Philly Theatre Week is back with more than 40 shows and pay-what-you-can admission
Whether looking for something family-friendly or more experimental, the ninth annual event will have something for everyone.
Theatre Philadelphia’s annual Philly Theatre Week returns this month with a 10-day slate of plays, musicals, opera, circus performances, comedy, workshops, and more across the region — all with discounted tickets.
Running April 23 to May 3, Philly Theatre Week provides limited tickets for more than 40 productions at pay-what-you-can pricing, meaning audience members can select their own admission price.
It’s the fourth year in a row that Theatre Philadelphia has offered pay-what-you-can tickets as part of its commitment to making theater more accessible.
The lineup combines major productions at regional theater companies with small shows from community theaters to showcase the breadth of performance art within a 35-mile radius of City Hall.
Catch the world premiere of Fat Ham playwright James Ijames’ Wilderness Generation at Philadelphia Theatre Company, a jazzy Fats Waller musical at Norristown’s Theatre Horizon, and a Molière comedy from 1673 at Quintessence Theatre in Mount Airy. You can then test your own creativity at a dramaturgy workshop or interactive Dungeons and Dragons show.
» READ MORE: 10 Philly-area theater productions we are excited for this spring, and where we’ll grab a bite before (or after)
There’s a show for all kinds of theatergoers, whether looking for something family-friendly, like an adaptation of the children’s book The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales at Arden Theatre Company or something experimental, like a puppet or clown slam.
Participating organizations include 1812 Productions, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, Theatre Ariel, Yellow Bicycle Collective, Fever Dream Repertory, Inc, Love City Cabaret, Temple Theaters, and Sawubona Creativity Project.
Last fall, Theatre Philadelphia announced theater producer and popular local podcaster Darnelle Radford as the organization’s new executive director, making this his inaugural Philly Theatre Week.
“Now that winter is on its way out, it feels like the perfect moment to celebrate live performance together, said Radford in a statement. “For nine years, Philly Theatre Week has highlighted both new works and fully staged productions, all part of the vibrant conversations happening on stages across the Greater Philadelphia region.”
The pay-what-you-can tickets are on sale now; see Theatre Philadelphia’s website for more details.