Philadelphia Theatre Workshop

PTW is looking for a new Producing Artistic Director!

2011-11-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop (PTW) seeks candidates for a new Producing Artistic Director. The only theater company in the city solely dedicated to supporting and promoting Philadelphia area playwrights, PTW’s mission is to produce world premiere plays by local playwrights. Since 2004, PTW has proudly served the Philadelphia theatre community as an incubator for new plays with its annual PlayShop Festival featuring local playwrights. In 2004, PTW became a non-profit corporation, and in 2005, it achieved 501(c)(3) status. The theatre’s Board of Directors is an active, innovative, and fun group of skilled business and theatre professionals.

The Producing Artistic Director is responsible for overall vision, artistic direction, and production choices; management; administration; budgeting; fundraising; and coordinating of programming, with the assistance of the Board and staff. This is a volunteer position, offering the candidate a leading role in the Philadelphia theatre community and the opportunity to showcase the incredible talent of Philadelphia’s playwrights, directors, actors, and designers.

For more information or to apply, please contact Kathleen Neary, PTW Board President, at kathleen_neary@yahoo.com or Kathy Anderson, PTW Artistic Associate, at kathyandersonwriter@yahoo.com. Tell us why you are interested and about your qualifications to lead PTW into its 8th season and beyond.

A Reading of CONSOLATION by Will Dennis

2011-10-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

The 1st Installment of the 11-12 PTW Reading Series

Consolation: A Play

By Will Dennis

"Addiction tears them apart. Addiction brings them together."

Monday, October 17^th @ 8 PM

Plays and Players, 3rd Floor

17th and Delancey

With:

· Steven Nemphos

· Stephanie Lauren

· Robert Daponte

· Mark Knight

· Ann Gundersheimer

· Ed Miller

Directed by Howie Brown

5th Annual PlayShop Festival Selections

2011-09-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Our 5th Annual PlayShop Festival playwrights and plays are:

The Working Man by Paul Recupero

Wilkes by James Stover

TBA collaboration with Philadelphia Young Playwrights

In addition, the following playwrights and plays will be part of PTW’s 11-12 Reading Series:

Consolation by Will Dennis

Alvin's Will by Lee Colston II

Casse Noisette (A Fairy Ballet) by Mike Whistler

Finally, we'd also like to acknowledge our honorable mentions:

EL DEGÜELLO by Kevin Grauke

Family Guidance by M.M Wittle

The Text of Sex by Michele Aldin Kushner

Albatross by Kate McGrath

The Estate of Coco Larue by Andy Wertner

We continue to make a commitment to support Philadelphia-area playwrights. This year's festival will take place April 24 - May 19, 2012 at the Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5. We hope that you will attend. We’d love to meet you!

Director and Cast for HAZARDOUS by Quinn D. Eli

2011-09-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

We are proud to introduce the creative team behind Hazardous by Quinn D. Eli. PTW is producing this great piece for Tiny Dynamite's "a Play, a Pie, and a Pint." Hazardous will be performed Oct. 11th and 12th in the Red Room at the Society Hill Playhouse. Buy your tickets HERE.

James Stover (Director) - James has previously directed Office Girl (NYC's Secret Theatre), Roger & Miriam(NYC's Under St. Marks, w/ Daytime Emmy Winner Matthew Wilson), Marcus is Walking (TN's Roxy Theatre),Santaland Diaries (OH's Short North Playhouse), and Indigenous Peoples (NYC's Wonderland One-Act Festival, winner of the festival's Best Play Award). He has worked as assistant director for Tony Nominee Thomas Kail and Drama Desk Nominees Jonathan Silverstein and Igor Goldin. He made his Philadelphia acting debut in PTW's The Invisible Playalongside Howie Brown. He will next be directing The Amish Project for The Renegade Company, opening right here in the Red Room on Nov. 11th.

Rebecca Vail (Lucy) - Rebecca is honored to be appearing in her first production with Philadelphia Theatre Workshop. Selected prior credits include the world premiere of Lucy Thurber’s The Insurgents (Contemporary American Theater Festival), A Christmas Carol and Macbeth (Theatre of the Seventh Sister), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Arsenic and Old Lace, Measure for Measure (Great Lakes Theater Festival), Blood Wedding, Crimes of the Heart, Sister Cities, A Nightmare of Crime (BWC) and Mr. Marmalade (Dark Horse Theatre Company). She is a proud graduate of the Baldwin-Wallace College Department of Theatre and Dance. “Love and deep gratitude to my dear clan all over the globe.”

Miriam White (Gwen) - Miriam just returned to the amazing city of Philadelphia after a brief stint in San Diego where she performed as Nora in Brighton Beach at the Old Globe and got herself a Craig Noel nomination for her performance in Elliot a Soldiers Fugue with Ion. Recent productions include: Frida Libre (La Jolla Playhouse), Hearts of Man (Riot Group), Wildflower (PlayPenn and the Lark), Have a Nice Life (Edinburgh Fringe and NPTC), Killing Women and Six Seconds in Charlack (NPTC), Valhalla and 50 West 50 (Philadelphia Theatre Workshop). She's thrilled to be working with such a wonderful group of people.

PTW seeking two actresses (age range 23-30) for “a play, a pie and a pint.”

2011-08-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

Audition Notice: Philadelphia Theatre Workshop

Hazardous by Quinn D. Eli

Directed by James Stover

PTW is producing Quinn D. Eli’s One-Act play, “Hazardous” as part of Tiny Dynamite’s “a play, a pie and a pint.” Seeking two actresses. Age range 23-30.

Audition Date/Time: Sunday, August 28th from 7:30 -11pm

Audition Location: The "Parish Room" on the 1st floor of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, 2125 Chestnut Street, Phila., PA 19103 (btwn. 21st and 22nd). If you are looking at the Church, please use the entrance on the right hand side of the building.

Performance Dates: October 11 and 12, 6pm @ Society Hill Playhouse - Red Room (NOTE: Tech: Oct. 10th Time: TBD)

Rehearsals: 4-5 total, TBD around director’s, producers’ and actresses’ availability. Stipend provided.

Character Descriptions

LUCY: Mid-20's. Well-dressed, sharp, witty and fierce. A shark in a suit.

GWEN: Her older sister, 29. Beautiful, beleaguered, a victim of birth order.

Synopsis

A famous scientologist has posted an ad seeking a “wife” to help with his public image. Lucy gets Gwen the audition.

To schedule an audition, send head shot and resume via emai to Will Dennis, PTW's Associate Artistic Director at wdennis@philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org.

Thespian Smackdown! Sneak Peak

2011-05-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

Check out some clips from "Thespian Smackdown!" -- PTW's improvised game show! See a whole new game show this Friday, May 20th at 7pm!

Franco in the Press!

2011-05-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Check out PTW's collaboration with Philly Young Playwrights featured in the South Philly review! You only have one more change to see this great show tonight at 7pm! First come first serve -- get there early since the theatre was packed early on for Sunday's performance :)

Rockin' Robin!

2011-05-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

(Robin watches a recent rehearsal of her play LOVED ONES with director Jamie Haskins)

Get inside the writer's mind with one of PTW's 4th Annual PlayShop Festival playwright, Robin Rodriguez!

Check out Rep Radio's interview with Robin HERE.

Get tickets to see LOVED ONES by Robin HERE!

Check-In With Mr. White

2011-05-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

A Preview of the 4th Annual PlayShop Festival

2011-04-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to STAGE Magazine!

Another Check-In

2011-04-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

This time with "The Ugly Past" -- get tickets to see this great new play on its feet HERE.

PlayShop Rehearsal Time

2011-04-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure to stop by 3 different rehearsals for the 4th Annual PlayShop Festival on Tuesday night. Here's a quick peak at two of them:

SEVEN:

LOVED ONES:

Want more???? Get your tickets HERE

Howie Brown on Rep Radio

2011-04-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

Check out a recent interview with PTW's new Artistic Director, Howie Brown. The segment is a part of Rep Radio's Direct Me If I'm Wrong hosted by Todd Holtsberry. The interview contains shout outs to Iron Age, Act II Playhouse, Hedgerow, and of course Howie's alma mater St. Joe's Prep :)

104DMhowiebrown by represented

Win Free Tickets to the PlayShop Festival!

2011-04-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

PTW just started a new group on Linkedin -- you can find the page here. Keep the discussion going about the new plays you want to see at this year's 4th Annual PlayShop Festival and be entered to win 2 free tickets to a festival performance of your choosing!

We'll pick a winner this Friday.....

Submit Your Script For the 5th Annual PlayShop Festival!

2011-04-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals for the 4th Annual PlayShop Festival begin April 18th and preview performances start April 29th. We hope to see you in the audience for all our wonderful plays this year!

Do you want YOUR play to be in the 5th Annual Playshop Festival??? Find out how to submit your play below:

Call for Submissions

5^th Annual PlayShop Festival, April 16-May 20, 2012

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop presents Philadelphia premieres of high quality scripts that reflect diverse, contemporary human stories. We are looking for unproduced, full-length, contemporary plays that require simple sets and costumes, with small casts and low technical requirements. For the festival, we are specifically seeking plays that are in progress that would benefit from the workshop process.

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop offers a unique and exciting workshop opportunity for playwrights from the Philadelphia area * with its 5^th Annual PlayShop Festival. This PlayShop Festival revolves around the playwright, who works with a director, actors, designers, and dramaturgs to shape the play during the dynamic rehearsal and reading process.

The 5^th Annual Playshop Festival offers playwrights:

· At least 4 staged reading performances of your play.

· 5-week workshop process working with actors, designers, director, and dramturg with time between performances to revise, rehearse, and try new material based on audience reaction. NOTE: playwrights are required to be in residence throughout the full five weeks and are expected to attend all rehearsals – at their own expense (no stipends are available).

· Consideration for full production in 2012-2013 season

· No fee for submission.

Please read the submission guidelines fully. Submissions that do not comply with guidelines will be disqualified. To submit, please send TWO DOCUMENTS -- in either Word or PDF format -- which must include:

· FIRST DOCUMENT: Title page with playwright’s name, address, email, phone numbers. NOTE: this is the ONLY place where playwright’s name may appear. This is for judging purposes.

· SECOND DOCUMENT: Full script with the title of work as the header/footer. The playwright’s name may not appear on any page of the full script. Scripts in process are welcome; please send your submission in its current stage of development. It is also helpful to include a play synopsis and character breakdown.

* Submission Residency Requirements - The festival is open to playwrights currently living in Philadelphia region. PTW follows the regional requirement of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. The Theatre Alliance's geographic scope extends in a 50-mile radius of Philadelphia.

