The shows are original and quite funny. There is singing and dancing. You get your moneys worth. There is also a bar beneath the theater where they serve before and after the show and during intermission. read more

Well, OK, but I did get the strong impression that we were the only party among attendees who were not friends or relatives of the staff. Too long and just not funny enough. Seriously, a skit making fun of the IRS? Is this 1985? Try harder please. You guys can do better, and you CAN do better. Just work harder at it. Earn your place in M & W history. read more

Wonderful show. Cast, music, set, and playbill were great for Fall 2022 show. Been a fan of Mask & Wig for a long time. Wondered how going coed would work out. Great to see things have totally worked out! DCHewi read more

As a Penn grad student and child of a Penn Med professor, I have seen my fair share of Mask and Wig productions. However, when my parents dragged me as a teenager, the ribald humor was generally lost on my rather naive ears. I've come to love the Mask and Wig club for their witty, off-color productions featuring and all-male cast, crew, and band. I love the tradition of the club that dates back to the 1890's and don't mind joining with the "rah, rah, Pennsyl-van-i-a" at the end of each performance. The shows are wildly funny and entertaining for all - well, leave the wee ones at home - over the age of 16 or so. You'll enjoy yourself so much, you'll forget that you're seated on a folding chair. I am always impressed by the quality of the music and writing that these undergrads put into each spring show. The clubhouse is also a gem unto itself with original artwork by Maxfield Parrish. They even serve cocktails and beer in the grill room before and after the performances. The downside? Having to mingle with lots of Penn undergrads who come to support their friends. I say just suck it up and go anyway. It's maybe the best $25 you'll spend ($12 for current students). read more

Mask and Wig is the best college comedy group I have ever seen put on a show (although, admittedly, I've never been to Haaarvaaard). Every year this group creates a musical comedy revue with a punny title and stages it for several months every weekend. The writing is always sharp, and the group is always talented. Did I mention that it's an all-male group and they do drag as a result? Very Monty Python or Kids in the Hall-esque. Seriously, check these shows out. One final note, the clubhouse was apparently damaged in a fire during some renovations recently, so I don't believe they'll have any shows there until next January. read more

Do you like to laugh? Do you like revue genre? This comedy troupe from Penn has its own club house where they give hilarious performances - typically in the Spring (Fall performances are typically on campus). The guys sing, dance, and entertain wildly. The Fall performances are usually Penn-themed (on campus), and the Spring performances are professionally choreographed and directed with typically irreverant themes and topics. The troupe is all male and all fatastically funny. The upstaris is where they give the performances. There is row-seating for most nights, but some have a dinner night. For the dinner theatre, there are round tables set-up for dinner and drinks. The food is fine - the real reason to come here is for the comedy. There is also a bar downstairs for the cash bar and for the after-performance encores for old favorittes. The walls have characteritures of former Wiggers with beer steins. The steins with the chains are the Wiggers who have left this earth. Go for the laughs, and bring lots of your friends. This is a real Philly gem. read more

An all male-theater group that writes its own shows? Punny names, witty dialogue/songs, and men in drag doing can-can lines? You have to see it to believe it. Everything about Mask & Wig oozes high-brow humor and they pull it off really well. The venue is a classic mens' eating club and the bar resembles a German hunting lodge (I say German because of all of the beer steins from old members that line the walls). The theater itself is upstairs and pretty small, so buy your tickets early. I love the shows that the men perform. Last year's title was "A Reptile Dysfunction," and yes, it was hysterical. This year was "Beautopia: A Face Odyssey" and was arguably better than the last. If you go to this, prepare for lots of wit and puns. I wouldn't bring children here just because a lot of the humor is too old for them-- not raunchy, but they aren't going to understand it because it's written for the college-educated crowd. read more

The space is beautiful. We really wanted to do our wedding there next year, unfortunately we had to change up our venue plans because they refused to guarantee us rehearsal time. It's a shame really, we had our hearts set on it this place, but if they refuse to work with us on something as integral to a wedding as the rehearsal (we only asked for 30 minutes, and said we were flexible on timing), what else would they be stubborn about? If you're looking to use the event space, be aware that it is a great place (much nicer than in the pictures online even), but I would not characterize them as accommodating. read more

Had my wedding here!!! Talk about being an interesting venue, the M&W fit our needs perfectly seeing that my husband and I both work in theatre. The decor is incredible, as the entire downstairs is lined in beer steins. They have a baby grand piano that comes with the rental, too! You will have to pay a price-per-head for the bar, but do not let that scare you off, it's totally worth it! We were able to design our own bar selection, and the bartenders...oh my god, the bartenders ROCKED! All my guests raved about the bartenders!!! Kate, the house manager, is great to work with too. She really has it together and runs a smooth operation. I highly recommend the M&W as a wedding venue as there is a downstairs and upstairs available to your party, as well as dressing rooms, a bouncer, coat check and beautiful bathrooms! Not to mention it is located in one of the nicest areas in the city! read more

If you love quirky entertainment like Avenue Q and the movie Airplane, the Mask and Wig Club's annual presentation is a must-see. You do get packed in upstairs but the shows will have you laughing out loud. There will be the occasional obscure cultural reference that goes over your head but 98% of the lines will tickle your funny bone. read more

Mask&Wig... Where to start?? The only negative I have is WHY did we not discover this earlier?? Although we just moved to Philadelphia I would have come to one of the dinner shows and then again to a regular performance. We were in stitches throughout the show. I will also say that we were extremely impressed by the talent. Not only did you all knock the jokes out of the park but you combined great play writing, choreography, acting and music! We had a wonderful time- thank you! A note- Arrive early to enjoy the bar area. Beautiful room, full bar, live piano and raging fire. Stay afterward...it's not as much of a UPenn reunion as you would expect. AMAZING!! We can't wait for the next season! Thanks again for a great night! 2 notes: We were seated in the back and it was totally fine- small theater so it really didn't matter- actually better at intermission. The bar may be cash only. We assumed it was and brought cash-not positive. read more

The music, dancing and singing performed in this quaint venue is exceptional! By no means is it expensive, every seat is a good seat, and every annual show is 100% original! Every year's show has humor, love, satire, and intrigue. If you enjoy the theater and are in Philly from about Feb-April, you MUST SEE A M&W SHOW! The tickets aren't difficult at all to get so there's no excuse whatsoever. read more

Very funny! Worth going - even if you aren't a Penn alum. It felt a little like a college reunion the night we attended because it was the last show of the run, and all the parents and former cast members were around...but the show was excellent, the bar serves a nice drink before the show, and it was a super cool venue and vibe. The performance rivaled any top-tier comedy / theater production you would expect to see in a touring group. The only thing lacking was "theater seating" instead of "auditorium seating". It was a bit difficult to see since there was no incline and frankly the seat itself made my butt hurt. However - my frequent laughter made me forget all of that. