1812 Productions' Annual Political Comedy THIS IS THE WEEK THAT IS, 11/28-12/31

1812 Productions is thrilled to present the ninth annual production of its smash political comedy This Is The Week That Is. This Is The Week That Is is a trademark 1812 production, presenting all the news that's fit to skewer. A stylistic marriage between The Carol Burnett Show and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, This Is The Week That Is continues to keep Philadelphians up to speed on all things political by revealing the truth behind the headlines.

Hot on the heels of the 2014 mid-term elections, This Is The Week That Is takes on the great algorithm of upmarketing the outrageous and hashtagging the sensational. We look at a time where the commodification of information makes for clickable headlines and more palatable anger. We ask, "What would Mad Men do with #ebola #dronestrikes #ferguson #kimandkanye?" We look at the lessons of the past year, when every Thursday became Throwback Thursday for women's issues; and we hear some musical opinions from The Supremes, Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, Sonya Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan on this very topic.

We visit the Corporation family reunion for some quality time with Walmart, Hooters, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and many of their siblings to learn more about their struggle for basic human rights. And, because popular culture abhors a vacuum, This Is The Week That Is explores our love for Orange is the New Black, Gingerbread is the new Pumpkin Spice, ISIS is the new Al Qaeda, and Barack Obama is the new George Bush. We also turn to our celebrated South Philadelphia correspondent, Patsy, for a hysterical dose of common sense.

Don Montrey returns for his seventh year as head news writer and reclaims his seat at the anchor desk as chief news correspondent. Tabitha Allen rejoins the cast as music director, as well as a writer and ensemble performer. Philadelphia favorites Scott Greer, Dave Jadico, Susan Riley Stevens, and Aimé Donna Kelly complete the ensemble which will be tracking the news and keeping up with the latest in local and international events for a production that changes with the news of the day.

This Is The Week That Is creator and director, Jennifer Childs, says, "Every year as we build This Is The Week That Is, I've found that news exhaustion ultimately gives way to exhilaration as we take something awful and attempt to make it into something joyful. It has always been the case that the final element to make this alchemy work comes when we start performances and the audience arrives. Being in a room with 100, 200, 300 strangers and laughing together about a shared experience, makes all of this terrifying news feel less terrifying, if even for a moment. And moments like that remind me that reconciliation is possible. It may not be the way the world is now, it may not be the status quo-but it is possible. The world needs more comedy."

This Is The Week That Is will run from November 28th through December 31st at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Street. Opening Night will be Wednesday, December 3rd at 7pm. Tickets range from $26-$40 and can be purchased at 215-592-9560 or at www.1812productions.org.

This Is The Week That Is is part of The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Series. This Is The Week That Is is supported in part by Independence Foundation. We welcome our production sponsor Graboyes Commercial Window Company. This Is The Week That Is Student Ticketing Program is supported in part by the Christian R. & Mary F. Lindback Foundation.

Company History
1812 Productions was founded in 1997 and is the only professional theater company in the country dedicated to comedy. Their education program, 1812 Outreach, has received multiple nominations and been awarded the Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service. 1812 Productions is the recipient of an honorary citation from the City of Philadelphia for outstanding work and commitment to the Philadelphia arts community. In 2010, they were honored as one of only 10 theaters in the country to receive a National Theatre Company grant from the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. 1812 Productions, while continually on the search for a permanent home, continues to perform at various locations in Philadelphia.

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