Submission DEADLINE is Friday, June 24, 2011 at 5pm.

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS ONLY

Please send your submission to: ptwplayshop@gmail.com. In the subject line of your email, please put your name and the title of your script. Two to three plays will be chosen for the 5^th Annual PlayShop festival.

Chosen submissions will be notified by Friday, September 9, 2011.

PTW Announces New Staff

2011-03-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Will Dennis, PTW Assoc. Artistic Director

Email: info@philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop Names New Staff

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Theatre Workshop Board of Directors is proud to announce Howie Brown as the new Producing Artistic Director of the company. In addition, Will Dennis is the new Associate Artistic Director. Kathy Anderson will remain on staff as an Artistic Associate and PTW Board Member.

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop continues to produce world premieres by Philadelphia-area playwrights. PTW’s 7^th season continues with the 4^th Annual PlayShop Festival featuring 6 new plays. The 4^th Annual PlayShop Festival runs from April 29 through May 22, 2011 at Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 5. Individual tickets cost $10 or you can get a Festival Pass which includes 4 tickets to any show for $30. Walnut Street Theatre is located at 825 Walnut Street. Tickets are available online at www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org

About Philadelphia Theatre Workshop

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop strives to nurture bright and emerging artists at various stages of their careers. We ignite Philadelphia by spotlighting characters and stories often underrepresented in the broader theatrical world. We are dedicated to reflecting diverse audiences through original, evocative programming. Our focus is world premiere plays by Philadelphia-area playwrights. Philadelphia Theatre Workshop: Making better artists and audiences. www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org

###

More PTW Love from Mark Knight!

2011-02-05T11:24:00.000-08:00

Check out another post in Backstage.com from Mark Knight. Mark returns to PTW's 4th Annual PlayShop Festival this spring. (Mark's previous post giving PTW a shout out)

"Mark Knight, Philadelphia

Chilly Philly in January. Two snowstorms and all the rescheduling and ball juggling that that entails: a play reading, a voiceover for a hugely famous carmaker, work in my home recording studio, and a theater event for charity.

The play reading was scheduled, but the second storm messed with the City of Brotherly Love. Actors, director, producer, and playwright emailing and replying to all. I finally had to gently hint that it was time for someone to call it. And someone did. So, it's Feb. 16 now for "Sheltered" at the Painted Bride (www.go.to/sheltered). Mrs. Knight and I will be strutting our stuff. We're like the Lunts, only… not.

Next, voiceover for the hugely famous car company: a gig in L.A. for a seriously fun and creative team at Wieden + Kennedy. It's an interactive animation with maybe a TV crossover. Can't say much... really… look, if you keep asking what car company, I'll have to Dodge the issue, so leave it, okay? I had a blast. They flew me there and back, cosseted me, called me The Talent. I know they call you The Talent if all you do is pig grunts, but still. I was way too pleased with myself, though: a four-hour session, and at the end the crew were still laughing like I was Robin Williams. And no, there were no drinks or other stuff around; they were just enjoying The Talent. I think I'm going to call myself The Talent from now on. Bit too OTT? (That's "over the top," if British is your second language.)

Studio Base is my recording studio in my cold basement. I have four or five honking-big PCs, hooked up in ways wondrous, and a snazzy little mike that looks and feels like a toy but is amazing. I recorded, edited, and emailed the Los Angeles voiceover down there one night, and I got the gig. As an old friend used to say, "How bad, my son?" and I would say, "Not bad at all, mate," and off we would go to the next gig.

Ooh, did I mention that I got cast in "Loved Ones" for the Philadelphia Theatre Workshop's PlayShop Festival (www.go.to/ptw)? "Loved Ones" is written by Robin Rodriguez and directed by James Haskins, and it's one of the festival's six plays in progress. Vibrant theater scene or what?

And, lastly for this round of adventures: March for Babies (www.walk.to/okt) is a charity I support. My baby brother was born prematurely and survived nine days. The march is a sponsored walk. But, for those who can't walk so well, OverKnight Theatre is also producing a show. On Friday night, writers, actors, and directors get together in multiple theater companies. Playwrights write on Friday, we rehearse on Saturday, and we open Saturday night. All proceeds go to March for Babies."

How bad, my son?

Meet the Lady Arabella Playwright and Cast

2011-01-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

This week, PTW gets 2011 started off with a reading of a hilarious new comedy, Lady Arabella Havermayer, Amateur Forensics Investigator. Meet the playwright and cast below and see them in person on Wednesday!

Wednesday, January 19th, 7:00pm

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia

2125 Chestnut Street

Admission is Free!

Tim Appignani (playwright) is a Philadelphia area playwright, whose past productions include: Closet Space 2002, Feed The Hype 2006, Who is Tim Appignani: An evening of short plays, and others 2004. In addition to his graduate work at Temple University, he is an adjunct instructor at the University of the Arts and Temple University.

(Amy Acchione (left) as "All Purpose Woman" in PTW's Front Row Seat by Kathy Anderson)

Amy Acchione (Lady Arabella) is delighted to return to PTW after performing in their productions of 50 West 50, The Invisible Play, and most recently, Front Row Seat. This past summer she earned a grant to study Shakespeare at the Globe in London. Amy's hopes that her favorite pastime of playing Clue with Chris has prepared her for this reading. Thanks Howie!

Carl Boccuti (Goldenstein/Dragoon) is a Philly-born-and-bred actor, writer, and standup comic. He has most recently performed in Traverse Arts Project's Pop! Sketch Comedy for the Gifted, which he will also be directing this month.

Johanna Dunphy (Drake/Daugschmidt/Constable Tallboys/Maid) graduated from Richmond the American University in London with a BA in Theater Arts. Since returning to the states, she has enjoyed working with Renaissance Artist Puppet Company, Action Arts, B. Someday Productions, Historic Philadelphia Incorporated, Plays and Players Theater and Enchantment Theater Company. Favorite roles include “Agnes” in Agnes of God , “Tori” in Zombie! The Musical, “Betty” in Simulations and “Scheherazade” in Scheherazade.

Sarah Gafgan (Elspeth) is very excited to work with the Philadelphia Theatre Workshop for the first time on this project. Sarah's been very fortunate to keep very busy in the Philadelphia area since graduating from Dickinson College in 2007 having worked for The Hedgerow Theatre, The Broadway Theatre of Pitman, Newcandlelight Theatre, Skyline Theatre Company (NJ), and others. Some of her favorite roles are Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun). Miss Sandra (All Shook Up!), Nancy (Oliver!), Sister Robert Anne (Nunsense and Nuncrackers), Miss Maudie (To Kill a Mockingbird) and Penelope Pennywise (Urinetown). Thanks so much for Howie and Bill for this opportunity. www.sarahjgafgen.com

James Stover (Hinchcliffe) appeared in the world premiere of "The Invisible Play" with PTW. Other favorite endeavors include "The Eclectic Society" (Walnut Street Theatre), "A Year with Frog and Toad" (Virginia Musical Theatre), "Youth Ink" (McCarter Theatre) "Twelfth Night" (Utah Shakespeare Festival), "Law & Order". He recently assistant directed Rajiv Joseph's The Bitch Downstairs for Broadway's 24-Hour Plays, directed by Tony nominee Thomas Kail and featuring Sam Rockwell and Jennifer Aniston. Look for a reading of his new play Wilkes this spring.

Cast List for the 4th Annual PlayShop Festival!

2011-01-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

Congrats to everyone cast for the 4th Annual PlayShop Festival! There were so many gifted actors at auditions and callbacks this year giving all our directors and playwrights an abundance of talent to choose from. To secure your spot to see all the wonderful productions below, click here now!

(Playwright David Strattan White (left) and director Mark Cofta discuss casting options at last week's auditions.)

And don't forget to check back here for casting updates on 2 more special events at this year's PlayShop Festival: A Woman, A Man, A Ravenous Ghost by Gianfranco Rosselli (Phila. Young PlayWrights Program) and Thespian Smackdown! by PTW's Associate Artistic Director Kathy Anderson.

Loved Ones by Robin Rodriguez

directed by James Haskins

Crystal - Jennifer MacMillan

Linc - Carl Smith

Amber - Stephanie Lauren

Leon - Peter Danzig

Dad - Mark Knight

Reindeer, Magnetosphere by David Strattan White

directed by Mark Cofta

Rudy - Robert Daponte

Connor - Julian Cloud

Willoughby - Steve Nemphos

Masha - Rachel Kitson

Mr. Hammel - Will Dennis

Mrs. Rector - Janice Rowland

Seven by Kelsey Amentt

directed by Cara Blouin

Sam - Mark Cairns

Jack - Michael McElroy

Jill - Theresa Leahy

Alex - Reuben Mitchell

The Ugly Past by Kevin Grauke

directed by Adrienne Mackey

Warren - Mark Robson

Doyle - Rob Hargraves

Lisa - Mle' Chester

Terry - Greg Bell

Annie - Mary Sarno

What is the PlayShop Festival? Go here and here to find out!

PTW Shout Out in"Backstage"

2011-01-08T11:44:00.000-08:00

Check out Mark Knight -- who was in 2 productions for PTW's 3rd Annual PlayShop Festival last year -- getting PTW mentioned in Backstage.com:

Mark Knight, Philadelphia

Philadelphia has a great performing-arts scene. I'm an outsider, though I've been here nigh on a decade. The cool thing about being an outsider is the simultaneous being there and making note of what's happening all the while. It's a theme much visited by storytellers. Actors (and playwrights) are storytellers, of course, and Philadelphia has got some gobsmackingly good storytellers.So. I'm the Back Stage Take Fiver for Philadelphia. Let's be clear, folks: Phila didn't ask for it, and the Back Stage editor who read my spec column for this musta had a very merry Kiffus party (I'll explain Kiffus later) or you wouldn't be reading this. It's me, warts and all. Idiosyncrasies'R'Us, I'm afraid.

I'm a British actor-playwright—a legal alien, so no reporting me to the INS, okay? Been here 13 years. That outsider mystique still elicits, "Ooh! Say something British!" Sorry, folks, but really, the accent is fake. I had to talk nice so that a) audiences wouldn't wonder, "Why is that mumbling cockney idiot playing Macbeth?" and b) girls would think I was smart. I am happily married with five daughters. Eldest is in the U.K. but hops on a plane when we can beg, borrow, and steal enough.

I have appeared in over 377 theater productions. No, wait, 392 including the clown stuff. I've done radio. On TV, I was the star of "Knightmare." I've toured the U.K. and Europe with several theater companies. I'm also a playwright, producer, and director. I was a resident actor-teacher at Shakespeare's Globe Ed for years. Then I produced, directed, and appeared in the opening of the Globe's first season, performing before Prince Philip. I can't go back to Britain for the moment. It'll all blow over. Really.

