Repertory theatre is a high-wire act, and Quintessence Theatre is once again taking on William Shakespeare to deliver this epic experience for Philadelphia. Recognized and awarded for both its ‘classics forward’ Shakespeare productions and its repertory work, this is the first time in a decade that the paired productions are written by The Bard.  

“Reckless Romance” repertory

Twelve actors will be performing multiple roles in a rotating schedule of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and  Antony & Cleopatra in a “Reckless Romance” repertory. The productions are highlighted by casts featuring some of the region’s best actors, including Philadelphia-based classic theatre actor and arts educator Tim Dugan, stage and screen actor Christopher Patrick Mullen, theatre artist and film actor DeAnna S Wright, and veteran actor and director Steven Anthony Wright. Both productions will be directed by Quintessence Producing Artistic Director Alex Burns. The trippy romantic comedy A  Midsummer Night’s Dream begins previews on February 27 and opens on Saturday, March 15.

The  near-mythological love story wrapped in political intrigue, Antony & Cleopatra, begins previews on Wednesday, March 5, and opens on Saturday, March 22. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream asks if love is for the foolish. Four Athenian youths reject their parents’ efforts to interfere in their romantic lives and choose to run away instead of facing the love-limiting laws of the land. Lost in the surrounding wilderness, the lovers stumble upon a fairy kingdom in conflict; a spat between the fairy king and queen so great it threatens to alter the earth’s orbit and suspend its seasons. A group of laborers, secretly rehearsing their play for a royal competition, also wander unwittingly into the middle of the fairy battle. Mayhem ensues, and Shakespeare confirms we can all prove an ass when in love. 

Antony & Cleopatra poses the question, can passion topple an empire? Julius Caesar is assassinated, the rebellion foiled, and the Roman Empire is now ruled equally by three men, of which Mark Antony is the most powerful. Stationed in the east, Mark Antony summons Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, to demand  submission, but instead, Antony is subdued by Cleopatra’s beauty, wit, and charm. Heart tied to Cleopatra, Antony neglects his wife and empire, the man of war surrendering to a life of decadence, seduction, and the pleasures of Egypt. Torn between desire and duty, will the eternity in their eyes and  in their lips create a new global power, or will Antony and Cleopatra’s passions lead to the fall of the empire?

Each of the 12 cast members play at least one role in each show, with some appearing in multiple roles  in one or both plays. Returning actors to Quintessence are: DeAnna S Wright (Flyin West), Tim Dugan  (Cyrano de Bergerac), Christopher Patrick Mullen (Macbeth), Steven Anthony Wright (Kiss Me Kate, The  Fantasticks, Father Comes Home From the Wars Parts I, II, and III), Ivana Thompson (Father Comes Home  From the Wars Parts I, II, and III, The Owl and the Pussycat and Other Nonsense), Sarah Stryker (The Owl  & The Pussycat and Other Nonsense), Gabriel Elmore (Major Barbara and No Exit, Cyrano de Bergerac),  Lee Thomas Cortopassi (Macbeth, Cyrano de Bergerac, Major Barbara) and Zachary Valdez (Macbeth).  New to Quintessence are Rafi Mills and Tyler S. Elliot.  

Quintessence founder and artistic director Alex Burns directs both shows in addition to serving as the  set and sound designer.

If You Go

The full repertory schedule runs from Feb. 27 to April 27. All performances take place at the historic Sedgwick Theater (7137 Germantown Avenue), a flexible black box theater. Tickets start at $35, with premium seats available starting at $45.  Tickets at www.quintessencetheatre.org

Theatregoers enjoy Pay-What-You-Can tickets for Antony & Cleopatra on March 5. Repertory ticket bundles will be available and patrons may use  discount code DOUBLEUP to save on any General Admission tickets when they purchase both productions.  

Quintessence is located at 7137 Germantown Ave.  Patrons can call the Box Office at 215-987-4450, or purchase tickets in-person at the Box Office Mon-Fri, noon – 5PM, at the Sedgwick Theater, located at 7137 Germantown Ave., Phila., PA 19119.

About Quintessence Theatre

Founded in 2010, the award-winning Quintessence Theatre is dedicated to bringing epic works of classic drama and literature to the contemporary stage.

As Philadelphia’s text-based, actor-focused repertory theatre, Quintessence re-envisions the classics to inspire our community to consider what is essential in theatre and in human nature.

Quintessence is now in its 15th season at the Sedgwick Theater in Philadelphia’s Northwest neighborhood of Mt. Airy, and is led by Producing Artistic Director, Alex Burns and Executive Director, Erica Ezold. The company has recently purchased the historic Sedgwick Theater with ongoing plans to preserve and renovate it.

Public and street parking is available throughout the Mt. Airy neighborhood.

It’s been a few years since everyone’s favorite group of pals have all been together at the same time, but this calls for a celebration! Gunther has successfully opened a chain of cafes and his six best customers have taken a trip down to Philadelphia for the grand opening of “Perk Place.” The party isn’t all fun and games, however. Ross and Rachel are on a break…again, some unexpected guests cause tension for Monica and Chandler, Phoebe is having issues finding a babysitter for her nieces and nephew, and is someone actually trying to SHARE food with Joey?! Before the night is out, someone might be a victim of some “friendly” fire.

.

If You Go:

• March 1 – May 31, 2025
  Saturdays at 5pm and 8pm, Sundays at 3pm

  The actors work within the audience – they do not use a stage.

  Dates: Saturdays and Sundays March 1 – May 30

  Tickets: $35 Standard Admission plus tax and box office fee

  $75 VIP Admission includes cocktail or snack, clue packet, and party favor.

  Where: Red Rum Theater, 601 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

  Get Tickets

• Doors open 30 minutes ahead

Beginning March 12, Rose Valley-based Hedgerow Theatre Company presents the U.S. premiere of Nora: A Doll’s House by Scottish Olivier Award-winning playwright and director Stef Smith. Directed by Emma  Gibson, the play is an adaptation that reframes Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s iconic drama A Doll’s House in three different time periods —1920, 1973, and 2018 – weaving together female experiences across generations.

The cast features stage actors Mallory Avnet, Kaitlyn Cheng, Ahren  Potratz, Amanda Schoonover, Angel Sigala, and Michael Stahler. Nora: A Doll’s House is set to run from March 12 to April 6, presented in Hedgerow’s 100-seat theatre, housed in an atmospheric 19th-century  grist mill. 

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House is widely viewed as a classic and holds the distinction of being the world’s most-performed play as of 2006. The three-act play originally debuted in 1879 and was an immediate sensation. Ibsen created global controversy for his daring depiction of the inequities men and women faced in traditional, 19th-century marriages. In February 2019, Stef Smith’s take on the play, Nora: A  Doll’s House, was first produced by the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow and was hailed as “a perfect adaptation” by The Guardian. It was a finalist for the 2020 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, awarded annually to celebrate women who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre. 

Nora: A Doll’s House follows Nora, the perfect wife and mother. She is dutiful and beautiful and always has everything in its proper place. But when a secret from her past comes back to haunt her, Nora’s life quickly unravels. Over the course of three days, Nora must fight to protect herself and her family or risk losing everything.  

Smith’s adaptation takes place in distinct time periods across 100 years of history, highlighting how women’s struggles for independence have evolved but remain connected. Each version of Nora faces challenges within her marriage and personal life, confronting the limits imposed by the societal norms in each of the three eras. The overlapping narratives reveal the parallels and contrasts between our collective past and present, illustrating the complex nature of a woman’s freedom and choice. As the story unfolds, the audience witnesses how Nora navigates love, power, and identity in her quest for self-discovery and autonomy.  

