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

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, beginning Feb. 27. 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. The production unfolds on the F. Otto Haas Stage with previews beginning Feb. 27, opening night on March 5, with performances through March 23. 

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). 

Née Danse/Theatre’s 2025 International Women’s Day Festival is a two-day, two-venue celebration with three dynamic events: An Unfinished Herstory, Seven Workshops, and a Runway Rebel Fashion show.

An Unfinished Herstory

A performing arts production with thirty women artists.

Friday & Saturday, March 7th & 8th at 7 pm

Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre

20 N American Street, Philadelphia

An Unfinished Herstory is an inspiring production featuring performances in a wide range of genres, including music, dance, theater, poetry, spoken word, clown, sketch and more. Audiences can expect riveting acts that highlight the diverse voices and experiences of women in the Philadelphia arts scene. Artistic Director Della Cowall, announced, “We are once-again thrilled to present this celebration of female artistic prowess and unforgettable performances.”

This year, artists include: Amelia Asal, Kate Brighter, Grayce Carson, Elizabeth Cook-Asal, Della Cowall, Equilibrium Dance Company, Extensions Dance Company, Julia Hoffmann, Dana Kinsey, Danielle Levsky, Francesca Muscatello, Paper Doll Ensemble, Michelle Pauls, Jana Rose, Irmak Sagir, Celeste Walker, Allison Wittenberg

Seven Workshops

A range of workshops for performing arts enthusiasts of all levels and genres.

Saturday, March 8th from 10:00 am – 5:15pm

Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre

20 N American Street, Philadelphia

Topics include: Domestic violence, Scottish Highland dancing, writing, grassroots marketing strategies, solo performance, clowning, and more.

Presenters include: Kimberly Hollenback, Esq., Elizabeth Cook-Asal, Dana Kinsey, Grayce Carson, Celeste Walker, Francesca Muscatello, and Danielle Levsky.

Runway Rebel

A fashion show for everyBody who dreams of walking the runway

Saturday, March 8th at 10:00 pm

Plays & Players Skinner Studio

Every”body” is invited to strut the catwalk in your best or most despised, pulled from deep in your closet, stolen from your bestie’s, or borrowed from your mom or dad. Submissions are open to participate until January 31, 2025.

If You Go

For more information about the 2025 International Women’s Day show, visit (www.needanse.com).

South Philadelphia-based theater company Theatre Exile is thrilled to announce the return of its Philly GRIT series from Feb. 26 to March 15, bringing audiences a fresh season of provocative, unfiltered performances by  Philadelphia-based artists. Following the success of its 2024 inaugural season, Philly GRIT has quickly become a cornerstone of Theatre Exile’s mission to spotlight innovative voices and amplify the resilience, humor, and humanity of the city’s creative community. 

The 2025 Philly GRIT series begins with the acclaimed solo show Heart Ripped Out Twice And So Can You!, a daring and darkly comedic solo performance by Philadelphia-based creator and performer Linnea Bond. Written in the wake of a harrowing medical journey and a devastating breakup, this deeply personal work takes the form of an offbeat sales pitch, where Bond “sells” existence itself while grappling with the fragile realities of being alive. Her storytelling combines absurd humor, visceral vulnerability, and unexpected theatrical twists as she reflects on her experiences with brain and heart tumors, navigating the American healthcare system, and the emotional chaos of heartbreak. From corporate pep talks to confessional revelations, the show moves seamlessly between biting comedy and moments of profound emotional resonance. 

Heart Ripped Out Ripped Out Twice And So Can You! premiered at the 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival, where it immediately garnered critical acclaim for its inventive structure and fearless honesty. The play has toured extensively, earning Critic’s Pick of the Fringe and Artist Vote for Encore Performance at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and Producer’s Choice at the Atlanta Fringe Festival. Bond, a core member of Philadelphia’s thriving devising and new works community, brings her unique theatrical perspective to this award-winning production.

Audiences will experience a bold exploration of resilience and the human condition in this extraordinary 60-minute tour de force this Feb. 26, March 1,3,7,8, and 9.

The series continues with KOAL, an acclaimed solo performance created and performed by Australian born, Philadelphia-based artist Jacinta Yelland. Blending physical performance, documentary theater,  and audience interaction, KOAL explores the devastating impact of the 2019 Australian bushfires through the intertwined stories of Koal, a baby koala recovering in a wildlife sanctuary; Stevo, a coal miner trapped underground; and Minah, an Indigenous girl removed from her home during WWII.   

The play’s accompanying music by Ethan Mentzer has been composed  as a score synchronized with the action and dialogue on stage. With its innovative use of minimal staging and intricate storytelling, KOAL shifts between humor and heartbreak, bringing the audience directly into the tension and loss of a world grappling with the consequences of climate catastrophe.  KOAL debuts at Theatre Exile with a run time of approximately 60 minutes this February 27, 28, March 2,  6, and 8.  