In December I appeared in a benefit for the Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium. Tina Brock built this company that does absurdist classics fast, funny, and fresh. I was lucky to be in this year's Fringe hit "The Madwoman of Chaillot." I killed—only in the sense of making our audiences laugh a lot. Last year I was in two plays in the Philadelphia Theatre Workshop's third festival; on Jan. 9, I'm auditioning for the fourth festival. Over a five-week period, the workshop develops scripts into plays ready for world-premiere productions. Playwrights get a cast, director, and design budget. Plays are rehearsed and rewritten every day, and each weekend staged readings are put on. Audiences give feedback, and the playwright does what we mostly do: We rewrite. And the next weekend we do it again. I submitted three plays for the 2011 festival. Didn't get accepted. Still love it.

I'm out of space and time. Have to go do a podcast, a voiceover audition, the diapers, walk the dog, stroke the cat. By the way, the cat and dog are girls too. I'm the only guy in a house with seven girls. Oh, yeah, Kiffus. My 3-year-old daughter. So cute. www.listen.to/Mark

"Lady Arabella Havermayer, Amateur Forensics Investigator" by Tim Appignani

2011-01-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

We return to our staged reading series with a reading of a world premiere play by Tim Appignani

Lady Arabella Havermayer, Amateur Forensics Investigator

directed by Howie Brown

Wednesday, January 19th, 7:00pm
First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia
2125 Chestnut Street
Admission is FREE

In this comic parody of old fashioned mystery novels, Lady Arabella, a spinsterly former heiress, reunites with her finishing school chum Elspeth at their alma mater for the weekend, only to uncover a gruesome murder that prompts Arabella to use her newfound love of forensics to solve the case, and prove that well-bred girls still have something to offer.

CAST
Amy Acchione
Carl Boccuti
Johanna Dunphy
Sarah Gafgan
James Stover

Casting for PTW's 4th Annual PlayShop Festival!

2010-11-23T13:13:00.001-08:00

We are accepting headshots and resumes for our 4th Annual PlayShop Festival! Four showcase productions (and two surprise ones) will be produced and require over twenty talented actors of all ages and types. Read about the six plays HERE. Contract dates are April 18 - May 22, 2011. Non-equity only. PAID positions. Audition date is Sunday, January 9th. Callbacks on Monday, January 10th. TO SUBMIT: Please send a HARD COPY of your headshot and resume to:

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop

attn: PlayShop Festival Casting

P.O. Box 17590

Philadelphia, PA 19105

NO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Questions? email Bill Felty @ billfelty@gmail.com

FRS in the City Paper :)

2010-11-18T08:59:00.001-08:00

Check out Front Row Seat in the Arts Section of the City Paper this week!

welcome to the 60s

2010-11-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

the set design for "Front Row Seat" is FULL of fun 60s items:

PWYC Preview of PTW's "FRONT ROW SEAT" - Friday, Nov. 19th @ 8pm

2010-11-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Pay-What-You-Can-Preview!!!

Front Row Seat by Kathy Anderson

directed by Bill Felty

Friday, Nov. 19th @ 8pm

Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5

starring: Amy Acchione, Greg Bell, Kelly DelDuca, Matt Dell'Olio, Susan Moses, Janine White, and Peter Zielinski

set design by Stephen Hungerford

lighting design by Shon Causer

costume design by Amanda Kroll

original music and sound design by Carl Cheeseman

stage manager: Melody Wong

"It is 1963 and the Flannery family is on a trip, a rare outing from their little hometown. They are not experienced travelers and experience multiple mishaps and calamities. Franny wrestles with a killer girdle. Inez crashes into a wayward cow. Billy fends off a knife-wielding Christian. The strangers they meet are getting stranger and stranger. But they are increasingly determined to realize their once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the President and First Lady in person. And they want to be right up front."

FRONT ROW SEAT opens Sat. Nov. 20th and runs until Dec. 12th. Tickets for the run can be purchased by clicking HERE.

"Front Row Seat" on Rep Radio

2010-11-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

Get an inside look at Front Row Seat by Kathy Anderson in this exclusive interview from Rep Radio!

You can get tickets to this amazing world premiere by clicking here now :)

Franny: Then and Now

2010-11-08T04:55:00.000-08:00

(Janine as "Franny" and Susan Moses as "Inez" recreate their favorite tango from Dancing with the Stars.)

Blog Post: Janine White

"As the promotion and press about Front Row Seat says, I play Franny, 'a role [I] originated during the workshop of PTW’s 3rd Annual PlayShop Festival (Feb/March 2010).' Which sounds pretty spiffy, if you ask me. And for sure, rehearsing and presenting Kathy Anderson’s in-the-works play as a staged reading earlier this year was a great experience. So I was thrilled PTW decided to do a full production and even happier that I was cast again as Franny. I might have had a bit of an advantage walking into our first rehearsal. After all, I had read the script in several versions. I’d heard audience feedback about the characters. Many of my lines were familiar. But I thought my biggest challenge was shaking off all that history because a lot was different too. There was a whole new cast, for one. And Kathy had added several characters (and even a few new lines for Franny). So I tried my best to approach everything with a fresh eye, and give Franny a whole new chance to be who she’s become. She hasn’t changed fundamentally, but I think the added characters allow Franny to interact with more people so new audiences will see more sides of her than the workshop audience did (er, including more of her girdle). It’s amazing what an added “All-Purpose Woman” can do for a gal!"

See Janine and the entire cast of FRS by getting your tickets here.

Funny-Sounding Words

2010-10-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

Blog post: Kathy Anderson

"My favorite funny-sounding words and phrases in FRONT ROW SEAT are:

Peach-eating riffraff

Scootch

Cockamamie notions

Rich midgets

The burden of manhood

Mean as a wolverine

Coochie

I have the best job in the universe - playwright. I get to make people laugh."

Come see Front Row Seat and find out what your favorite funny-sounding words in the play are by clicking here.

Front Row Seat individual tickets on sale October 15th

2010-10-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Front Row Seat sold out during its run in last year's PlayShop Festival. Now it's been re-written, re-worked and will be presented on our mainstage season November 20 - December 12. Don't miss your chance to see this hilarious road trip of a comedy this time around. Individual tickets go on sale October 15th.

Get yours HERE

NOW HIRING

2010-09-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

From April 18 - May 22, 2011, Philadelphia Theatre Workshop will present its "4th Annual PlayShop Festival"

Four world premiere plays will be developed and presented for audiences over a five-week period at the Walnut Street Theatre Studio Five.

Over 40 theatre artists blend talents to make this festival happen. This presents a UNIQUE opportunity to be a part of a living, breathing, changing, evolving process. We need to hire the following:

SET DESIGNER - create a functioning, clever unit set that can be customized for four different plays with minimal effort. set designer will also serve as TD for the festival.

LIGHTING DESIGNER - create a rep plot with several different looks that can be utilized by all four plays and create cues for each. The designer may also serve as light board operator at an additional salary.

SOUND DESIGNERS (2) - each of 2 designers will design effects and music for 2 of the 4 plays. and be open to adjusting the sound design over the five week period as the plays change and evolve.

STAGE MANAGER - divide your time between 2 of the 4 plays and stage manage each from first rehearsal on April 18, 2011 through closing performance on May 22, 2011. Need to be able to work independently, multi-task, and enjoy a pressure-filled (but fun) five weeks.

All designers MUST be available for tech week (April 25 - 30, 2011) AND be available for the rest of the five-week period (through May 22) to incorporate necessary design changes. Designers do stay active AFTER tech week, all the way through closing.

Salary for each position is $500.

A detailed description of the festival AND a synopsis of this year's plays are available at:
http://www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org/

If you are interested, please send a resume and interest statement (or direct any questions to):
billfelty@gmail.com

7th Season Officially Announced!!!

2010-08-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

Features All World Premieres by Philadelphia Playwrights

Philadelphia Theatre Workshop will produce 5 world premieres for their 2010-2011 season. Front Row Seat by Kathy Anderson starts the season off this fall followed by the 4^th Annual PlayShop Festival in the spring. Both productions will perform at the Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5 located at 825 Walnut Street.

Kathy Anderson’s Front Row Seat opens November 20, runs until December 12, 2010 and will be directed by Bill Felty. In Front Row Seat, we meet the Flannery family who is on a trip, a rare outing from their little hometown. They are not experienced travelers and suffer multiple mishaps and calamities. Frannie wrestles with a killer girdle. Inez crashes into a wayward cow. Billy fends off a knife-wielding Christian. The strangers they meet are getting stranger and stranger. But they are increasingly determined to realize their once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the President and First Lady in person -- and they want to be right up front.

The 4^th Annual PlayShop Festival will showcase four plays in progress from April 29to May 22, 2011. During this unique and intensive program, playwrights work collaboratively with a director, dramaturg, designers, actors, and audiences over a five-week period to fully develop scripts into plays ready for world premiere productions. Each performance includes a talkback that allows audience members to give opinions and suggestions to the playwright and director. Then, the playwright implements some of the suggestions immediately into their scripts, the director and cast rehearse the changes, and finally they test out the new material at a performance later in the festival.

This season’s festival includes Loved Ones by Robin Rodriguez, Reindeer, Magnetosphere by David Strattan White, Seven by Kelsey Amnett, and The Ugly Past by Kevin Grauke.

Loved Ones (directed by James Haskins) introduces us to Crystal who is in search of a life. She's seen plenty of lives on TV, in the movies, and on all those cool social networking sites--and now she'd like one of her own. Fortunately, Crystal has found an agency that provides instant friends and family--for a price. But when her money starts to run out, and the line between fact and fiction becomes blurry, Crystal has to decide which is more costly: to continue with her rented life, or to risk coming up with a "real" one of her own.

In Reindeer, Magnetosphere (directed by Mark Cofta), Rudy Reidner and Conner Flowers are never invited to join in any reindeer games at Thomas Paine High. So they find comfort in Mr. Hammel's Ethical Philosophy class. When Joseph Willoughby, basketball star, writes “Conner Flowers is a fag” on Mr. Hammel’s board, the teacher wants him suspended. Yeah, that doesn’t happen. Instead, Rudy and Conner’s world gets flipped upside down when Rudy decides to take matters into his own hands. Consequences are a bitch.

What if you had a chance to change the past? In Seven (directed by Cara Blouin) Jack gets that elusive chance. His marriage to Jill has been anything but a fairy tale. After a heated argument, Jack walks out on his family and is hit by a truck. The accident breaks more than just Jack’s crown – it puts him in a coma. The spirit of Jack’s deceased father-in-law implores Jack to go back and fix his marriage. Waking after seven years, Jack has only seven days to win his wife back and get Jill to tumble after him again.

