Plays and Players Theatre
Encyclopedia
Plays and Players Theater, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, is one of the oldest nonprofessional theater companies in the United States, founded in 1911. The theater building was designed and constructed in 1912 by Philadelphia architect Amos W. Barnes as a dramatic school, but soon was used as a theater for Broadway try-outs, known as the Playhouse. The theater company Plays and Players bought the building in 1922 and has performed there ever since. Mural
s were added in 1923 by the American artist Edith Emerson.
, who performed upon the Delancey Street stage during its early history. Many other theatrical greats have acted here over the years, including the Barrymores
, John Drew
and Kevin Bacon
. Plays and Players is very likely the community theater on which Philadelphia playwright George Kelly based his slapstick comedy The Torch Bearers. It is also the theater where the Broadway play Stalag 17
premiered.
By the 1950s the membership of the club was less exclusive and more representative of the Center City community, but performances were still only for members. In the 1960s, its productions were opened to the entire community. In the '70s, the Plays and Players Children's Theater was added to the schedule. In addition, the theater has hosted many other artistic endeavors, including the Drama Guild, Pocket Playhouse, Gilbert and Sullivan Players, American Music Theater, Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC), and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
theater and full calendar of social events. The theatre has also taken its performances to nursery schools, swim clubs, street festivals and Philadelphia's Bicentennial
Celebration.
The Family Theater has remained active, but commitments to the building necessitated a hiatus of their own adult productions in favor of rental income. Since 1982 Plays and Players has been the home of the professional regional Philadelphia Theatre Company
, their in-house rental. The 2006-2007 season was the Philadelphia Theatre Company's last at the Plays and Players Theater, when the group moved to its own venue, the Suzanne Roberts Theater
, in October 2007.
Preparations are underway to fill the gap from Philadelphia Theatre Company's departure with their own, original productions and new rental partners. Lighting
and sound
equipment improvements are planned. More Family Theater productions are being brought to the main stage including It's a Wonderful Life
, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
, The Secret Garden
, and James and the Giant Peach
. Recent adult productions include Half The Rent in America, La Cage Aux Folles and the member-written premiere
of The Department.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, is one of the oldest nonprofessional theater companies in the United States, founded in 1911. The theater building was designed and constructed in 1912 by Philadelphia architect Amos W. Barnes as a dramatic school, but soon was used as a theater for Broadway try-outs, known as the Playhouse. The theater company Plays and Players bought the building in 1922 and has performed there ever since. Mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s were added in 1923 by the American artist Edith Emerson.
History
Plays and Players was founded in 1911 at the Art Alliance as a private social club devoted to expanding and developing new theater experiences for and by its membership. Membership was an exclusive group of friends who commissioned works to be written and performed for charitable purposes. The first president, Maud Durbin Skinner, was the wife of American actor Otis SkinnerOtis Skinner
Otis Skinner was an American actor.He was the son of a Universalist minister; his brother, Charles Montgomery Skinner, was a noted journalist and critic in New York. Skinner was educated in Hartford, Connecticut, with an eye towards a career in commerce. A visit to the theater left him stage-struck...
, who performed upon the Delancey Street stage during its early history. Many other theatrical greats have acted here over the years, including the Barrymores
Barrymore family
The Barrymore family is an American acting family.The Barrymores are also the inspiration of a Broadway and West End play called The Royal Family....
, John Drew
John Drew
John Drew was an Irish-American stage actor and theatre manager.-Early life:Born Jonathan Henry Drewland in Dublin, Ireland, to Thomas L. Drew and Louise Kanten, he was the fifth of six children. He lived in Templeogue, a poor Irish village in County Dublin during the 19th century...
and Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
. Plays and Players is very likely the community theater on which Philadelphia playwright George Kelly based his slapstick comedy The Torch Bearers. It is also the theater where the Broadway play Stalag 17
Stalag 17
Stalag 17 is a 1953 war film which tells the story of a group of American airmen held in a German World War II prisoner of war camp, who come to suspect that one of their number is a traitor...
premiered.
By the 1950s the membership of the club was less exclusive and more representative of the Center City community, but performances were still only for members. In the 1960s, its productions were opened to the entire community. In the '70s, the Plays and Players Children's Theater was added to the schedule. In addition, the theater has hosted many other artistic endeavors, including the Drama Guild, Pocket Playhouse, Gilbert and Sullivan Players, American Music Theater, Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC), and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
Current activities
Plays and Players is in a state of constant change as Center City populations are often transient. In their busiest seasons, Plays and Players produces several adult plays and 5-6 children's plays while supporting a workshopWorkshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
theater and full calendar of social events. The theatre has also taken its performances to nursery schools, swim clubs, street festivals and Philadelphia's Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
Celebration.
The Family Theater has remained active, but commitments to the building necessitated a hiatus of their own adult productions in favor of rental income. Since 1982 Plays and Players has been the home of the professional regional Philadelphia Theatre Company
Philadelphia Theatre Company
The Philadelphia Theatre Company is a 501 non-profit theater company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1974 as The Philadelphia Company by Robert Hedley and Jean Harrison. The company has produced over 100 world and Philadelphia premieres and has hosted dozens of nationally...
, their in-house rental. The 2006-2007 season was the Philadelphia Theatre Company's last at the Plays and Players Theater, when the group moved to its own venue, the Suzanne Roberts Theater
Suzanne Roberts Theater
The Suzanne Roberts Theatre is a new theatre on Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. The theater opened in October 2007 and is home to the Philadelphia Theatre Company. The theater was designed by KieranTimberlake, using the principles of Universal design...
, in October 2007.
Preparations are underway to fill the gap from Philadelphia Theatre Company's departure with their own, original productions and new rental partners. Lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
and sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
equipment improvements are planned. More Family Theater productions are being brought to the main stage including It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern....
, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
, The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was initially published in serial format starting in the autumn of 1910, and was first published in its entirety in 1911. It is now one of Burnett's most popular novels, and is considered to be a classic of English children's...
, and James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. The original first edition published by Alfred Knopf featured illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. However, there have been various reillustrated versions of it over the years, done by Michael...
. Recent adult productions include Half The Rent in America, La Cage Aux Folles and the member-written premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
of The Department.