Beginning April 15, the Philadelphia-based theater company The  Wilma Theater (265 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107), recipient of the 2024 Tony Award for  Best Regional Theatre, presents the regional premiere of Archduke by award-winning playwright Rajiv  Joseph. The Wilma’s visionary Founding Artistic Director Blanka Zizka returns to direct the dark comedy  that imagines how three poor, sickly boys searching for meaning were manipulated into hate by a  bombastic ideologue and inspired to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The event is historically  viewed as the catalyst of World War I. The cast features Wilma HotHouse Acting Company members  Melanye Finister, Sarah Gliko, Suli Holum, Brandon J. Pierce, and Steven Rishard. The regional  premiere of Archduke runs from April 15 to May 4, with 21 performances presented in the Wilma’s 300- seat theater.  

Joseph is a Brooklyn-based Pulitzer Prize Finalist and two-time Obie Award-winning playwright whose  work has been hailed as “daring, magnificent, and virtuosic” by the Los Angeles Times. He quickly  became one of the leading American playwrights thanks to his critically acclaimed and award-winning  works, including Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Gruesome Playground Injuries, and Describe The  Night. In 2017, his play Archduke received its world premiere at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles,  which was praised by the Los Angeles Times as “an ambitious mix of history, comedy, and tragedy.”  Since its world premiere, Joseph wrote a brand-new ending to Archduke provoked by Zizka that will  appear in its upcoming presentation at the Wilma. 

In Archduke, three destitute boys suffering from tuberculosis in Belgrade – Gavrilo Princip (Holum),  Trifko Grabež (Gliko), and Nedeljko Čabrinović (Pierce) – are recruited by a mysterious organization with  promises of glory, purpose, and a sandwich. Their depraved Captain (Rishard) sends the boys on a  mission he claims will restore order and justice to their struggling nation, avenging the unfairness of  their terminal illness. Their assignment? Assassinate the heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, Archduke  Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie. Joseph’s play asks: What happens when a person feels they have  nothing left to lose? What methods are acceptable in the fight against oppression?  

Rajiv Joseph masterfully reinterprets a crucial historical event, creating an absurdist dark comedy that  is both funny and poignant. Set just two days before Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination in  Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, the play unveils the Serbian nationalist ideologies of the era—cries to reclaim  national pride and former glories, expansionist aspirations, a culture of masculinity and entitlement, grievances, cruelty, and misogyny. The similarities in the rhetoric from that time to today’s U.S. Christian  nationalism strike me as particularly provocative. – Blanka Zizka

The cast of Archduke comprises notable local stage actors and resident members of the Wilma’s  acclaimed, award-winning HotHouse Acting Company, which Zizka founded in 2011. The company  members meet weekly to train, read plays, and develop their artistry. Leading the cast of Archduke as  the play’s recruits are Sarah Gliko as Nedeljko Čabrinović, Suli Holum as Gravrilo Princip, and Brandon J.  Pierce as Trifko Grabež. Joining them are Steven Rishard, playing their debauched captain Apis, and  Melanye Finister, playing his obstinate associate Sladjana.  

Blanka Zizka served as the Founding Artistic Director of the Wilma Theater from 1981 to 2020. For  years, Zizka developed practices and programs for local theater artists to create working conditions  supporting creativity through continuity and experimentation. She has directed over 70 plays and  musicals at the Wilma, including the U.S. premiere of Tom Stoppard’s The Hard Problem, world premiere  of Paula Vogel’s Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, Sarah Ruhl’s In the  Next Room, and Macbeth, which included an original score by Czech composer and percussionist Pavel  Fajt. In  2020, Zizka became the theater’s Artistic Director Emeritus and passed the torch to the shared  leadership team, which currently comprises Co-Artistic Directors Morgan Green, Lindsay Smiling, and  Yury Urnov, and Managing Director Leigh Goldenberg. 

On-Demand Streaming Presentation 

Following the play’s in-person run, the Wilma offers an on-demand streaming presentation of  Archduke, available from May 8 to June 1. Single Digital Tickets will be available for sale toward the end  of the show’s in-person run and limited to audiences in Philadelphia. Tickets start at $35 and can be  purchased at www.wilmatheater.org or by calling the Wilma’s box office at 215-546-7824. 

