Philly Theatre Week by Neighborhood: Greater Philadelphia
Philly Theatre Week kicks off on February 6th, featuring exclusive Free, $15, and $30 tickets to 300 events across the region. See something new in Greater Philadelphia! We're interviewing Dani B Productions, Delaware Theatre Company, The South Camden Theatre Company, Inc., Players Club of Swarthmore, and Raw Street Productions. Read on to learn more about each company, hear about good eats around the venue, and what to know before you go!
Philly Theatre Week by Neighborhood: Head outside the city to Greater Philadelphia
Dani B Productions
Brilliant: Staged Reading of a New Musical
Wayne, PA
-Give us a one-sentence summary about you!
Dani B Productions is an independent production company focusing on the development of original musicals.
-Where are you performing during Philly Theatre Week?
Wayne, PA
-Is this where you usually perform?
We perform our shows at a variety of locations; if they can fit us, we can come. We keep our cast size small which helps.
-What is unique about working in theatre in this particular area?
The town of Wayne, though a great place for restaurant and music, does not have a venue for theatrical performances. Fortunately, we are changing that by creating work that can be performed inatypical places. This performance of Brilliant is being performed at a music venue typically reserved for concerts.
-What's the most unique thing about your venue?
It’s a newly renovated, intimate concert hall with a fantastic restaurant and bar. It’s unique because it is a high end establishment that brings in high quality entertainment.
-What is one thing that would be cool if people knew about your Theatre Week event before attending?
This show was created and written by a local a mother of three who lives right in Wayne. What other shows can say that? Oh yeah, and it’s open bar.
-What might your favorite audience member say to someone who has never been to any of your shows before?
The shows that DaniB Productions puts on are so real, intimate, and the subject matter is so universal.
-Any good eats for before/after your event?
Wayne is full of restaurants! There are seven restaurants on the same street as the venue. I recommend Theresa’s, Theresa’s Next door or Christophers. Or grab a slice of Pizza at Paolas.
Delaware Theatre Company
Outside Mullingar
Wilmington, DE
-Give us a one-sentence summary about you!
DTC is Delaware’s Regional Theatre committed to developing new plays and musicals, as well as celebrating the classics.
-Where are you performing during Philly Theatre Week?
Wilmington, Delaware
-What is unique about working in theatre in this particular area?
DTC is located just off the Christiana Riverwalk. Arrive to the theatre early to eat at the nearby restaurants and visit the Tubman-Garret park, named for the historical neighborhood where traveling slaves, and fellow abolitionist Harriet Tubman, often found refuge during the Underground Railroad.
-What's the most unique thing about your venue?
Our patrons often say “There’s not a bad seat in the house and plenty of leg room!”
-What is one thing that would be cool if people knew about your Theatre Week event before attending?
Outside Mullingar takes place in Ireland, and what’s Ireland without rain. Get excited to see this climate come alive when we make it rain on stage!
-What might your favorite audience member say to someone who has never been to any of your shows before?
Every season, DTC blows us away with great local talent and well known stars. Regardless of the production, you will experience high quality performances that might travel beyond our region.
-Any good eats for before/after your event?
There are some many dinning options along our Riverfront. A patron favorite is right next door: Bank’s Seafood Kitchen & Raw bar. However, there’s also a local standard, Iron Hill Brewery, and if you’re looking for a great margarita and tableside guacamole, try Del Pez Mexican Gastropub.
The South Camden Theatre Company, Inc.
Abigail 1702 / A Twice Told Tale - A Regional Premiere
Camden, NJ
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-Give us a one-sentence summary about you!
South Camden Theatre Company is presenting our 15th season and the 10th anniversary of the Waterfront South Theatre throughout 2020.
-Where are you performing during Philly Theatre Week?
We are the proud owners of the Waterfront South Theatre. This theatre is the first theatre built in Camden, NJ in more than 100 years. This is our 10th season performing in this venue. The Waterfront South Arts District is near the Walt Whitman bridge. We are conveniently located to Philadelphia and the South Jersey suburbs. You can get to our location by car (use the Morgan Blvd. exit off 676) or by public transit. Use the S. Broadway bus to Ferry Ave. and walk west on Jasper Street for 1/2 block.
-What is unique about working in theatre in this particular area?
This neighborhood is also home to other arts and culture venues including Camden FireWorks, an art gallery and studios for artists, The Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum, The Nick Virgilio Writers House, Bee Still Studios, and the Center For Environmental Transformation, along with the beautiful Sacred Heart Church.
Producing theatre in South Camden is fun and exciting all the time. Our biggest task is asking people to get over their imagined fear of coming to Camden from outside the city to see a show. The Waterfront South Theatre sits across the street from Father Michael Doyle’s Sacred Heart Church and school. It’s a community of homes where people live just like your neighborhood. South Camden Theatre Company works very hard to produce the best quality, professional theater in its 99 seat auditorium.
-What's the most unique thing about your venue?
The Waterfront South Theatre is the permanent home of South Camden Theatre Company. The theatre was built by the Heart of Camden, a non-profit neighborhood revitalization company. We produce four shows per season. "Abigail/1702 - A Twice-Told Tale" is a regional premiere and the start of our 15th season of celebration!
The Waterfront South Theatre was built starting in 2008, just when the economy crashed. It was built by the Heart of Camden and financed by Pepe Piperno and his Domenica Foundation. They designed a 6,000 square foot, 3 story building that looks exactly like the corner building that once stood here in the earlier days of Camden. The theatre has an auditorium, lobby and restrooms on the first floor. We are completely ADA compliant. The second floor houses our offices, prop storage, electrical storage and the actor lounge. The third floor has a complete rehearsal hall that is the same size as our stage along with storage for costumes and furniture. When the theatre was completed in September of 2010, it was given to South Camden Theatre Company as its permanent home. As a theatre company that was only 5 years old at the time, it was and has been an effort to build our audience, maintain the building and produce our shows with a minimum of paid staff.