KOAL has garnered critical attention since its 2023 debut at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, where it received the Five Star Award.  

Yelland, a graduate of the University of the Arts/Pig Iron Theatre Company’s MFA program in Devised Performance, has built a reputation as a dynamic creator and performer, with credits spanning physical theater, clowning, and contemporary circus. KOAL is supported by The Puffin Foundation Ltd., The  Work, and Fresh Ground Pepper NYC. 

Adding a unique touch during the GRIT series is American Girl Doll™: The Musical! by Jackie Soro and Pax Ressler, a devised cabaret musical that interrogates identity, gender, and nostalgia through the lens of childhood playthings. As a presentation of Studio X-Hibition, Theatre Exile’s signature new play development instrument, the live reading will run in a one-night-only presentation on March 10 at a suggested donation price of $10 per ticket. In this exclusive experience, audiences will explore the deeper meanings of what it means to be “American,” a “girl,” and a “doll.” Using memories, personal stories, and research into the cultural phenomenon of Mattel’s American Girl Dolls™, the performance playfully unravels the hidden histories behind these beloved toys.  

Concluding the GRIT series on March 15 is Camp Cookie, a vibrant and emotionally resonant cabaret crafted and performed by drag artist Cookie Diorio and featuring Isa Ardiente, Jess Conda, and  Aarimonnie. Diorio’s cast brings song, dance, burlesque, and storytelling to the evening, that includes free cookies, a cash bar, and an interactive campfire game led by Cookie. With a blend of storytelling, live music, and drag artistry, this one-hour performance invites audiences to join Diorio around the campfire for a playful yet deeply personal journey. Inspired by Diorio’s own experiences as a queer  performer and the stories of resilience within LGBTQ+ communities, Camp Cookie weaves together  original songs, reimagined classics, and heartfelt monologues to explore themes of identity, survival, and  belonging. Using the intimate, communal energy of a campfire setting, Diorio transforms the stage into a space of laughter, reflection, and connection.

The show has premiered exclusively in Philadelphia, while Cookie is known to and has performed for enthusiastic audiences across regional cabaret series and LGBTQ+ events. 

For ticket information:Theatre Exile

Theatre Exile is at 1340 S 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147)

AzukaFest is a new play festival set for Feb. 28, March 1 & 2, 2025. 

They will highlight 12 Philly playwrights and the work they’ve selected to develop, and the entire event will involve nearly 100 Philadelphia theater artists. More than a play reading series, AzukaFest is a 3-day opportunity to mingle, discuss and enjoy a selection of food and drinks from area restaurants.

Learn more at AzukaFest 25 — Azuka Theatre

This February, three independent artists – Chris Davis, Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez, and Izzy Sazak –  come together to share their uniquely thrilling solo performances at the historic Plays and Players Theatre. Whether you’re looking for ballerinas, cowboys, witches, or just some good old-fashioned storytelling – this mini-festival has something for everyone. Chris Davis’ 40 Year Old Ballerino mixes dance and storytelling in a 50-minute comedy show that proves change is always possible; no matter what your age. Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez’s She Was A Conquistawhore is a bawdy poetic solo show examining cultural wounds as personal afflictions in a world where vaginas can grow up to be cowboys. Izzy Sazak’s Tiny Witch blends clown with original lore, to create a performance that is part anti-imperialist fantasy fiction, part stand-up, and all queer witchy sass. 

Running Feb. 20th – 23rd in the third floor Skinner Studio, Tickets are $20 per show. Once you purchase tickets to your first show – you’ll receive $5 off code for another Mid-Winter Solo Fest of your choice! 

Philly Flights Full Mini-Fest Schedule: 

Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Pl. Philadelphia, PA 19103

Thurs. Feb. 20 at 7pm: Chris Davis’ 40 Year Old Ballerino

Fri. Feb. 21 at 7pm: Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez’s Conquistawhore

Sat. Feb. 22 at 7pm: Izzy Sazak’s Tiny Witch 

Sat. Feb. 22 at 9pm: Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez’s Conquistawhore 

Sun. Feb. 23 at 12pm: Izzy Sazak’s Tiny Witch 

Sun. Feb. 23 at 2pm: Chris Davis’ 40 Year Old Ballerino

Tickets for Chris Davis’ 40 Year Ballerino: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-40-year-old-ballerino-by-chris-davis-tickets-1151925543309

Tickets for Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez’s She Was A Conquistawhore:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conquistawhore-by-rachel-ohanlon-rodriguez-tickets-1151995472469 

Tickets for Izzy Sazak’s Tiny Witch:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tiny-witch-by-izzy-sazak-tickets-1152040607469 

Nancy and Bill are having a quiet dinner in their unit at Grand Horizons senior community when suddenly Nancy announces, “I think I would like a divorce.”  Bill, unfazed, replies, “All right.” So begins Bess Wohl’s Tony-nominated Grand Horizons, a comedy-drama of marital and family discord. 