Finally, we meet Warren in The Ugly Past (directed by Adrienne Mackey). Warren is a successful businessman in New York with a much-younger girlfriend. Doyle, his long-lost brother, is a playwright with a new play about two young brothers growing up in Texas, one of whom murders their baby sister. Is the play based on fact? Or is it fiction? What about their father? Did he die in an accident? Or did he commit suicide? Myth and memory collide with resentment and revenge in a true case of art imitates life. Or does it?

A season subscription for PTW’s 7^th season costs $40. More information and updates on surprise additions to the season can be found by visiting the company’s website: www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org.

Auditions!

2010-07-11T05:16:00.000-07:00

We are currently seeking headshots/resumes for our fall production: "Front Row Seat", a world premiere by Kathy Anderson. Needed: 3 men ages late 20s-50s; 3 women ages late 20s-60s; and 1 girl (looks/plays 14 or 15). Non-equity and equity (under the special appearance contract) may submit.

Rehearsals are evenings & weekends beginning October 17; Opens November 19, Closes December 12. Walnut Street Theatre Studio Five.

Non-equity salary is $100/week and production is submitted for Barrymore award consideration.

Please send your materials to Philadelphia Theatre Workshop, attn: Casting, P.O. Box 17590, Philadelphia, PA 19105. Auditions will be held August 15.

Questions? Email director Bill Felty, billfelty@gmail.com

NOTE: Please do not submit your materials via email.

Front Row Seat: It is 1963 and the Flannery family is on a trip, a rare outing from their little hometown. They are not experienced travelers and suffer multiple mishaps and calamities. Frannie wrestles with a killer girdle. Inez crashes into a wayward cow. Billy fends off a kinfe-wielding Christian. And the people they meet are getting more and more strange. But they are increasingly determined to realize their once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the President and First Lady in person. And they want to be right up front.

Diving Into Cronenberg

2010-05-10T03:18:00.000-07:00

It's less than a week before 516 (five sixteen) by Katharine Clark Gray opens at Walnut Street Theatre's Studio 5!!! Our latest blog post is from Emilie Krause who plays the role of "Annalee." To see Emilie and the rest our 516's wonderful cast, click here now.

(Emilie's POV during the last 516 (five sixteen) rehearsal before moving into the WST Studio 5 space.)

“The process of unraveling a play, and specifically a role, has always been a slow one for me. The idea that an entirely new person can be created from a collection of words is exciting and truly magical, but for me this process definitely takes time. Time to sit in the character, time to grow them in a petri dish. To truly get to know them. For 516, getting to know Annalee has been an absorbing process. It is always easy to get wrapped up in a character, particularly one as interesting as Anna. But the subject matter of 516 has forced me to dedicate much of my time in the “real world” to researching not just Annalee, but what Annalee watches. The script of 516 deals with the study of media, and references 18 films at the very least, most of which Annalee has at some point seen. While the audience members do not have to see these films to understand the play, it is imperative that I do. This need required me to delve into the world of film. I will tell you now, these movies are not for the fainthearted.

David Cronenberg is a significant theme in this play. I should be ashamed that I hadn’t seen one of his films before reading 516, but I think that at this point I have given him enough of my attention to be forgiven this. Crash was my first “Cronenberg”, and though I watched it something like a month ago, the story persistently lingers. Its funny how the attitude with which I approach a movie completely alters my conclusion upon its finish. I, personally, am a squeamish pacifist, so keeping my eyes open during pornographic violence is difficult, and my ability to enjoy what I am watching even harder. However, I attacked Crash with a desire to enjoy it. I forced my eyes open during the film’s infamous “leg fucking”, and forced my morals to lie mute while the characters switched partners like they were at a line dance. The result? A less bias comprehension of the film’s themes. Since Crash I have watched A History of Violence, Dead Ringers, eXistenZ, Videodrome, The Fly, and Eastern Promises. This translates to about 12 hours of Cronenberg, in addition to the non-Cronenberg films that were also a part of my education. This is a hefty chunk of time.

I suppose, to put my finger on what I’m trying to say, I think that the most surprising thing about this project is not how watching these films has affected the character but how they have, on some level, changed how I see the world. I will see ear bud cell phones as a plug fromeXistenZ, or hear a mother calling her child and hear the haunting echo of “Ellie. Ellie”, or see a car in an entirely, entirely different light. Annalee bravely dives into the world of Cronenberg much as I did, and I rather like to think that the two of us, have shared this experience. Of course that is impossible: Annalee is just the product of both words on the page, and footage on the screen. But then, I suppose, so am I."

Transformers

2010-04-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

516 (five sixteen) by Katharine Clark Gray opens May 15th. PTW's latest blog post is from the playwright herself! Get tickets to the show by clicking HERE.

PTW Blog Post - Katharine Clark Gray

"Any play worth doing is built on several major themes, but any production worth seeing knows how to choose one to run with. It's not as if the other themes evaporate-- they're still there, embedded in the actions and the text. But one will always stand out as the touchstone for the creative team. That theme becomes the binding element, the common denominator of the production-- its spine.

The spine of PTW's World Premiere production of 516 (five sixteen) is transformation. In my very first meetings with director Bill Felty, we talked about how the play tracks the evolution of its three characters as well as that of higher education itself. From our young ghostwriter Annalee's first mention of "the chrysalis phase"--she's talking about pop stars, but still-- we know our three (anti?)heroes are in for some major life changes. Throughout auditions, first readthrough, table work and first rehearsals, the T-word has established itself as a sort of central thesis. And in a play about a grad school thesis, this seems apropos.

A good production theme is one that resonates not just with the writer or director, but with the actors. Ann Gundersheimer (Martie) reflects about her own character's transformation: "it's about how a cocktail made up of disappointment, loneliness and ambition can transform a genuinely concerned and decent person into a desperate, self-centered manipulator." Emilie Krause (Annalee) talks about watching the David Cronenberg movie Crash-- itself a prominently featured ingredient of this play-- and how it transformed her thinking about the script. "When the first scene of Crash appeared on the screen of my laptop, I was both extremely uncomfortable and exceedingly grateful that my roommates were not home. However, as the film progressed, I could not help but become fascinated. This stylized and surreal sort of world explores the parts of human motivation that we (read, I) often choose to suppress.. I was watching the story of other people, who were not me, not realizing until about 3/4ths of the way through the film that of course they are me." And Kevin Meehan (Sigurd) adds: "through Sigurd's attempts to transform Annalee from a 'deeply uninterested party' (in regards to media's function and effect on society) to a creature of passion, he ultimately ends up transforming himself."

Over the past couple years, I have seen readings and an earlier workshop production of 516 (five sixteen) each find their own central motifs. One focused on the intense connection between physical and mental attraction; one focused on acknowledging the truth about oneself, especially one's own capacity for violence. And of course throughout these developmental stages, the play itself has been evolving. When the very first scenes were first set to paper, it was a very different animal. So was I, for that matter-- a younger person in a different city, with an entirely different set of circumstances. I wrote Scene 1 before I was married; I'm watching the premiere just three months before the birth of my first child. Just like people, plays have their own gestation periods, their own stages of growth.

As 516 (five sixteen) approaches its World Premiere, the hope is that it will emerge, as Annalee says, "triumphant and changed, bearing butterfly wings". Not because its prior incarnations were ugly-- but because it has finally become the play it is supposed to be, start to finish. I thank this team for helping make it so."

Building a Lifetime with Kevin Meehan

2010-04-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals for 516 (five sixteen) by Katharine Clark Gray began last week which also means PTW's blog is back with more thoughts and insights from everyone involved with the production. Up first is Kevin Meehan who plays the role of "Sigurd." To see Kevin and all the other wonderful aspects of this production, click here now! :)

(Henri Rousseau's Unpleasant surprise, 1901)

PTW Blog Post - Kevin Meehan

"i saw this painting at the barnes foundation the day we had our first read-thru. and i found it very interesting then, but not exactly sure why until our first blocking rehearsal on thursday the 15th. then it clicked when i got home and it became, for me at least anyway, instantly relatable. there's definitely a story going on here but the details are foggy. at first glance it appears to be pretty straightforward - dude shooting a bear that is attacking a woman. but when you look at it longer and pick out certain things you realize it's not so cut and dry. why is she naked and her clothes so neatly hung? is her expression really 'unpleasant' and/or 'surprised'? the 'dude' shooting the gun isn't firing it properly and isn't even looking at his 'target'. etc.... and sure you could chock it up to the simplistic style of the piece of why details are iffy, but i severely doubt it. rousseau was a master - this could've easily been done in the style of realism. i digress. anyways, the more you look at it, the clearer the story becomes; the more it unfolds itself. i can say (without drawing any specific parallels and giving our details away) that such has been the process of 516 (five sixteen) for 3 rehearsals now. it's been a blast wrapping my brain around this piece with such a top-notch cast, crew, director, and playwright. it's been keeping me up at night - so much stuff going on. it takes a lifetime to build a lifetime.

quick note: it is said that rousseau never left paris. interesting - if you look at his work most of his best pieces are jungle and forest settings."

"516 (five sixteen)" Tickets On Sale!

2010-04-01T05:44:00.001-07:00

No Fooling on this one! You can now buy tickets to Katharine Clark Gray's "516 (five sixteen)" RIGHT NOW by clicking here. Opening Night is Saturday, May 15th @8pm and is already almost SOLD OUT!!!!

516 (five sixteen) by Katharine Clark Gray directed by Bill Felty

May 15 - June 6, 2010

Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5

starring Ann Gundersheimer, Emilie Krause, and Kevin Meehan

set design by Stephen Hungerford

lighting design by Shon Causer

costume design by Vandy Scoates

original music/sound design by Carl Cheeseman

stage manager: Melody Wong

"Don't call her a ghostwriter, Annalee is a professional term paper auteur. Then she meets Sigurd, a cocky grad student who hires her to pen his "chore" assignments while he works on a mysterious thesis. When the two become lovers, they find themselves embroiled in a blood-sport romance that leads to betrayal. When a stricken Annalee exposes their arrangement, they must confront Sigurd's professor Martie Hodge. They strike a deal saving their skins, but Martie is exacting in her price. Driven by pride, desire, and intellectual longing, "516 (five sixteen)" is a revenge romance for brainiacs, a mash note to the mind."

Our Blog Features Our Lady

2010-03-18T17:29:00.001-07:00

"Our Lady of Balenciaga" by Michael Whistler introduces us to eleven characters in a Crash-like way. The playwright is our latest blogger -- to see "Our Lady" or any of the other wonderful PlayShop productions, click here.