If You Go

Archduke has an estimated 100-minute runtime with no intermission. The production is recommended  for audiences 15 years or older.

Preview performances for Archduke are from Tuesday, April 15, to Thursday, April 17. The production  opens with an invite-only performance on Friday, April 18, at 7 p.m. and runs through Sunday, May  4.

The Wilma also welcomes African  American audiences to attend the Black Affinity Night on Friday, April 25, which offers “Pay-What-You Wilma” ticket prices. 

The Wilma hosts a variety of ancillary events to further engage with audiences around its productions.  Families can attend the Childcare Matinee on Saturday, April 26, at 2 p.m., during which paid childcare  will be available in partnership with Music Theatre Philly (MTP). While patrons attend the matinee, MTP  leads children through a musical theatre workshop that includes theatre games, an arts and crafts  project, and a presentation of a whole production number.

Theatergoers can attend the Sunday, April 27 matinee for “The Let Out,” an insightful and lively post show conversation with production members held immediately after the performance. On Monday,  April 28, at 7 p.m., attendees can participate in an Open Mic Night, where a host and cast members  discuss the themes of Archduke. The April 24 and May 1 performances include a post-show Café Chat in  the lobby with the cast and crew led by members of the artistic team. 

Patrons can purchase single tickets at www.wilmatheater.org or by  calling the Wilma’s box office at 215-546-7824.  

“Plant Based” is a new video web series in the works. It was inspired by an idea Jess Stinson had for a stand-up comedy story about the impact a marijuana dispensary has on a conservative town. Tony Moore turned the idea into a 20-minute pilot for a video web series. The pilot was filmed in two locations: in Ms. Stinson’s Wallingford home and at the Blue Moon Theatre in Woodstown, N.J.

Jess Stinson at right, with John Paul Cappielo onstage in “The PlayMakers” at Colonial Playhouse in March 2024.

The creative team is asking for donations to edit the pilot and film future episodes. If you can help, donations can be made here: https://igg.me/at/plantbasedws

The electrifying rhythms of Washington Heights pulse through  Bristol Riverside Theatre (BRT) this spring as Lin-Manuel  Miranda’s groundbreaking musical, a genre-bending blend of hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul, In the  Heights, takes the stage March 25 through April 27. BRT’s production is directed by the visionary Carlos  Armesto, returning to BRT following his sensory-driven production Odd Man Out in 2023. This season,  Armesto brings the beloved hit musical set on the vibrant streets of New York to the stage.  

In the Heights celebrates community, and we feel like we are celebrating our own community by  inviting everyone over for a fiesta to celebrate the new theatre and the community that made building it  possible. – Co-Producing Director Ken Kaissar who serves as the show’s producer.  

Set over three transformative days, In the Heights captures the rhythm of a community on the brink of  change, where love, loss, and dreams collide under the sweltering summer sun. At the heart of it all is  Usnavi de la Vega, played by Daniel L. Melo, the neighborhood’s beloved bodega owner who dreams of  a better life while staying grounded by his love for his community.  

Usnavi’s bodega is the neighborhood’s heartbeat, where the colorful residents cross paths daily.  Vanessa (Sonya Hernández), Usnavi’s love interest, dreams of escaping her troubled home life to make it  downtown. Meanwhile, Benny (Wesley Hodges), who works for Kevin Rosario’s (Victor Rodríguez, Jr.) car service, fights for Nina’s (Paula Gaudier) love while navigating his place as an outsider in this close knit community. Suzanna Guzman brings to life the neighborhood’s matriarch, Abuela Claudia, who  embodies the community’s heart and history. The stakes rise with the summer heat, culminating in a  blackout that threatens to change everything. 

Since its Broadway debut at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (2008), following an Off-Broadway run at 37  Arts Theatre (2007), In the Heights has garnered critical acclaim, winning four Tony Awards in 2008,  including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations. The original  cast album later secured a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2009, cementing its place in  the American musical canon. 