The Stagecrafters’ upcoming production of Bess Wohl’s “Grand Horizons,” features (from left) Linda Palmarozza as Nancy, James Jesberger as Ben and Dan Crozier as Bill. Photo by Joanne Davis.

As their children descend to try to mend their parents’ fifty-year marriage, the explosive and comic revelations mount as they discover that they really did not know their parents. 

Bess Wohl is a playwright and filmmaker. Her plays have been performed on and off Broadway at such theaters as Second Stage, Manhattan Theater Club and the Goodman Theater among others. 

If You Go

The Stagecrafters Theater, 8130 Germantown Ave, Phila, PA 19118

• Performance dates: Feb 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22 @ 8pm
• Feb 9, 16, 23 @ 2pm
• Tickets $26 online, $30 at the door. Discounts available.

Visit:  http://www.thestagecrafters.org for more information or call 215-247-9913 for reservations

Rose Valley-based Hedgerow Theatre Company announces three new productions for its Winter/Spring season in 2025. The theatre’s presentations are highlighted by a U.S. premiere of a reimagined Henrik Ibsen classic, a Hedgerow Studio Series production offering a revelatory take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and a regional premiere of a poignant and satirical play by Oscar-nominated director and playwright Celine Song. 

This season celebrates the power of storytelling through bold, reimagined perspectives—both timeless and contemporary. We showcase voices that challenge, inspire, and connect us, from Stef Smith’s evocative reframing of Ibsen’s masterwork to Celine Song’s deeply personal exploration that plunges the depths of the ocean and self, and the intimate retelling of Shakespeare’s ultimate play about ambition, power, and moral corruption. I’m thrilled to collaborate with truly extraordinary teams of artists for each production and to invite our audiences to experience these unforgettable works.  – Marcie Bramucci, Hedgerow’s Executive Artistic Director.

Hedgerow’s next season begins in March with 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 of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play A Doll’s House, which follows Nora, the “perfect” wife and mother. She is dutiful, beautiful, and everything is in its right place. But when a secret from Nora’s past comes back to haunt her, her life rapidly unravels. Over the course of three days, Nora must fight to protect herself and her family or risk losing everything.  Hedgerow’s U.S.  premiere production of Nora: A Doll’s House runs from March 12 to April 6. 

In addition to Nora: A Doll’s House, the theatre continues with the Hedgerow Studio Series production of Tim Crouch’s unique one-man show I, Banquo, directed by Peter DeLaurier. The play invites audiences to revisit Shakespeare’s Macbeth through the eyes of the titular Scottish King’s murdered best friend, Banquo. Overlooked and betrayed, Banquo reflects on the witches’ prophecies that doomed MacBeth and how he might have responded differently if they changed places.  Studio series plays have run times of 45-60 minutes and general admission seating. I, Banquo will be performed in repertory with Nora: A Doll’s House and runs from March 26 to April 6. 

In May, Hedgerow concludes its Winter/Spring series with the regional premiere of the daring and compelling play Endlings by Korean-Canadian director, playwright, and screenwriter Celine Song. On the Korean island of Man-Jae, three elderly women spend their dying days continuing a fading  ancient fishing tradition, diving into the sea with nothing but a knife. On the Island of Manhattan, a Korean-Canadian playwright navigates external expectations of how her identity intersects with the stories she tells. While her plays have been met with critical acclaim, audiences may also recognize Song as the writer and director of the 2023 romantic drama Past Lives, which earned Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. Hedgerow Theatre’s regional premiere of Endlings runs from May 14 to June 1. 

If You Go: 

Hedgerow Theatre Company is at 64 Rose Valley Road, Media, PA 

• Patrons can purchase a two- or three-play series subscription to attend Hedgerow’s upcoming productions, with packages starting at $50.
• Hedgerow’s subscriptions offer theatergoers first access  to performance dates, preferred seating, and savings of up to 35% compared to single-ticket  purchases.
• A Preview Series subscription is $50 and provides tickets to any preview dates during a production’s run. The Opening Night Series, which gets guests in for the opening night performance  for the three shows, is available for $80.
• Patrons can also purchase the Weekday Matinees, Weeknight Series, or Weekend Evenings subscriptions for $70.
• The two-play access subscription, allows audiences to attend weekend matinees that offer pre-show sensory tours, relaxed performances, audio descriptions, and open captioning for just $55. 
• For more information and tickets, visit www.hedgerowtheatre.org.