Theatre Philadelphia Announces Debut of Philly Theatre Week with 80 Events and 268 Performances

Theatre Philadelphia proudly announces the debut of Philly Theatre Week with 70 organizations, 80 events and 268 performances between February 8 to 18, 2018. This new 10-day celebration will showcase the vibrant and diverse theatre scene in the tri-state region, and help make theatre even more accessible to the community. Participating organizations range from professional regional theatres, to local community theaters, to self-Producing Artists, and everything in between. Events will include full performances, workshops, panels and more in Philadelphia and suburbs, plus in New Jersey and Delaware. All tickets for participating shows are free, $15 or $30. Philly Theatre Week tickets are officially on sale now at www.phillytheatreweek.org and through the TodayTix app. Tickets are also now on sale for the kick-off event on February 8, 2018 at Yard's Brewing from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

"Philly Theatre Week is a 10-day celebration of the artists, organizations, and audiences that have made Greater Philadelphia one of the most vibrant theatre regions in the nation," said Theatre Philadelphia Executive Director Leigh Goldenberg. "Philly Theatre Week was designed to introduce new audiences to our region's theatre scene, while encouraging existing theatre-goers to step out of their comfort zone and try something new."

Philly Theatre Week will make its debut between February 8 to 18, 2018, with 70+ organizations, 80 events and 268 individual performances. Visitors and residents will find something for everyone with a diverse collection of world premieres, cherished classics, lavish productions, low-budget readings, experimental workshops, award-winning actors, in-depth discussions, local voices, and more.

Participating organizations include a range of professional theatres, community theatres, academic institutions, self-Producing Artists and small-budget companies. Activities will take place everywhere from Center City to the suburbs, Bucks County to Wilmington, and South Jersey to the Main Line.

While the website for Philly Theatre Week has a full rundown of organizations, events and performances, below find a teaser for year one:

** For the premieres: EgoPo's World Premiere of "Lydie Breeze Trilogy: Cold Harbor", Inis Nua Theatre Company's American premiere of Love, Lies and Taxidermy", Delaware Theatre Company's regional premiere of "Heisenberg", Opera Philadelphia's Philadelphia premiere and new production of "Written on Skin", InterAct Theatre Company's "Sensitive Guys"

** For the love of the classics: Arden Theatre Company's "A Doll's House", Curio Theatre Company's "Marie Antoinette", Quintessence Theatre Group's "Waiting for Godot"

** For regional stages: Bristol Riverside Theatre's "Time Stands Still", Delaware Theatre Company's "Heisenberg," South Camden Theatre Company's "The Savannah Sipping Society", The Wilmington Drama League's "Choir Boy", Bucks County Playhouse's "An Evening with Groucho", Theatre Horizon's "The Revolutionists"

** For our area's Universities: Temple Theatres' Side Stage "The Arsonists," Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Temple's "Working", University of the Arts "Equinox New Play Festival", "The Maids," and "Ice Cream," and Villanova's "Mr. Burns, a post-electric play."

** For soaring physical theatre: Almanac's "The Fleecing" and Nick Jonczak's "Dopplebanger"

** For food and drink lovers: Philadelphia Theatre Company's "Musical Thrones: A Parody of Fire and Ice" with accompanying Game of Thrones inspired Rittenhouse bar crawl, New City Stage Company's "The Ideal Candidate: A New Political Play, A Reading and A Feeding" with four course BYOB meal, Tiny Dynamite's "A Play, a Pie and a Pint's One Night Stands: Three Comedies about Love & Relationships", Juniper Productions' "Appetizers, Tastings, and Cocktail Plays", PDC Playwrights' Happy Hour", Chris Davis' "Drunk Lion" at Tattooed Moms

** For your funny bone: Tongue & Groove Spontaneous Theater's "Secrets of the Heart: Lusted, Trusted or Busted," ComedySportz's "Murder Manor: An Improvised Game of Clue", 1812 Productions' "A Few of Our Favorite Things"

** For big idea collaborations: Bright Invention: The White Pines Ensemble, Tongue & Groove Spontaneous Theater Company, Philadelphia Theater Company's "Improv is the Future of Theater: A Panel Discussion", Theatre in the X and Iron Age Theatre's "The Black Panter Project", Wilma Theater and The Free Library's "Passing Strange in Another Brooklyn & Discussion"

** For the musically inclined: Philadelphia Theatre Company's "Summer Club: A Big Band Valentine's Day", Wilma Theater's "Passing Strange", Cabaret Divas' "Bawdy & Soul", The Road Company Theater Group's "Chicago", Kimmel Center's "From Classical to Jazz with Branford Marsalis," 11th Hour Theatre Company's "Jawbone Junction", RawLife Productions' "Henry Box Brown: A Hip Hop Musical"

** For Black History Month-themed events: RawLife Productions' "Henry Box Brown," August Wilson Consortium's "Black Theatre the Making of a Movement", Theatre in the X and Iron Age Theatre's "The Black Panter Project", The Give Me Your Hand Puppeteers' "I am a Drum Major", The Wilma Theatre's "Passing Strange", Kaleidoscope Cultural Arts Collective's "Stoop Daze"

** For the lovers and Valentine's Day events: Philadelhia Theatre Company's "The Summer Club, A Big Band Valentine's Day", Inis Nua Theatre Company's "Love Lies and Taxidermy", Shakespeare in Love's "Open Mic Poetry Night at the Free Library with Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre", The Word Plays' "A Love Story in Verse and Prose", Tiny Dynamite's "One-Night Stands, Three Comedies about Love and Relationships - A Play, A Pie, A Pint Series"

"We are thrilled about the extraordinary range of offerings in our first year," added Goldenberg. "The diversity of organizations, artists and performances is a great representation of the region's larger theatre scene that helps make Philly a world-class city."