PTW Blog by Michael Whistler - March 18, 2010

Thirty scenes, eleven characters, eight actors and a postage stamp:

Working on OUR LADY OF BALENCIAGA with PTW’s PLAYSHOP

Bill Felty started this process with a couple of most dangerous phrases I know: “This is your laboratory. Write what you want, with your voice.” With that, I worked to churn out a story I wanted to write, where many disparate and varied characters collide and intersect with each other’s lives and …miraculously…and end up affect each other in ways they would have never seen. I’d been a fan of PTW’s work for a while and was thrilled when I was tapped to be an artist for their PLAYSHOP. In crafting my proposal, I sat down and thought about the PTW shows I had seen, what I enjoyed most about them, and why I thought PTW was unique and important in the Philadelphia theatre scene:

Gay characters living their lives – I enjoy the fact that gay characters are leading men and women in PTW productions, and that their lives are treated with integrity, honesty and humor.

Rich tapestry of living – the plays I have experienced offer strong stories with intrigue and interesting plotting.

Playfulness and humor - there is a joy, even in the dangerous stories, in the characters and in the way they navigate their stories: witty, urban, alive, warm…and, yes, campy.

Theatricality – the pieces dare the audience to create spaces and imagined lives using a theatrical language and fluidity.

Humanity – the stories show the characters dealing with their lives in ways which underline their humanity, their connection to one another, and a final belief that making that human connection is a deeply difficult and important act.

With these thoughts in mind, I crafted a unique piece for PTW: “Our Lady of Balanciaga”. “Our Lady of Balanciaga” centers around Sandy Marino (Jan Michener) and her son, Erik (Noah Herman), an adult gay man surviving in NY as a temp living in her home in Astoria. The play starts as Sandy has been blinded mysteriously: her bed has been moved to the living room of the house she shares with Erik. What happened to Sandy - and what will happen to Erik – is the colliding of the stories of the play’s characters:

Keith Soldes (Kevin Meehan)- a sometime tele-psychic, and full time player who becomes involved with Erik.

Lena Diamo (Tanya Lazar) – corporate executive, ambitious, driven … and dealing with a roach problem in her well appointed East-side home.

Kat (Courtney Ell) – Lena’s assistant, given to seeing the Virgin Mary almost everywhere.

Teddy Burlington (Mark Knight) – a sweet, unemployed gay man who has a taste for teddy bears, musical comedy, and rent-controlled apartment in Alphabet Village.

Tequila Mockingbird (Jamal Edwards) – a six foot tall black drag queen dressed as Sharon Tate.

And Regina (Kim Fairbanks) – human interest stories reporter.

The action of the play is the weaving together of each of these characters: all are linked to one another in ways they cannot see or imagine, and one action (revealed in the second act) connects them all.

Well… to weave all this together, I handed the team at PTW a script that was as thick as a phone book, with thirty scenes. The team didn’t flinch, and the designers (Kate Coots, Steve Heitz and Veronica DeWitt) created on the Shubin stage a facile world which shifts from scenes to scene as the stories play off of one another. Debra Leigh Scott, dramaturg, and James Haskins, director, worked with me as I rifled through the scenes and reorganized, dropped three characters, restructured..and restructured…and restructured again to create the “glitter ball” world of fractured scenes which slowly fit together to spell out one story. Sarah Splaine (Stage Manager) has been incredible dealing with all the changes, rewrites, cuts , cuts and CUTS I have thrown her way as this malleable world changes and takes shape…and in the end, The PLAYSHOP process has allowed us to create a unique world filled with the wonder and joy of possibility, filled with Love—and filled with shoes. Thank you, everyone—for working on this piece—and I hope you’ll enjoy OURLADY OF BALENCIAGA.

David Stradley is Not a Back-Seat Driver on FRS's Road Trip

2010-03-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

David is a co-pilot with Kathy Anderson, playwright of "Front Row Seat." David's perspective as a director in this year's PlayShop festival is below. "Front Row Seat" is already SOLD OUT :) for the final weekend, but to get tickets to the other festival shows, click here. HURRY!!!! They are almost SOLD OUT too!!!!

(L to R) Part of Janine White (Franny), Sara Group (Perdita), Melody Wong (Stage Manager), Nick Suders (Man)

PTW Blog by David Stradley - March 16, 2010

In the world of new plays, a PlayShop presentation falls somewhere between a developmental reading and a full production.

In a typical developmental reading, a director and a cast have one day (somewhere between four to six hours) to rehearse a play before presenting a reading for an audience—most likely with the actors sitting behind music stands and reading their scripts with little, if any, movement.

In a full production, a director and a cast will rehearse six to eight hours a day, six days a week, for between three to five weeks. The actors will of course memorize their lines, and the production will have full sets, lights, and costumes.

For a PlayShop presentation, a play will rehearse about three to four hours a day, three to four times a week, for three weeks before sharing a play with an audience for the first time. Actors have scripts in hand, but productions are fully staged and have the support of sets, lights and costumes (though because of the nature of a repertory of four plays a weekend, the design elements are not as realized as they would be in a full production).

For a director, this means that PlayShop poses an interesting question: is it a reading or is it a production? In a reading, you are doing everything so that the playwright can hear what they have created. In a production, you are doing everything in your power to make sure you are presenting a worthwhile experience for the audience.

Ultimately, this process is about serving the playwright. So I have given myself this measure of success: when PlayShop ends on March 21, I want Kathy to feel that her cast and director have done everything they could do to make this experience the most valuable it can be in her development of Front Row Seat.

But I’m also keenly aware that we’ve got an audience coming to see this play once a week and they want to be entertained (which is not a problem with Kathy’s work!).

The PlayShop process also poses an interesting question for the director once the plays meet the public. Normally, once a director has shepherded the play to opening night, their work is done. In PlayShop, there is no opening night. After the first weekend’s performance, the playwright goes back and does some rewrites and the director and cast rehearse those new pages or try to work on a particular challenge that has revealed itself during the previous week’s performance.

My instinct as a director is always to keep polishing and refining a production as long as I have rehearsals. With PlayShop, the director’s urge to polish yields to the playwright’s need to experiment with the script (not that these two instincts of mutually exclusive).

Kathy has actually allowed the cast of Front Row Seat to do both. In between performance one and performance two, Kathy did a lot of work. But besides adding one whole new monologue for a character, most of her changes were within the framework of what she had already created. So, we were able to allow Kathy to explore what she needed to explore, and then gave ourselves time to polish and refine.

The main thing we worked on in between performances was to attempt bring to the surface some of the darker tones lurking underneath Kathy’s play. In performance one, some of the audience felt a little discombobulated by a shift from the great humor that exists in the first hour and fifteen minutes of the play and the quick turn to something very serious at the end. While still honoring the great comedy in the play, we wanted to give hints throughout of the more serious, painful elements going on in these characters’ lives. We hoped that this would provide a more unified experience of the play.

Performance two definitely did bring out some of those darker tones. The audience kept laughing, but not in the manner of a sitcom laugh track. The talkback revealed that the audience still felt thrown by the “jagged” nature of the quick change at the end of the play. So, Kathy is going back to script this week and seeing if that jagged nature is what she wants or if there is a different way to bring her play to conclusion. Whatever she comes up, will be ready to put it up on stage for an audience to experience anew on Sunday.

That’s the PlayShop experience! It keeps me on my toes, ready to facilitate the rehearsal process in whatever way is going to be most helpful to Kathy. Based on crowd reactions, we’ve been able to serve Kathy’s development process while at the same time providing an entertaining 90 minutes of theatre to our paying audience. It’s the best of both worlds.

Double Duty with Mark Knight

2010-03-15T03:30:00.000-07:00

Mark Knight is in a unique position for this year's PlayShop -- he's in 2 plays! His thoughts about juggling both roles are below. To get tickets to see Mark in both shows or for the other wonderful PlayShop productions, click here.

PTW Blog by Mark Knight - March 15, 2010

Alex Dremman is writing The Sleep Detective a murder mystery about sleep and all its disorders, a dysfunctional family and ALL its crazy dysfuntions. In case all that was too much Alex threw in a bit of espionage and sex.

Mike Whistler is writing 'Our Lady of Balenciaga' which has mystery running through it:

• A man talks to his silent roommate who is only known by door slam until they meet...
• A woman is blinded by an unknown woman in a bodega who sprays raid in her eyes
• A man gives psychic counseling to a myriad voices on the phone while by night he picks up and discards sweet young men like one picks up a six pack of soda

By some miracle I got picked to be in both plays. I'm also a playwright so to watch how Alex and Mike work is fascinating. Mike is writing a piece that is real: it's set in an America we recognize with real bars, bodegas and workplaces. The way the characters talk is real too - not that that's ever required in a play but it happens in this one. But the poetry and lyricism of this reality is so tender even when it's harsh. As an actor I have no problem finding my character - the writing gives me it all. And our director is professional and full of knowledge, heart and soul. I'm trying hard to think of something that hasn't worked for me while working on 'Our Lady'. Ummm.. I got a mild cold during rehearsal. Yep. That's it.

'The Sleep Detective' is a polar opposite play. Lighter, faster, funny and it plays with dark and crazy characters. Dozens of laughs in each scene, surprise after surprise piled on every moment and the ending gets laughs and then a wtf silence. Then applause. At least it did today, the 2nd weekend of the festival. And next weekend it'll be more surprises and more laughs. The surprises started in the first read through. 181 pages and no ending. Actually, half a dozen endings were in there somewhere and that was just my count. All the other actors started seeing dozens of possibilities immediately. The director just asked questions all the time. Our favorite was "OK, that scene - wtf is going on?" at which the rehearsal process took a snort-laugh-howl break for a few. When I was offered the part I was warned that the playwright was thinking about cutting my part. 3 weeks on I get several death scenes, commit an act of violence and (nearly) have sex in a therapists office. With the therapist. Surprises.

If you're a playwright get your stuff submitted. If you're an actor, get involved. If you're a patron of the arts, get some of these people to you're house for dinner and a reading maybe, or just become a PTW member. To be part of making a new play is fanbloodytastic.

On the Road Again with Janine White

2010-03-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

Our next post comes from Janine White, an actor in Kathy Anderson's "Front Row Seat." To see "Front Row Seat" or any of the other wonderful productions click here.

PTW Blog by Janine White - March 13, 2010

This weekend, PTW’s PlayShop actors are happy to be in front of audiences again. I play Franny in Kathy Anderson’s Front Row Seat. After our first show last Saturday, all of us in the cast admitted it was a bit strange to be back rehearsing in front of empty Shubin Theater seats again. PlayShopping is a lot different than a typical theatrical run. In fact, it’s a little like you’re traveling with a suitcase, but you never get to a hotel and unpack your bags. But, trust me, this is a cool journey.

