Philadelphia Theatre Company Announces 35th Anniversary Season

Philadelphia Theatre Company kicks off its 35th Anniversary Season with something new and festive as the organization celebrates its roots with the entire month of October dedicated to new plays to begin its 2010-2011 season. The season also includes the multiple Tony Award winner The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with music and lyrics by William Finn, the Philadelphia premiere of Anna Deavere Smith in her one-woman, award-winning show Let Me Down Easy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Ruined by Lynn Nottage, and a fourth play to be announced.

"We are all very excited about this milestone season in which we celebrate our continuing relationship with great writers and composers such as Lynn Nottage and William Finn as well as our ongoing commitment to developing new work which has been an essential part of PTC since its founding. We are also thrilled to be presenting Anna Deavere Smith in her much awaited Philadelphia premiere with our run of Let Me Down Easy," said PTC's Producing Artistic Director Sara Garonzik.

"We are coming off an exciting season with two world premieres and record audiences. In these uncertain economic times we are especially pleased that we continue to attract new audiences who share the joy of experiencing new work," said Diane Claussen, PTC's Managing Director.
Before the 2010/2011 season begins, the summer sizzles with the side-splitting comedy revue celebration of The Second City's 50th Anniversary Tour on July 13-25. Dipping into the past as a bridge to the present, the show features sketch comedy written by such famous Second City alumni as Alan Arkin, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey, as well as new work that is inextricably of its time, speaking to our economic woes, our political hopes and what it means to be living in such extraordinary times. This marks The Second City's return to PTC after last summer's hit The City of Nutterly Love.

The fall schedule kicks off in October with a month-long celebration of Philadelphia Theatre Company's long-held commitment to new plays. PTC will hold new play readings and public conversations with exciting, contemporary writers, continuing its long-held commitment to nurturing America's finest playwrights and composers. This past season, PTC staged Golden Age, a new play by Terrence McNally which later played at The Kennedy Center, and Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins by sister journalists Allison and Margaret Engel starring Kathleen Turner. The centerpiece of this month-long celebration will be a special presentation to be announced.
The holiday season will be filled with the sound of music (and spelling) as PTC produces the hit Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin on November 12 - December 12. A hilarious tale of six ‘tweens' in the throes of puberty vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime, this two-time Tony Award-winning musical celebrates the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky, charming cast of outsiders who learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't make you a loser. Spelling Bee will be directed by Marc Bruni, who recently directed the critically acclaimed productions of Fanny at City Center's Encores! and Ordinary Days at Roundabout Theatre Company. PTC produced Finn's Elegies in 2005. Spelling Bee is a co-production with New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse.

From January 21 - February 13, PTC will produce a work of depth and quality that will be announced later this fall to round out the four-play season.With spring comes Let Me Down Easy, conceived, written and performed by the brilliant Anna Deavere Smith, a virtuosic and moving exploration into the power of the human body, the price of heath and the resilience of the spirit. Smith takes an honest look at some difficult topics including the steroid scandal, cancer therapies, the tragedy of Katrina and the ailing American health-care system with her trademark journalistic precision and poignancy. Let Me Down Easy, which was a smash Off-Broadway hit garnering numerous awards and nominations, runs March 18 - April 10. Leonard Foglia, who directed PTC's world premiere productions of Unusual Acts of Devotion and Master Class, will continue to helm this production which he directed at Off-Broadway's Second Stage.

The season concludes on May 20 - June 12 with the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Ruined by Lynn Nottage, author of PTC's Barrymore nominated 2006 production Intimate Apparel. Ruined is a probing and courageous work celebrating human strength and dignity in war-torn Congo. Inspired by interviews conducted in Africa, Ruined was the most honored play in the 2009 theatre season, winning over a dozen awards and great critical acclaim. Ruined will be directed by Maria Mileaf who won a Barrymore Award for Best Production of a Play for PTC's The Story. PTC continues to augment the theater experience with a series of audience engagement events under the umbrella of PEP (Patron Enrichment Programming). These are add-on events during the run of each show including: Meet the Artists, an in-depth, behind-the-scenes discussion following each play; NightOUT, a LGBTQ-friendly pre-show reception; the Thursday Night Book Club where patrons discuss a book written by or about the playwright or theme of each production; and Box Lunch Specials before a Wednesday matinee performance.

Subscriptions for the 2010-2011 Season are currently available starting at only $108 for a four-play series by calling PTC at 215-985-0420 or visiting online at PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. For patrons looking for maximum flexibility, Flex vouchers are also available to use any way the patron wishes throughout the season. PTC is also offering a 3-play, 35th Anniversary Celebration introductory package for new subscribers only that includes a ticket each for Spelling Bee, Let Me Down Easy, and Ruined for only $35 per ticket ($105 total). PTC is introducing the 2010 PASS which allows patrons to attend any production in calendar year 2010 including the first production of the 2010/2011 Season and the New Play Month activities and Special Event, as often as they like for only $149 per PASS. Included in the 2010 PASS are Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Second City's 50th Anniversary Tour, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and a special October New Play Month presentation. Additionally, patrons may purchase an end-of-season 2009-2010 subscription including two tickets to both Ma Rainey and The Second City for only $132. Founded in 1974, Philadelphia Theatre Company is a leading regional theater company whose mission today is to produce, develop and present entertaining and imaginative contemporary theater focused on the American experience that both ignites the intellect and touches the soul. By developing new work through commissions, readings and workshops-alone or in collaboration with others-PTC generates projects that have a national impact and reach broad regional audiences. Sara Garonzik has been PTC's Producing Artistic Director since 1982, and Diane Claussen became its Managing Director in 2007. Under their leadership, PTC supports the work of a growing body of diverse dramatists and takes pride in being a home to scores of nationally recognized artists who have participated in more than 130 world and Philadelphia premieres. In October 2007, PTC moved into a home of its own, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre On Center City Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts, solidifying the Company's status as a major player on the American theater scene.

The Second City performances: Tuesday-Friday evenings at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 2:00 and 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 and 7:00 PM.

Mainstage subscription series: Evening performances are Tuesdays at 6:30 PM, Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, and Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 PM. Matinee performances are Saturdays at 2:00 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM. Open captioned and audio described performances will be offered during each production.

Call 215-985-0420 for exact schedule and prices or visit PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org.

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