-What is one thing that would be cool if people knew about your Theatre Week event before attending?
Our theatre week event, Abigail/1702 - A Twice-Told Tale runs from February 7-February 29th on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and on Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm. The cool thing about coming to any show at South Camden’s Waterfront South Theatre is that when people first attend, they are generally “blown away” by the venue and by our productions. Once they come, they continue to support us.
-What might your favorite audience member say to someone who has never been to any of your shows before?
“You must come to South Camden to see a show. Get over your fears and know that it’s safe and you are going to see great entertainment.”
-Any good eats for before/after your event?
There are some good restaurants in Camden’s many neighborhoods. We are also very close to Gloucester City. There are many restaurants and pubs there to enjoy pre-show. If you are driving from Philly, you can easily have dinner in there and then drive over the bridge, park your car and enjoy the show. Just plan to eat early enough to make our 8:00 curtain.
Players Club of Swarthmore
Next to Normal
Swarthmore, PA / Springfield Township
-Give us a one-sentence summary about you!
The Players Club of Swarthmore is one of the oldest theatres in the Philadelphia area, having offered 109 years worth of big city entertainment in the quaintness of the nearby suburbs.
-Where are you performing during Philly Theatre Week?
Ironically, The Players Club of Swarthmore is not technically in Swarthmore. Yes, that's the mailing address. Yes, the borough is all around us. However, the plot of land on which the theatre sits is technically part of neighboring Springfield Township. It's not connected to the rest of the Township at all and is fondly known as "the Island."
-Is this where you usually perform?
Yes. Our company has performed at the same location for parts of 10 decades now.
-What is unique about working in theatre in this particular area?
We are situated in a location convenient for people from all over the Tri-State area to both get involved as a performer or on the production side, or even to come see quality theatre. We are 15 minutes from New Jersey, 15 minutes form the Delaware border and 20 minutes from Philadelphia. It allows such a wide swath of theatre enthusiasts to enjoy working, playing, and patronizing our Club.
-What's the most unique thing about your venue?
We put on 13 different productions each season! Sounds crazy, right? But, we have a second performance space, the Raymond W. Smith Stage, that is a smaller, black box theatre in which we perform three intimate plays and three shows for Children to compliment the seven productions that complete our Main Stage season. (The Main Stage is a 302-seat auditorium with a large proscenium stage).
-What is one thing that would be cool if people knew about your Theatre Week event before attending?
Hello, free parking! Yes. We have a private lot for our patrons and do not charge, not many other theatrical venues in the Philadelphia area can boast that!
-What might your favorite audience member say to someone who has never been to any of your shows before?
"After you see a show at Players Club, you'll say to yourself, 'I never knew I could see big city theatre quality at a smaller, more affordable, suburban venue.'"
-Any good eats for before/after your event?
Plenty! For a more upscale dining experience, we recommend Broad Table Tavern at the Inn at Swarthmore a few blocks away. For a quicker, but still yummy meal, Swarthmore Pizza is a sit down pizzeria right next door to the Club. For smaller plates and great beers, check out 320 Market around the corner from the Club. But don't have too many beers, since Players Club has a liquor license and serves wine and beer at every Main Stage performance!
Raw Street Productions
Matt & Ben
Media, PA and South Philly
Give us a one-sentence summary about you!
We jumped into this game brand new (raw!) with one idea: why can’t we, why not us? – so, we’re here, in your face, to break rules, to be a part of the evolution of theatre.
-What’s the neighborhood where you’re performing during Philly Theatre Week? If outside of Philadelphia, what town/city?
Media
-Is this where you usually perform?
We don’t usually perform here, but we do run an after-school program out of the same venue: Raw Street Petites.
-Or if not, where do you usually perform?
Connie’s Ric Rac, 1132 S. 9th St, (the Italian Market).
-What is unique about working in theatre in this particular area?
We’ve never performed in this venue before, so our audience will be completely new to us, which is a challenge (one that we’re very much looking forward to!) for a company like ours that relies so much on our neighborhood audience.
-What's the most unique thing about your venue?
It’s a restaurant! We are changing as little about the interior of the space as possible to keep as much of the “pop up” vibe as we can.
-What is one thing that would be cool if people knew about your Theatre Week event before attending?
This is the most fun we’ve had working on a production since the show that launched our company! After what’s been a pretty demanding year, it’s been nice to make each other laugh just as much as we know our audience will.
(Also, the Media shows are BYOB and the bar will be open at the Italian Market shows an hour before showtime.)
-What might your favorite audience member say to someone who has never been to any of your shows before?
"Do not be put off by the surroundings! While Connie’s Ric Rac has the feel of a church basement 1970s coffee shop on open mic night, Raw Street Productions has made it their own. They put on big, professional shows using a shoestring budget, and their choice of material is terrific. I have been to five productions and a fundraiser, and I’ve never been disappointed in what I saw and heard. I think of them as “the little theatre company that could”. Raw Street has become one of my favorite groups in the city. Convenient to public transportation, with several terrific restaurants within walking distance."
-Any good eats for before/after your event?
In Media, stop by Bittersweet Kitchen until 3pm for some pretty amazing brunch – or try State Street Sandwiches closer to showtime.
In Philly, we love a pancetta pizza from Square Pie or seafood from Anastasi’s.
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