The process is a little difficult to explain to outsiders, too. You have costumes? Yes. You have a set? Yes. Do you move around on stage, or are you sitting and reading? We’re moving around like a fully staged play. But we’ve got scripts in our hands, and that’swhy we are really there. Because if Kathy wants to change 10 pages of dialogue today, she can. If she wants to give us 10 new pages tomorrow, she can. Maybe some changes are from audience feedback she got during the post-show talkback last weekend. Maybe some are just from her own creative brainstorms. We’re there to serve Kathy, as our director David Stradley so perfectly put it the first time we all met.

What a great opportunity to be part of a creative process that I don't often get to see. For most plays I do, the playwright is some intangible presence. But Kathy is traveling right along with us. If we want to ask her why there’s a pause, or why certain dialogue is in ALL CAPS, she can tell us. Yes, PlayShop is all about Kathy and the other playwrights and developing new work. But the players get plenty out of this, too. For me, working on a shifting platform sharpens my focus, forces me to find balance as an actor. Even better, when Kathy shows up at rehearsal (as she did last night) with a new monologue for Franny, I get the gift of seeing yet another layer of my character. I get a new peek inside that suitcase I’m carrying.

How Was The Sex Tape After One Performance?

2010-03-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

Do we have your attention? Good :) Our latest blog come from Quinn D. Eli, playwright of "The Sex Tape Play." This weekend is the second round of performances of all the PlayShop productions. Come see "The Sex Tape Play" and all the others by getting your tickets here.

PTW blog entry – By Quinn D. Eli

Writing about sex is always tricky.

Writing about race is even trickier.

So writing a play about sex AND race is pretty much insane.

At the same time, though, it's thrilling, in the sense that sex and race are things that factor—to some greater or lesser extent—in all our lives. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that working on “The Sex Tape Play” has been a process of discovery for all of us involved.

From choosing what sort of music the characters might enjoy to debating how to expose racial and sexual stereotypes without inadvertently perpetuating them, the struggle toward acceptance and mutual understanding and respect that occurs in the play is mirrored by a similar struggle that occurs in rehearsal.

I suppose it’s a struggle that all of us must face, in every walk of life, day in and day out, or else we risk settling into the comfortable assumption that our hearts and minds are so enlightened, we have nothing left to learn from the world.

I don’t know if something as ludicrously titled as “The Sex Tape Play” can offer “enlightenment,” but if nothing else the play makes a passionate stand against complacency—against going alone to get along—and, believe me, looking for ways to convey this message to audiences is definitely the kind of thing that can keep a creative team on its toes.

For all this heavy talk, however, of enlightenment and whatnot, the play itself is a straightforward one, posing a simple question: After the breakup, who gets custody of the sex tape?

The answer is…well, tricky.

Because the sex tape in question is meant to symbolize something that all of us keep tucked away in some secret place: a memento from a past relationship, a keepsake that reminds us of a romance that blazed brightly for a while, before burning out entirely.

And there's also the question of race. Specifically: What role—if any—does race play in physical attraction? The characters in “The Sex Tape Play” represent a kind of mixed-race love triangle, and getting them to confront the influence of race on their own outlooks and choices is part of the play’s central action.

This may explain why the audiences at our first performance on March 7 seemed to find so many occasions to laugh out loud.

The combination of race and sex may be a potent one, but the two things also tend to collide like circus clowns, revealing the spastic ways in which we all negotiate our passions and fears. It’s a pretty funny thing to watch, frankly, the high-wire act of negotiating difference, and I was glad that the audience seemed to enjoy the spectacle.

If audiences are feeling entertained, amused, and maybe even a little enlightened—there’s that word again!—it’s because the play’s excellent cast has been working hard to flesh out the characters, to make them accessible and believable. As a result, the play is never just about the issues at hand; instead it's about very real people and the very real choices they're facing in their lives.

Across racial lines and through the minefield that divides women and men, these three characters must chart a course for the future by clearing away emotional debris from the past. Since this is the kind of journey that everyone eventually takes, it's been fun asking audiences to come and bear witness. They definitely come away with strong opinions—a number of people cornered me after the talkback to discuss the play—so you gotta feel you're doing your job as a playwright if the audience doesn't seem to want to leave!

So we look forward to two more performances. Writing about race and sex may be tricky, but being part of a play about these two things has been nothing less than a blast.

performances begin this weekend!

2010-03-05T06:19:00.001-08:00

The 3rd Annual PlayShop Festival performances begin this weekend! And we are part of the Philadelphia Inquirer's "DO THIS" weekend recommendations. CLICK HERE and scroll to the bottom.

introducing our playwrights

2010-03-02T06:10:00.001-08:00

We are so happy to be producing the "hot off the press" works of 5 terrific Philadelphia playwrights. They are (l-r): Alex Dremann, Michael Whistler, Aaron Jacobs, Kathy Anderson, and Quinn D. Eli. It's hard to believe we are beginning the third week of rehearsals and re-writes and re-rehearsals. The PlayShop Festival is all about "playing around" with the plays in a big sandbox. These talented writers are busy absorbing the talented input from over 50 theatre professionals to craft and re-craft these 5 plays.

Remember, YOU can be a part of the action. Simply attend one of our public rehearsal/performances of these works. They begin this weekend and continue through March 21st. Full details and a schedule are available on our website.

Get a "Front Row Seat" with Playwright Kathy Anderson

2010-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

We are in the midst of rehearsing the 5 shows for this year's PlayShop Festival and with that brings the return of PTW's blog offering behind-the-scenes insight. Up first, we have some thoughts from PTW Associate Artistic Director and playwright of "Front Row Seat," Kathy Anderson! Get your tickets for FRS and all the PlayShop shows by clicking here.

(Kathy's Daily PlayShop Diet )

Playshop from Playwright’s Perspective: Week One

FRONT ROW SEAT by Kathy Anderson

"Forgive yourself the mountain of wash, the wearing of dirty jeans. Forgive yourself the opposite of mindfulness as you walk down the street not seeing the people you pass. Forgive yourself the eating of bean burritos every meal day after day, begrudging the minute it takes to unroll them, fill them, and heat them. Let everything non-essential drop off your list. Read email but do not reply. Quick showers. Sleep as little as possible. Whatever you do, do not run out of coffee. Because it’s playshop and time’s a wasting.

The work is thrilling, the pace is killing. Five short weeks to get FRONT ROW SEAT up. But I am not alone, I have a wonderful team. David, my insightful and delightful director; Kate, indefatigable dramaturg; Melody, stage manager extraordinaire; Matt, who summons another place and time up with his set design; Steve, masterfully lighting our way; and Amanda, costuming our cast so we can see who they are at a glance. I am incredibly grateful for their talents and expertise.

We rehearse all day Saturday, getting the play on its feet for the first time. The chairs become cars. The actors become Billy, Franny, Inez, Perdita, Man. The year becomes 1963. The place becomes Texas. We try a new ending. I hear something new flapping, struggling to get off the ground and it is a beautiful sound.

The actors (Ian, Meg, Janine, Sara, and Nick) – gifted and funny and sharp as Texas tacks (okay, I made that up, there’s no such thing but I like the sound of it) – open themselves fully to the play, share with me what they love and more importantly, what is not clear to them. I listen to their questions about their characters and I answer them in new lines. I listen to them rehearse and I hear the wrong word, the unclear line, and I fix them. This is what is hard to accomplish on your own, hearing your characters only in your mind. Tell me who your character is to you and you give me everything I need. Invariably, you tell me what I do not consciously know and that is exactly what I need to know. Thank you, wonderful cast.

It is amazing to see a play jump up and go. I think of the first glimmering idea for it, when I saw in my mind’s eye a family dressed in 1960s clothes standing at a bus stop, holding suitcases. Where are they going? I thought - and that’s where this wild ride started. That picture in my mind was a gift. Walking down Market Street a few days later, I got the second gift. The opening line floated up to me and I grabbed it and wrote it down, instantly knowing it was Franny talking. The whole rest of the play – where they are going and what happens along the way, where it takes them, how they feel, how they make us feel – came from those two gifts.

On March 6, an impossibly short time away, the play meets an audience for the first time. The last piece, that crucial piece - where the space between the page and stage and audience disappears, and we are all there together, we are telling the story and you are part of the story – is the most amazing part of the process of all. I can’t wait to be there with you. Let’s get a FRONT ROW SEAT."

playshop festival rehearsals begin

2010-02-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

rehearsals begin this week for our 3rd Annual PlayShop Festival: 5 plays in process. it's a very exciting time as we develop these five world premiere plays over the next five weeks. and YOU have the chance to be a part of the process. attend any of the 12 performances, and have the chance to express your thoughts and opinions afterward to help shape these plays. tickets are on sale now on our website.

this year we have SO many talented individuals working on the festival: 27 actors, 5 directors, 5 designers, 2 dramaturges, 6 administrative personnel and, of course, our 5 amazing playwrights. over the next few weeks we'll be having many of these folks blog about the process from their perspective. we're sure you'll find these different insights fascinating and that it will encourage you to come to the theatre to check the festival out yourself!

accepting headshots/resumes

2010-01-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

we are now accepting headshots/resumes for our production of
516 (five sixteen) by Katharine Clark Gray
directed by Bill Felty

auditions: February 7 & 8
first rehearsal: April 11
opening: May 15 (walnut street theatre studio 5)
closing: June 6

breakdown:
Annalee - F - mid-late 20s. strong, sharp, intelligent, independent, handles language like a pro.
Sigurd - M - mid-late 20s. cocky, competitive, smart, wicked sense of humor, can be violent.
Martie - F - 40s-50s. icy and academic, yet underneath idealistic, maternal, sexual.

seeking primarily non-equity actors although equity actors may be cast under a special appearance contract. philadelphia actors only (no housing or transportation provided).

complete description of the play is available on our website: www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org

please mail a copy of your headshot/resume to:
Philadelphia Theatre Workshop
attn: 516 (five sixteen)
P.O. Box 17590
Philadelphia, PA 19105

if you have questions, contact bill felty at billfelty@gmail.com or 215-300-9460
please do not send your headshot/resume via email

Amy Acchione as "Nancy" with a Laughing Face :)

2009-12-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

As we enter our final weekend of Alex Dremann's "The :nv:s:ble Play," Amy Acchione reflects on what it's like to finish up a production and look to the future. Click here to see Amy and everyone else in this wonderful production -- limited seating available!

