This May, Theatre Exile spotlights dynamic women writers and their comedically incendiary styles for three hilarious and interactive shows this spring. Philly Grit: A Pirate, A School Girl, & A Good Person, three funny and irreverent solo shows shining a glaring light on our world, incinerate the Exile stage from May 8 to 19.
The limited-run three-show series features stories by four playwrights: Jenna Kuerzi, Val Dunn, Kelly McCaughan, and Brett Ashley Robinson.
The series premieres with Jenna Kuerzi and Val Dunn’s Johnny Depp: A Retrospective on Late-Stage Capitalism performed by writer and actor Jenna Kuerzi, starring as “Johnny Depp”, preteen heart-throb turned wino forever. Kuerzi and Dunn first conceptualized the show in 2019 after discovering they’d both previously dressed up as Depp’s vivid character, Captain Jack Sparrow. The production presents their colorful retrospective on every film in Depp’s entire career, from the most popular to the critically panned, asking the ever-begged question… what happened? A satirical PowerPoint “extravaganza” that is part ritual and part drunken singalong, Johnny Depp! features objects thrown at random intervals, “fabulous” prizes, and the celebrity circus continually captivating audiences.
Johnny Depp: A Retrospective on Late Stage Capitalism runs on May 8 at 7 p.m., May 11 at 2 p.m., May 13 at 7 p.m., May 18 at 8 p.m., and May 19 at 3 p.m.
Catholic Guilt, the second of the series, written and performed by Kelly McCaughan, originated as part of Philadelphia SoLowFest in 2017. With multiple sold-out shows along the Northeast Corridor, the critically acclaimed production of the Philly Grit series delves deep into the perverse ‘holy war’ waged inside the heart and mind of one devout Catholic schoolgirl told through a comedically cheeky theatrical performance. The play explores the often-subversive Pandora’s box of imagination and fantasy tantamount to the impossible standards of the Catholic Church for anyone feeling the guilt that can surround religion.
The show blends audience participation with cringe-worthy personal recollections and stand-up performance. It’s onstage on May 9 at 7 p.m., May 11 at 8 p.m., May 12 at 3 p.m., May 16 at 7 p.m., and May 18 at 2 p.m.
The third show of the series, Good Person, stars Barrymore Award-winning Philadelphia-based playwright/actress/director Brett Ashley Robinson. Robinson peels away the character of the ‘do-gooder savior’ in her original role as Patricia!, an unhinged satirical parody of a wealthy white woman in the world of social justice, social media, callout culture, and snowflakes.
Good Person premiers on the Exile stage on May 10 at 8 p.m., May 11 at 5 p.m., Ma 15 at 7 p.m., May 17 at 8 p.m., and May 18 at 5 p.m.
If You Go
Audiences are invited to take in each show with a per-show ticket price of $30. Patrons can see all three shows for the price of two with Exile’s Three Show Bundle for an intimate and energetic experience.
Philly Grit begins on May 8, with tickets starting at $30. A full schedule of showtimes and dates can be found at Theatre Exile