Philly Theatre Week
75 Organizations and 300 events celebrate Philadelphia’s theatre scene—including South Philly-based EgoPo Classic Theater and Theatre Exile.
Director Brenna Geffers of South Philadelphia’s EgoPo Classic Theater is in the final weeks of rehearsal. Her show, Sam Shepard’s Fool For Love, opens on Friday as part of Theatre Philadelphia’s third annual Philly Theatre Week.
“Sam Shepard offers such rich worlds. His characters turn on a dime. We’ve all gone toward a bad kind of love even though we shouldn’t, and experienced heartbreak,” she says. “The cast is one of the finest, and the design team has not been afraid to make bold and beautiful choices alongside them. It’s great to be staging work in a city like Philadelphia where there are so many wonderful artists.”
Between February 6 and 16, over 75 organizations like EgoPo will hold 300 events and performances. This celebration will showcase the vibrant and diverse theatre scene in the tri-state region and help make theatre even more accessible to the community. Events will include full performances, workshops and panels in Philadelphia, its suburbs, New Jersey and Delaware.
“Philly Theatre Week is not only an exciting new tradition for arts, culture and theatre audiences, but it has developed into one of the city’s most exciting and anticipated festival style events that joins the ranks of Philly Beer Week, Philly Tech Week and Center City Restaurant Week,” said Director Leigh Goldenberg. “The celebration showcases the breadth and diversity of artists and organizations that make Philadelphia a vibrant hub for performing arts.”
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 theaters, community theaters, academic institutions, self-producing artists and small-budget companies.
Philly Theatre Week is the brainchild of Director Leigh 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.
“We designed Philly Theatre Week 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,” Goldenberg said. “There is truly something for everyone, from every walk of life, and from every corner of the region.”
Geffers isn’t focused only on her own show at EgoPo. “I can’t wait to see the fabulous works at the Wilma and [Theatre] Exile and all the amazing independent artists that are part of this festival,” she adds.
Theatre Exile will host a world-premier right here in South Philly during Theatre Week. Their new space at 1340 S. 13th Street is one of the few permanent theaters south of South Street. On February 15 and 16 they’ll debut “Babel” by playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger. The new work features “a talking stork, lesbian moms, and the power to build your own baby.” Read more about it and buy tickets. If you can’t make the Theatre Week premier, the piece continues through March 8.
Tickets and more information
Tickets for participating shows are free, $15 or $30.
Purchase tickets via Philly Theatre Week, or through the TodayTix site or app.
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 Shubert Foundation.
For additional information, please visit www.phillytheatreweek.com or call 267-761-9950.