(From an early IP rehearsal. Clearly, Amy thinks playing peek-a-boo is an effective way to be invisible)

"As The :nv:s:ble Play moves at light speed (a salute to Howie’s boxers J ) into its last weekend, I am reminded of the mixed feelings that the end of a production arouses in me. A sense of wistfulness comes upon the actor as the cast prepares to go their separate ways. While most people can relate to the feeling of leaving a job, it is a bit different for an actor. At this point, I have spent eight weeks with my co-workers inThe :nv:s:ble Play. By coworkers I do not mean only my fellow actors but also the characters in cubicles. I enjoy playing Nancy because I feel (and definitely hope!) that she is someone very different than myself. But, more than just playing Nancy, I enjoy her interactions with the other characters and will miss those interactions once the play ends. The realization that the end of a play means the end of not only these interactions, but also the end of the life of these characters can be a bit depressing.

In addition, this feeling is magnified when coupled with the awareness of the transient lifestyle we actors lead. Not just the movement from city to city in a tour, but the movement from production to production. The transient life of an actor is never more evident than during the last week of the play. You find out that some actors have already found their next role and are excited about their next challenge, their next set of coworkers. Others have nothing lined up at all and feel the added pressure to book their next play. After the end of this week, these actors will have no answer to the scary question, “So what are you working on now?”

While it may seem, for the aforementioned reasons, that the closing weekend is a depressing weekend for the actors and the play, it is really the opposite. It is the awareness of the melancholy that motivates us to perfect our piece as we get to play it for a “last time”. For those actors without another project in sight, it is the last weekend to find pride in our work to last throughout what may be a drought of performing. For those jumping into another project, it is the fun weekend before the hard work begins again. For everyone, it is the need to do justice to the weeks of work that have been invested in The :nv:s:ble Play; the hope of hearing through gentle chuckles that this slice of cubicle life has been an honest portrayal and, always, the hope that our work has been worthwhile.

I hope you will be with us as we have one final weekend of “play” before whatever comes next in our lives. Congrats to the cast, crew, and production team. Cheers!"

"Invisibility is Interesting" by Jesse McIlvaine

2009-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

The latest entry in out PTW blog series is from Jesse McIlvaine. Jesse plays "Tim" in "The :n:v:s:ble Play." He offers some great insight into his process with this play below. Come see Jesse's wonderful performance along with the rest of the solid cast by getting your tickets here.

(Jesse getting ready in James' dressing room :) )

"Better late than never, right? I choked. Not going to lie. I haven’t written more than a few bits of dialogue, here and there, and maybe a love note or two on rare occasions, since college. I started to think about this blog entry and sweat. So I began. Deleted. And then I began again. And again. And finally, at 3:30am… I began again.

Obsessive Compulsive-Manic Procrastination-Profectionist-ism. That’s a grammatical nightmare, but it’s what we’re going to call it. I do apologize.

The play is fun, and I’ve had a blast working on it with everyone involved. This is a rare, and wonderful thing to have happen in a show. I like that Tim is more than puddle deep, and not a huge stretch for me character wise. It has afforded me an amount of freedom that I haven’t had in my past few shows.

Having the opportunity to be back on stage, working with a great group of people and a solid script, is an honor and a privilege. Although, in the beginning and throughout our rehearsals—I know it’s ironic—but at times I felt invisible myself. Perhaps it was just me, willing myself to it, fueling the ever-present self-doubt. I don’t know. But it was there. I guess that’s part of the game. And now here we are, with six shows remaining (possibly five by the time I finish this) and I really feel like I’m part of something great. Not invisible in the least. And it’s been a hell of a ride. I’m talking about all of it, from Punxsutawney to Philadelphia. But it feels right and that’s what counts.

David Mamet once said, speaking in terms of the theatre, that:

“…if you intend to manipulate, to show, to impress, you may experience mild suffering and pleasant triumphs. If you intend to follow the truth you feel in yourself—to follow your common sense, and force your will to serve you in the quest for discipline and simplicity—you will subject yourself to profound despair, loneliness, and constant self-doubt. And if you persevere, the Theatre, which you are learning to serve, will grace you, now and then, with the greatest exhilaration it is possible to know.”

For me, it begins as I leave the dressing room and walk into the wings… Nerves, anxiety, and excitement—being alive—that’s what someone once called it when I was a little younger and a lot more naïve. I listen to the curtain speech, try to get out of my head and into the present, and suddenly something from my past will flash behind my eyes. Years ago, in my own cubicle, in Brookville, Pennsylvania; or on a strip of beach, somewhere in the Keys, turquoise waves crashing on white sand and shells; the sound my grandmothers bracelets made in church twenty years ago; welding fumes sneaking under my mask stinging the back of my throat, and then…

(Blackout)

…I remember that I’m right where I need to be, visible, alive, and happy to be a part of The :nv:s:ble Play.

Cheers. See you at the show."

Behind the Scenes With Melody Wong

2009-11-28T06:10:00.000-08:00

We've had a wonderful run of "The :nv:s:ble Play" so far! The crowds have been great and things always run smoothly. A key piece of the puzzle behind the scenes is our stupendous stage manager, Melody Wong, a PTW veteran. She joins us as our latest guest blogger. And don't forget to click here to get your tickets to the show!

(Always on the run, this was one of the few pics would could get of our busy Melody)

":nv:s:ble play.

Normally you would not see me --would not remember me during the performance. I am invisible, or at least wearing black and as invisible as can be. I’m the Stage Manager, which is a very fun job, I see how the performance grows, and how the actors get comfortable with their characters and watch how they discover nuances the propel the play forward.

The past week was tech week and opening weekend. That was a busy week for me, and very busy for all the designers as well, time to showcase your final product. Also it was a time I had to move up to the booth. For those that do not understand, the booth at the 5 is a small space with a small window where you can see the a good part of the stage, in order for you to call cues for the show, being able to see the stage is important. The most fun part about the booth at the 5 is that there is a constant draft (which is an understatement) more like a continual gust of wind that hits you through that very window that you are to see the show from. You can’t really hear, nor see the extreme corners of the stage, and you have to squint your eyes. We have found imperfect remedies to that, this plexi class from shows before is a great help.

That is a rough idea of what life in the booth is like.

This has been a fun time, the script is ingenious, and we have a great cast and wonderful design team. And a great sound op that is on board with us. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should come watch. For everyone who has felt that they lived in the background, or feels that they were fading away, who’s every fell in love, or who’s ever questioned the existence of love, this play is one you could relate to!

I’ll see you all in the audience then, as you will not really see me! ~ Melody"

Great Buzz about "The :nv:s:ble Play"!!!!

2009-11-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

(The cast, crew, playwright and cake at "The :n:v:s:ble Play" Opening Night Party!)

The Philadelphia Inquirer says the "The :nv:s:ble Play" is 'The Office revisited - snarky, sexy, sneaky, with a Sartrean spin.' It also adds that playwright Alex "Dremann is clearly a talent to watch." Come see what all the fuss is about! Get your tickets ASAP by clicking here.

"The :nv:s:ble Play" OPENING NIGHT!!!!!

2009-11-19T04:46:00.000-08:00

We are sooooooo excited to open to a sold out crowd tonight!!!!!!! Click here to get tickets to the rest of the run. Hurry! Other shows are already sold out OR very close to a sell out. Also, click here to check out a podcast interview with our lovely cast and playwright courtesy of Rep Radio :)

All Set with Stephen Hungerford

2009-11-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

Today is load-in day for the cast and crew of "The :nv:s:ble Play." We are done in our rehearsal space and will officially be moving into the performance space at Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5. Everyone is SO EXCITED to get their first look at the IP set. To help get you ready, our next guest blogger is our very own set designer, Stephen Hungerford. Enjoy! Remember to click here to buy tickets to see Stephen's wonderful set in person.

"Set design is a lot like an old actor’s exercise that involves telling a story without using any comprehensible language. Imagine standing before a group of people and trying to tell them the ins and outs of the plot from the last movie you saw. Now imagine doing the same thing, but the audience only speaks Swahili, or Japanese—whatever they speak, you don’t. My job is to help the actors tell the story of the Invisible Play without ever actually getting to say a word to anyone in the audience. Fun right?

So, we start with a few simple questions: where does this play happen? And how can I get that across to the audience without standing up in front of them and telling them? What do they expect to see, and how can we use those expectations to make a realistic place for the action to happen? And how can we play on those expectations to make the place even more interesting?

Walk into any professional office in the city and there is at least one thing that you’ll almost always see. Cubicles--miles and miles of them. We live in a world where it’s become easy to get a small degree of sympathy and acknowledgement out of admitting to others that we are “cubicle dwellers.” The American collective unconscious seems to have developed this idea that every large office space is filled with row after row of cookie-cutter cubicles, each filled with the same blank-faced, dead eyed employees mindlessly churning out faxes, phone calls, printouts and photocopies. This always strikes me as funny, because when you actually look at these cubicles you’ll often find a lot going on. Nobody wants to spend 8 hours a day staring at the walls of a boring gray box. So, we bring in posters and pictures from home, or the toys from our kids Happy Meals, or our collection of spoons from all 50 states—whatever. Go into any of these spaces when the owner isn’t there and you’d be amazed about the things you can figure out. The businessman with the power suit and starched collar has photos of his hot air balloon, or the sloppy IT guy that everyone assumes is a comic book geek has copies of Proust on his shelf. Even a lack of personal belongings can tell us something—the 7-year company veteran with no decoration on his cubicle walls is probably not looking to make a home away from home in his office space. Maybe he’s looking for a new job? Or hates this one so much he punches out at 5 and forgets the place entirely until he punches back in again at 9.

In preparing for The :nv:s:ble Play I have toured more cubicle spaces then I can count, sometimes with an invitation, sometimes not. I hope that research will show up in some of the things that my set will help to tell you about the fantastic characters that make up Farmann and Farmann Publishing. But most of all I hope that the set helps to transport you to the place where this fantastic story is happening. Enjoy the show!"

Musings from our lovely "Fran" - aka Victoria Frings

2009-11-10T08:05:00.001-08:00

(Victoria Frings as "Fran" meets "Colin" (James Stover) while our Sound Designer Daniel Perelstein tries to be invisible in the background)

"It is a truly scary thing to take a step back in the middle of a rehearsal process and ask oneself, “am I where I really need to be right now? Am I making adequate progress?” So thank you, dear readers, for enabling, or rather, forcing me to take such an important and necessary, albeit terrifying step. My name is Victoria Frings and I play Fran in PTW’s current production of :nv:s:ble Play. We have been in rehearsal now for a few weeks and are fast approaching tech and, soon thereafter, opening. As we begin to do full runs of the play and continue to delve into more nitty-gritty detailed scene work, it is amazing to see a full story really taking shape. I don’t know if my fellow cast members are asking the same self-evaluating questions, but whether they are or not, I can safely say that they are doing some amazing work and making some incredible strides. I am honored to be working with them and inspired by watching their achievements as they reveal themselves in the rehearsal room. As people abandon their scripts, start meeting outside of rehearsal to solidify and strengthen character relationships, and take more and more exciting risks, the world of the play is coming to life in a wonderfully organic and energetic way.