Latino Theatre Night

In the Heights is complemented by a Latino Theatre Night (En Español) special event presentation of the musical on April 5. Ticket purchasers are invited to an evening celebrating Latino and Hispanic theatre-
makers, community, and culture. Included with an individual ticket to this show, guests will enjoy ligh refreshments at a pre-show social mixer and an optional post-show conversation with director Carlos
Armesto, community leaders, and the cast.

Tickets are available at 215-785-0100, brtstage.org. 

On stage March 25 through April 27.

Bristol Riverside Theatre is at 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA

Walnut Street Theatre (WST) is thrilled to bring the acclaimed award-winning musical “Dreamgirls” to life as they close their 216th season of dreams. This dazzling production begins previews on March 25, opens April 2, and runs through May 4. 

Stars rise and fall… but dreams live forever! This sensational Broadway musical tells the story of a 1960s Supremes-like girl group that catches its big break during an amateur competition. But will their friendship – and their music – survive the rapid rise from obscurity to pop super stardom? Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, “Dreamgirls” is a sweeping and inspirational journey with a dazzling production, powerhouse vocal performances, and an unforgettable score filled with pop, R&B, gospel, disco and more! 

First premiering on Broadway in 1981, “Dreamgirls” took the theatre world by storm, earning six Tony Awards, including Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Book. With book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger, the show’s infectious score and dazzling spectacle quickly cemented it as a Broadway classic. Following its acclaimed original run, “Dreamgirls” was reimagined for a new generation in a star-studded 2006 film adaptation, which won two Academy Awards. In 2016, the show made its long-awaited West End debut at London’s Savoy Theatre, where it played to sold-out crowds and earned critical acclaim, including two Olivier Awards for acting performances. Decades after its debut, “Dreamgirls” continues to shine as a beloved staple of musical theatre, capturing the soul and spirit of an era.

Leading the cast as The Dreams, the trio at the heart of the story, are AVEENA SAWYER as the powerhouse Effie White, GABRIELLE BECKFORD as the ambitious Deena Jones, and KHALIFA WHITE as the lively Lorrell Robinson; all three are making their Walnut debuts in these roles. CHALI COOKE (Beautiful – The Carole King Musical) joins as Michelle, rounding out the evolving girl group  as they navigate the music industry’s highs and lows.  

CLAYTON CORNELIOUS makes his Walnut debut as he takes on the role of the electrifying  James “Thunder” Early, with JARRAN MUSE also making his debut as the smooth yet ruthless  Curtis Taylor Jr. DEVIN L. ROBERTS (Hairspray) portrays C.C. White, the young songwriter with big  dreams, while Tony Award nominee (The Scottsboro Boys) FORREST MCCLENDON (Finian’s  Rainbow) brings to life Marty, the group’s steadfast advocate and mentor. 

If You Go:

Previews begin March 25, 2025 and the show runs through May 4, 2025. Open captioning will be available on Sunday, April 6 for the 7 pm  performance; audio description will be available on Thursday, April 17 for the 2pm performance.

Walnut Street Theatre at 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107  PHONE: 215-574-3550  

TICKETS: walnutstreettheatre.org or ticketmaster.com  

The Little Mermaid comes to SALT Performing Arts with two casts March 27 – April 27, 2025. 

“The Little Mermaid” is based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid. It is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its irresistible songs, including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of Your World.”

The Little Mermaid will be performed by two casts: Acting Antics All-Abilities performers and actors from SALT Performing Arts.

In 2018, a group of leaders at SALT Performing Arts sat around a table and talked about dreams for how the vision for SALT’s theatre company could grow and make a larger impact in the community. One idea that was generated was to start a program whereby people of all-abilities could have the chance to experience the magic of storytelling in community with others through a stage production. After this idea was announced to the community, it was brought to SALT’s attention that an organization doing exactly that was already in existence in Chester County, and had been for over a decade, but they needed a new home for rehearsals and productions. This birthed the partnership between SALT and Acting Antics.

Acting Antics was founded in 2007 and offers unique opportunities for children, teens, and adults who have difficulty with social skills or a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, or who simply want to make friends in a safe and truly welcoming environment. They believe in using the creative arts to encourage social skills and communication growth. For the past 5 years, SALT has opened its doors for Acting Antics to rehearse their show in the Fall and Winter, and then partners to help produce the show with a set and the technical aspects of lights, sound, and special effects in the Spring.

