AzukaFest Reading of ‘Robin’s Egg’

For 25 years, Azuka has centered on developing new plays and uplifting Philadelphia theater artists. This season they’re renewing this commitment by developing two new plays for the 25-26 Season and launching AzukaFest – a new play festival and social gathering mash-up showcasing new work.

 

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Monday evening play reading Jan. 20 at 7p.m.

The playwright attends the reading so they can hear their work and your feedback. Your comments will help guide the further development of the work.

ROBINS EGG

by Anna Langman
Directed by Larry Beck

Every day, people live their little lives in little houses on little streets. A husband looks for his wife; a wife looks for herself; a girl looks for her home; a woman looks for her purpose. All the while, nestled amongst her computers, a scientist finds an answer and gifts the little world a solution to a problem that not everyone has, a variable that not everyone wants varied. At once, each person must contend with the new technology shaking their sleepy world — the voluntary element to life, the choice of whether to have ever existed. The little, vasty dramas of the people’s everyday lives forge on as best they can, infiltrated and overshadowed by the weighty knowledge each soul carries of the choice awaiting them, if only they should choose to take it.

This play slides the spectrum from prose to poetry, from farce to tragedy, and stops to smell the roses in between.

Azuka Theatre is at 1700 Sansom Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA

Tickets and information at Azuka Theatre

‘The Exes’ at Old Academy Players

As part of its 2024-2025 Season, the Old Academy Players is proud to present the Philadelphia Premiere of The Exes, a comedy by Lenore Skomal.  The Old Academy Players’ 544th production will run Jan. 10-26, 2025; with Friday and Saturday performances at 8 pm and two Sunday matinees, Jan. 19 and 26 at 2 pm.

The Exes was developed in New York City and welcomed its world premiere at Theatre Row Theatres, Aug. 7 – Oct. 5, 2019.

I believe laughter it is the single, most powerful unifying expression, second only to unconditional love.  We need more plays that allow us to laugh, be silly, and make fun of ourselves and just let our hair down.  I wrote this play as my homage to two playwriting giants who understood this: Neil Simon and Noel Coward – with a nod to Mel Brooks and George Carlin.  I worked diligently to create an intelligent, tightly written, fast-paced comedy with a heart – honoring conventional playwriting structure, comedic timing and funny as well as irreverent devices so that my audiences – your audiences – can laugh. – Lenore M. Skomal

In this hilariously relatable play, self-made billionaire Richard and his best friend Dick were both married to the same woman: strong willed Mavis. When she drops in uninvited on Christmas Eve — the day of Richard’s daughter’s wedding — all hell breaks loose. This bromantic comedy of love and breakups is irreverent, ridiculous and tender, reminding audiences why marriage and divorce make for strange bedfellows.

The cast includes: Emmie Ledesma as Victoria Killingworth, Eric Tuller as Garrett Wright, Ginny Kaufmann as Mavis Killingworth, Jay Steinberg as Prim, Mike Boorse as Richard Killingworth, Norman Burnosky III as Marcel Nistlerood, and Stephen Negro as Dick Wright.

Norman Burnosky directs this Philadelphia Premiere.

About the Playwright

Lenore is an award-winning writer with three decades of professional experience, ranging from broadcast to print. The author of 17 books, including three multiple award-winning bestsellers, she’s also the founder of Lenore M. Skomal Productions, LLC, which produces The Exes and New York City’s Broadway Bound Theatre Festival. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild, Commercial Theatre Institute, Theater Resources Unlimited, Off Broadway Alliance, Theater Communications Group, the National Newspaper Columnists Association, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), Lenore is dedicated to empowering other artists.

 

If You Go

Ticket prices are: $25 per adult; $15 for Students under 25 with valid ID; group rate (15 or more) $21 each. Tickets can be purchased online at www.OldAcademyPlayers.org. Reservations and more information can be obtained by calling the Box Office at 215-843-1109.

Old Academy Players is located at 3544 Indian Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129.  Parking for all performances is free.

About The Old Academy Players

The Old Academy Players has provided continuous community theater entertainment since 1923 and is a non-profit community theater in East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Constructed in 1819, the Old Academy building has been the OAP home since 1932. Old Academy Players is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.  Most notable alumni include Tony Award-nominated actor Robert Prosky and Hollywood icon, Grace Kelly.  Support is provided by the “Philadelphia Cultural Fund”.