It is at this time that I have now reached a place in my own rehearsal process that has become very familiar to me. A place I always manage to arrive at just before a sort of theoretical “final push”. I feel now that with every line fumbled and with every false or self-indulgent moment, I am letting my cast mates down. It is this critical moment of self-doubt and reproach that generally comes before my most passionate creative work. I’d venture to say it is a sort of catalyst. It is at this point that I ask myself, am I where I need to be? And my answer, spoken very honestly from my own worst critic, is, of course, no! However, it is precisely this feeling of inadequacy that spurs me on and keeps me working, even after the curtain falls for the last time on this production.

This is definitely a fun show. Fun script, great comedic actors, and a plethora of rehearsal born and rehearsal bound jokes. I think that this fun will undoubtedly translate well to the audience. The insecurities we feel as actors along the way help us to find a product worth sharing with our peers. Hope you have enjoyed my rather tangential musings, and I hope you will come and support our work and share in our discoveries!"

Come see the amazing Victoria Frings and the rest of the cast by getting your tickets here.

Guest Blogger James Stover!!!!

2009-11-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

The next entry into PTW's ongoing blog is from one of the stars of "The :nv:s:ble Play", James Stover. Come see James and the rest of the wonderful cast by getting your tickets here.

(James Stover as "Colin" in Alex Dremann's "The :nv:s:ble Play")

"Hello PTW followers. My name is James Stover and I'm playing Colin in The :nv:s:ble Play. I'm brand new to Philadelphia (that's right-fresh off the bus) and feel like I'm starting out life as an actor here with a bang-taking on this incredibly challenging role. I feel very fortunate be part of an exceptional ensemble of not only wonderful actors, but also really swell people.

The Invisible Play is a lot like Philadelphia from my perspective. There is a lot going on and I'm still in the process of garnering information. As a character actor, I'm not used to playing roles that have so many similarities to myself. Colin's named is often mispronounced and I've had several occasions lately where I've introduced myself...James Stover, and then been referred to as James Silver?? which is very frustrating. There's also the element to Colin's desire to no longer be "invisible". When you live in New York City,it's easy to think of yourself as not visible in a sea of so many people and so much movement. By leaving there, you seek a foundation in yourself that is somehow more defined, which I think is ultimately what Colin is after.

So, I guess what I'm saying is... come see the play. It's my first show in Philly and I'm jazzed to be here."

A Blog Post from Alex Dremann!!!

2009-10-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

(From l. to r. Bill Felty (director), Melody Wong (stage manager), Alex Dremann (playwright), Aime' Kelly (Carmen)

To help fans of PTW feel included in the process, we've decided to have guest bloggers during our productions to talk about their thoughts along the way. Keep checking in to hear from all aspects of the show -- both on stage and behind the scenes. First up, we have our wonderful playwright Alex Dremann. Enjoy!

"Woo hoo! First guest blogger. I’m Alex, the playwright of “The :nv:s:ble Play”. I promise those colons actually mean something in the play and aren’t just pseudo-“W;t”ty. I went to the first two rehearsals Sunday night and Monday night and I’m thrilled with what I’ve seen so far. I knew the cast was strong at auditions, but you never quite know what the dynamic as a whole is going to be until the first read-through. The actors clicked effortlessly into their roles and played off each other like they’ve know each other forever, so I couldn’t be happier. Day two we straightened up some time-line issues in the script and I listened as the actors went around the room and discussed/dissected their characters. This was freakishly fun for a playwright and went way deeper than any feedback session after a play reading. It was fascinating to watch these talented actors take the characters from the page (and sort-of my brain) and start to make them their own. Add to that Deborah’s 15 pages of detailed dramaturgical notes on the play and I consider myself one lucky playwright. I’m definitely going to hang out at more rehearsals, but now it’s time to let go and let Bill and the actors do their thing. I can’t wait till opening night."

"The :nv:s:ble Play" in the Press!

2009-10-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

PTW's first production of the season, "The :n:s:ble Play" by Alex Dremann, got some nice exposure this week. Check our our articles in Broadwayworld.com and Playbill.com. After you read the articles, make sure you have your season tickets by clicking here!

Did You Know??

2009-10-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

That PTW has a wonderful partnership with Philadelphia Young Playwrights??? Each year, up to 1,000 students from around the region are invited to submit their plays to the Philadelphia Young Playwrights' Annual Playwriting Festival. Members of Young Playwrights' Literary Committee read each script and provide students with individualized written feedback. First, second and third place distinctions are awarded at the elementary, middle and high school levels. In addition, about 40 submissions receive honorable mention. From the group of honorable mentions, PTW chooses one play that fits with the company’s vision. Our Associate Artistic Director and local playwright, Kathy Anderson, works with the chosen playwright on their script. In addition, PTW will hold auditions, rehearsals, and produce a staged reading of the play the week prior to our Annual Playshop Festival.

Previous PTW/PYP productions:

“Isabella and the Magic Stove” by Harry Slack
“The Queen of Processed Meat” by David Rosenberg
“Barstool” by Galen Dorpalen-Barry

Have You Subscribed Yet?

2009-09-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

PTW's 2009-2010 Season is right around the corner! Have you purchased your season tickets yet? For just $50 you get to see 6 world premieres (2 mainstage productions and 4 playshop festival productions) from Philadelphia-based playwrights! That's just over $8 a show! It's cheaper than going to the movies :) Click here for subscriptions -- and don't forget to get another one for a friend.

The 2009-2010 Season Includes:

THE :NV:S:BLE PLAY
by Alex Dremann
World Premiere! - November 21 - December 13, 2009

Welcome to the Existential Publishing Company. Some people are being laid off--given a box to pack up their things and get out. Others are simply vanishing--literally. Colin can't decide which is worse. He's fighting to stay visible to win the heart of lovely Fran in the next cubicle. Tim, a handsome assistant editor, is busy sucking up as a means of survival. Nancy, the boss, is oblivious to everything. The rest of the office includes Ramona, the mysterious plant waterer; Carmen, a sassy and sexy and very pregnant assistant editor; Cass, who's "too old to deal with this sh*t"; and Lawrence, the I.T. guy whom no one's really ever seen. Who can avoid the "HR box of death?" or worse yet, complete invisibility?

THIRD ANNUAL PLAYSHOP FESTIVAL
Four Plays in Process
March 6 - 21, 2010

Four new high quality scripts that reflect diverse, contemporary human stories will run in repertory as part of this new play festival. They present characters, situations, and perspectives not usually seen on other area stages. During this unique and intensive program, playwrights, directors, designers, dramaturges, and actors work collaboratively to develop these plays utilizing feedback from the artists in rehearsals and performances before live audiences. The playwrights will be writing and re-writing the scripts during the entire process, so the plays will reshape themselves over the course of the festival.

516 (five sixteen)
by Katharine Clark Gray
World Premiere! - May 15 - June 6, 2010

Don't call her a ghostwriter; Annalee is a professional term paper auteur. Then she meets Sigurd, a cocky grad student who hires her to pen his "chore" assignments while he works on a mysterious thesis. When the two become lovers, they find themselves embroiled in a blood-sport romance that leads to betrayal. When a stricken Annalee exposes their arrangement, they must both confront Sigurd's professor Martie Hodge. They strike a deal saving their skins, but Martie is exacting in her price. Driven by pride, desire, and intellectual longing, "516 (five sixteen) is a revenge romance for brainiacs, a mash note to the mind.

Production Team and Actors set for The :nv:s:ble Play!

2009-09-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

PTW is excited that ball is already rolling on our first production of the year, "The :nv:s:ble Play" by Alex Dremann. The show will be directed by PTW's Artistic Director, Bill Felty, who received recent kudos for his work at this year's Edinburgh Festival.

The Cast: Amy Acchione, Howie Brown, Victoria Frings, Aime' Kelly, Jesse McIlvaine, Nancy Segal, Megan Slater, and James Stover

The Crew: Stephen Hungerford (Set Design), Shelley Hicklin (Lighting Design), Vandy Scoates (Costume Design), Daniel Perelstein (Sound Design/Original Music), Melody Wong (Stage Manager), and Debra Leigh Scott (Dramaturg)

The show runs November 21 - December 13, 2009 at the Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5. Get your tickets here.

Auditions for the :nv:s:ble Play a smashing success!

2009-08-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Auditions were held this past Sunday for our upcoming production of Alex Dremann's The :nv:is:ible Play. Alex and Bill, along with several others, watched dozens of hopeful actors perform comedic monologues from a variety of plays, each one attempting to impress with their timing and presence. The time flew by as Alex and Bill examined each one, hoping to find the perfect fit for Alex's colorful and varied set of characters. Callbacks were held on Monday, and now the fun part can begin! Stay tuned for more updates as Philadelphia Theatre Workshop makes The :nv:s:ble play visible.

Announcing our 2010 Playshop Festival Plays!

2009-07-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, our 2010 PlayShop Festival Plays and Playwrights have been chosen! Out of over 50 fantastic works we have chosen the following pieces to workshop and present at our annual PlayShop festival March 6-21, 2010:

Our Lady of Balenciaga by Michael Whistler

The Sex Tape Play by Quinn D. Eli

The Sleep Detective by Alex Dremann

and a special commission: Front Row Seat by PTW’s Associate Artistic Director Kathy Anderson

Over a five week period we will intensively develop these plays and get them ready for their world premiere productions. We are so excited to work with each of these talented playwrights this coming year.

We also have five finalists whose work received special consideration and deserve special mention::

The Baby Game by Michele Aldin

Incident by Shelli Pentimall

Stuck in Memphis by Jan Jalenak

The Guards by Josh McInvain

What Can’t be Seen by R.N. Sandberg

Thank you so much to all of the playwrights who submitted their work, and please stay tuned for further updates from the Philadelphia Theatre Workshop! Check out our website, www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org.

Welcome to our new blog!

2009-06-30T13:29:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Philadelphia Theatre Workshop's new blog, featuring all of the updates on our 2009-2010 season! Subscriptions are currently on sale for the 09-10 season, which features two brand new plays by Philadelphia playwrights and our Third Annual Playshop Festival, a workshop of four new plays in progress. Subscriptions are available at www.philadelphiatheatreworkshop.org, and please stay tuned for further updates on our season, our productions and other events!