a smartly profane non-stop tour de force about masculinity, capitalism, and the great American way. After a lengthy run Off-Broadway in the 1990s, Obie Award winning playwright Eric Bogosian’s “brilliant” collection of monologues was remounted with Philadelphia’s own Eric Scotolati, bringing characters from top to bottom of the eat-or-be-eaten food chain from the era of cable, wall street, and “just say no” perfectly back to life and reminding us how little things change about the larger issues that define our time.

“Constantly entertaining… in Scotolati’s hands it delivers surprises… you might wonder whether several actors had been on stage throughout.”

-Newsworks

“Nearly a quarter-century later, Bogosian’s characters – extreme, outrageous, unanimously assholes – seem as fresh and relevant as ever… Scotolati stands alone, expertly bringing every slimy, skeevy, sublimely sardonic character to life.”

-Philadelphia City Paper