It’s a privilege to have Nora: A Doll’s House staged by Hedgerow Theatre. Increasingly, we live in a time where international collaboration feels vital, and this couldn’t happen at a more critical time. I am truly excited to see how the cast and creatives realize this play and meet the audience at the theatre. – playwright Stef Smith

The first U.S. production of Nora: A Doll’s House centers on three actors who alternate between Nora and her best friend Christine across the three eras. The two characters are performed by Philadelphia based Barrymore Award-winning actor Amanda Schoonover, Chicago-based actor Kaitlyn Cheng, and New York-based actor Mallory Avnet. Nora’s self-assured husband Thomas is portrayed by Philadelphia based actor and movement artist Ahren Potratz. Following a recent run in the Broadway production of  Susan Stroman’s New York, New York, regional actor Angel Sigala makes his Hedgerow debut playing Daniel, a family friend of Nora and Thomas. Emerging Philadelphia-based artist and actor Michael Stahler returns to the Hedgerow stage as Nathan, who possesses damaging information that threatens to unravel Nora’s picture-perfect life. Stahler had previously delivered a powerful performance in Hedgerow’s 2023 production of The Puzzle by Juliette Dunn. 

Hedgerow’s production of Nora: A Doll’s House is directed by Philadelphia-based playwright, director, and actor Emma Gibson. As a playwright, her work has been produced around the world and received  numerous distinctions. She won the Pittsburgh Public’s New Play Competition and was a finalist for the 2023 Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship, The Women’s Prize for Playwriting in 2024, and The O’Neill New Play Conference. Her directing work specializes in contemporary works and re-imagining classic texts from Shakespeare to Chekhov. Gibson is the founding producing artistic director of the Philadelphia theatre company Tiny Dynamite. Hedgerow audiences lauded Gibson’s work directing the theatre’s successful 2024 winter production of The New Electric Ballroom and performing in Beginners last spring. 

Despite the powerful feminist message, this play extends far beyond the  political and historical. Nora: A Doll’s House is a deeply human play about learning to be true to yourself, the power of female friendship, the complexities of our relationships, the duty of motherhood, and the possibility of transformation. It asks us who we want to be and whether we are brave enough to make that happen.  – Director Emma Gibson

TICKET INFORMATION 

Hedgerow’s presentation of Nora: A Doll’s House begins with preview performances on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. The production officially opens on Friday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. and includes a special post-show reception with artists from the production.  Performances run through Sunday, April 6.  

Nora: A Doll’s House is recommended for audiences ages 15 or older and has an approximate runtime of 90 minutes with no intermission. Single tickets are available for purchase online.  

Forge Theatre presents “The Tin Woman” by Sean Grennan.
Directed by Suki
Instead of relishing life after her heart transplant, Joy enters a downward spiral, unsure whether she truly deserves a second chance. Meanwhile, Alice and Hank mourn the loss of their son, Jack, whose heart was used to save Joy. At a friend’s urging, Joy tracks down Jack’s family to find closure. But are Alice, Hank, and their daughter Sammy ready to accept Jack’s death? Based on a true story, The Tin Woman uses humor and pathos to explore loss, family, and what it means to be given new life.

Ticket link: Ludus – Forge Theatre

Forge Theatre is located in a residential area off the main street of downtown Phoenixville, Pa.

The Drama Group of Germantown, 6001 Germantown Av, Philadelphia, PA, will present a contemporary production of William Shakespeare’s “Juliet & Romeo” that brings a classic tale to our modern moment.

What happens when we fail our children? What happens when we let the hatred of our past infect our future? And then what happens when we are forced to risk everything for love? The tale of “Juliet and her Romeo,” told in a way you’ve never seen. 

Starring: Quinton J. Alexander (Tybalt/Paris/Friar John), Meredith Bell (Juliet), Matthew Carter (Mercutio/The Apothecary), Jacob Glickman (Friar Laurence/Gregory/Officer), Maria Lourdes Riillo (Lady Capulet), Stacy Skinner (The Nurse/The Prince), Brendan Sterling (Benvolio), Mark Tan (Montague/Peter), Mikel Wright (Romeo) 

With: Quinton J. Alexander (Fight Director), Becca Begnaud (Lighting Design), Savannah Cathers (Rehearsal Stage Manager), Connor Graham (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), CJ Higgins (Intimacy Director/Props Design), JL Hitchens (Sound Design), Ryan Walter (Set Design), Taylor Rouillard (DGG Artistic Director), Britt Fauzer (DGG Artistic Associate) 

Tickets: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/dramagroupofgermantown/juliet-romeo

$15 General Admission, $10 Student/Senior, and Pay What You Wish 

Performance Schedule:

• Friday, March 21 – 8:00pm.
• Saturday, March 22 – 8:00pm.
• Sunday, March 23 – 3:00pm.
• Friday, March 28 – 8:00pm.
• Saturday, March 29 – 8:00pm.
• Sunday, March 30 – 3:00pm.
• Friday, April 4 – 8:00pm.
• Saturday, April 5 – 8:00pm.
• Sunday, April 6 – 3:00pm.