If You Go:

• This production takes place at the West Chester location: 19 Hagerty Blvd., West Chester PA 19382

• Show runs March 27 – April 27, 2025.

• Show schedule:

  • Friday, April 4, 7, 7 PM | Dressy Attire & Champagne Opening Night

  • Saturday, April 5, 2 PM, 7 PM

  • Sunday, April 6, 2 PM

  • Friday, April 11, 7 PM

  • Saturday, April 12, 10 AM & 3 PM

  • Sunday, April 13, 10 AM & 3 PM

  • Friday, April 18, 7 PM

  • Saturday, April 19, 2 PM, 7 PM

  • Saturday, April 26, 10 AM & 3 PM

  • Sunday, April 27, 10 AM & 3 PM

  Show schedule ACTING ANTICS: 

  • Thursday, March 27, 7 PM

  • Friday, March 28, 7 PM

  • Saturday, March 29, 2 PM

  • Sunday, March 30, 2 PM

  
  Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.saltpa.com/littlemermaid

• All ticket sales are final.

•  If you need handicap accessibility, please choose seats in the Front Row D for handicapped accessible seating (ground level) and email jelliott@saltpa.com to confirm.

• Due to the “in the round” seating setup, latecomers cannot be seated right away. Once the show has begun, there are limited opportunities to be seated until the ship docks at intermission. Please plan to arrive at SALT West Chester early enough to be seated prior to showtime.

• If you book your tickets on a mobile device, the system will choose the best available for you. If you book your tickets on a computer, you have the option of choosing your own seats.

• SALT is mask-optional for audience members. Performers will not be wearing masks.

• As part of a 10-year partnership with Chester County Food Bank, SALT will be collecting canned/pouch tuna in water for the Chester County Food Bank at every performance, as we believe everyone in Chester County should have “SALT” on their table. $1.00 from every ticket sale is directly donated to the Chester County Food Bank.

Act II Playhouse announces its latest production, “Dial M For Murder” adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the Frederick Knott original. 

The classic thriller, which originally premiered in 1952, finds disgruntled husband Tony Wendice convinced that this wife, Margot, is having an affair. In his jealousy, he will concoct a scheme to commit the perfect murder. His plan goes horribly awry guaranteeing edge-of-your-seat suspense in this tale of deception and murder. The play was memorably adapted to film in 1954 by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Grace Kelly. 

Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher adapted the original with a scrupulous eye for detail, using Frederick Knott’s original notes to put a modern twist on the 70-year-old play. “The Frederick Knott Estate was particularly moved by my adaptation,” said Hatcher. “I was well acquainted with the original play and the film and it was a pleasure to find new plot twists in this time-honored material.”

Dial M For Murder is being performed in the tradition of last season’s sumptuous production of ‘Gaslight’ at the Playhouse. Playhouse audiences will delight in untangling the mystery of this suspenseful thriller and find themselves pushed to the edge of their seat.” – Act II Artistic Director, Tony Braithwaite

Several members of the “Gaslight” production team reunite for this production including director Kate Brennan who also directed Act II’s beloved production of “Eleanor” (2022). On stage, Jessica Dalcanton (Mrs. Manningham in “Gaslight”) returns to the Playhouse in the role of femme fatale, Maxine Hadley. 

The cast is rounded out by Jamison Foreman as Tony Wendice, Anna Marie Sell as Margot Wendice, Mark Swift as Captain Lesgate, and Paul L. Nolan as Inspector Hubbard. Sell, Swift, and Nolan are all making their Act II Playhouse debuts.

If You Go

• Previews begin Tuesday, March 25, 2025
• Opens Friday, March 28, 2025.
• The production closes on April 27, 2025. 

Ticket prices start at $32 and are available online at act2.org, by calling the Act II Box Office at 215-654-0200, or in-person at the Box Office at 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, PA. The Box Office is open Mon-Sat, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Student tickets are $15 and group discounts are available.

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