Participation in Philly Theatre Week was free for the above and other participating organizations, artists and businesses. Enrollment was open to independent artists, organizations, theatres or establishments within a 35-mile radius of Philadelphia's City Hall. Extensive outreach efforts included theatres, galleries, schools, artists, screening rooms, and all theatre-supporting restaurants and businesses.

Philly Theatre Week was the brainchild of Goldenberg and her team at Theatre Philadelphia. The idea dates back to nearly a year ago when Goldenberg was in search of a new flagship program that would focus on inclusivity and reducing barriers to participation.

"Theatre Philadelphia wanted to create a new signature program that would draw even more attention to the region's theatre organizations and artists," added Goldenberg. "We wanted to make a big and impactful statement about the importance of theatre in our city and region. Like Philly Beer Week, Center City Restaurant Week or Philly Tech Week, we wanted to have a festival that celebrated theatre alongside our city's other flagship events that are nationally known and recognized. "

During the development process, Goldenberg researched models in other cities, including Chicago and Washington DC. She said, "Both cities saw growth in new audiences, returning audiences, and an overall growth in theatre awareness. The main difference between Theatre Week in other cities and in Philly, is that I wanted our Theatre Week to reflect our city. Like Beer Week, Tech Week or other city-wide events, I want our residents and visitors to have an access point to theatre however they would like. Some people may not have the interest or inclination to see a full production."

Residents and visitors interested in learning more about Theatre Philadelphia and Philly Theatre Week are invited to a special kick-off party on February 8, 2018 at Yard's Brewing Company (500 Spring Garden Street). From 5:00pm to 7:00pm, guests will meet, mingle and mix with organizers, sponsors, artists and presenting organizations. Tickets are $15.00 and include two drinks per person.

Philly Theatre Week is presented by Theatre Philadelphia with support from partners and sponsors, including TodayTix, Time Out Philadelphia, WXPN, Yards Brewing, Wyncote Foundation, Philadelphia Cultural Fund and Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.

Theatre Philadelphia has partnered with the international ticketing platform TodayTix for 2018 Philly Theatre Week to offer reduced-price tickets exclusively through the app. For select performances with participating theaters, $15 and $35 tickets will be available for purchase. Download the TodayTix app or visit the website for more information.

For additional information, please visit www.phillytheatreweek.org or call 267-761-9950.

Connect with Theatre Philadelphia on social media at Facebook.com/PhiladelphiaTheatre, Twitter.com/TheatrePhilly and Instagram.com/theatrephiladelphia.

ABOUT THEATRE PHILADELPHIA

Theatre Philadelphia is dedicated to bringing together and celebrating Philadelphia's diverse and growing theatre community. Founded in 2012, the organization is committed to leading efforts that grow audiences and promote the public's participation in the community's work. Theatre Philadelphia envisions a region that celebrates this growing and ever-changing theatre community - nurturing local theatre artists, fostering the creation of extraordinary work, forging stronger connections between art and audiences - recognizing that a diverse, robust, and thriving theatre community can play a pivotal role in making Philadelphia a world-class city. Current programs include the Theatre Philadelphia website (www.theatrephiladelphia.org), The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, Philly Theatre Week, and strategies and events empowering artists and organizations to increase audience participation. .

TodayTix is an international ticketing platform on a mission to redefine the way people see theater. Through effortless access to the best shows, insightful guidance to the world of theater, and thoughtful service at each moment along the way, TodayTix enables people to discover the best that their city has to offer. As the first and only free mobile app for iOS and Android connecting the next generation of culture lovers to theater, TodayTix is disrupting an established industry that is ripe for innovation.

Operating in the world's most iconic theater markets, TodayTix secures the best discounted and full price tickets available for the hottest shows in New York City, London's West End, Toronto, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Boston, Washington DC, and Chicago.

Since launching TodayTix in New York City in December 2013 by life-long friends and Broadway producers Merritt Baer and Brian Fenty, the company has welcomed nearly 4 million users, sold over 2 million tickets, and assembled one of the largest networks of performing arts organizations in the world, working with more than 725 theater institutions globally. These include but are not limited to: The Public Theater, MSG Entertainment, Roundabout Theatre Company, Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, The Metropolitan Opera, BAM, English National Opera, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, Really Useful Theatres, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Young Vic, National Ballet of Canada, Canadian Opera Company, Goodman Theatre, Lyric Opera, The Second City, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Signature Theatre, Center Theatre Group, LA Opera, the LA Philharmonic, SHN, Curran, American Conservatory Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Kimmel Center, and American Repertory Theater.

To learn more, please visit www.todaytix.com or download TodayTix for iOS or Android.

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