Location: 

First United Methodist Church of Germantown, 6001 Germantown Avenue, Phila PA 19144

Tickets:

General Admission – $15

There is also a Pay What You Decide price option for every performance.

Ruth Brittain and Richard Szymczak in “The Playmakers” written and directed by Julie Zaffarano at Colonial Playhouse.

Colonial Playhouse presents “The Playmakers” by Delco Playwright Julie Zaffarano March 14-30.

Pictured from left: John Paul Cappiello, Angela: Hannah Pearsall, Jess Bye Stinson, Ken Locicero and Ruth Brittain in “The Playmakers” at Colonial Playhouse.

Lisa and Sebastian were a successful romantic comedy playwriting team and lovers whose professional and personal relationships unraveled, crashed, and burned. After several years apart, they are thrown together by a producer to create a revival play. As they try to recapture their signature spark, their characters revolt as the lines between reality and fantasy blur.

Julie Zaffarano, Delco Playwright  

Ticket link: Current Show – Colonial Playhouse

Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company proudly presents the fourth production of its 2024/25 season with August Wilson’s gripping drama, King Hedley II,  now through March 30.. Directed by Pulitzer Prize-winner James Ijames, August Wilson’s King Hedley II, set in 1985, takes audiences on an emotionally charged journey of survival and redemption following an ex-convict’s struggle to rebuild his life against overwhelming odds.   

King Hedley II continues Arden’s commitment to August Wilson, marking the sixth play from The American Century Cycle performed here. The cycle chronicles the African American experience across different decades of the 20th century. Previous productions in the cycle performed at the Arden include Fences, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Gem of the Ocean, and Radio Golf. The two-and-a-half hour play features six of the region’s most talented actors, including Akeem Davis, Kimberly S.  Fairbanks, Taysha Marie Canales, Monroe Barrick, Dax Richardson, and Kash Goins. 

King Hedley II is set in 1985 in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, a district that still exists today, and remains deeply impacted by poverty and systemic racism. The realistic set design immerses audiences in the heart of the neighborhood, featuring weathered brick rowhomes, overgrown vines, a worn-down  backyard, boarded-up windows, and a faded mural. The setting reflects the harsh realities and struggles faced by King Hedley II (Akeem Davis), an ex-con recently released from prison who is determined to rebuild his life despite the limited opportunities available to him. Desperate to provide a stable future for himself and his wife, Tonya (Taysha Marie Canales), Hedley dreams of opening a video store.  However, with few legitimate pathways to achieve his goal, he finds himself caught between pursuing his ambition the right way or turning to desperate measures to survive. Hedley’s journey is influenced by  the people in his life and the weight of their past, including his mother, Ruby (Kimberly S. Fairbanks), his friend and business partner Mister (Dax Richardson), his neighbor Stool Pigeon (Monroe Barrick) and Elmore (Kash Goins), a man from Ruby’s past. 

King Hedley II feels more prescient now than ever. The huge social and political problems of the 1980s have come back with vengeance. The ideas of nostalgia and progress in the play are potent and necessitate a grand ambition in the production. My hope is to create a production of this play that offers the audience the opportunity to see history as a roadmap for the future. The mistakes and brokenness of the Reagan era have directly shaped and changed our current moment. At the heart of the play is the titular character’s yearning, for a future, for a patch of earth, for  love, to be freed from a past haunted.”  – Director James Ijames

 Tickets are available online at ardentheatre.org or at the box office at Arden Theatre Company (40 N. 2nd Street).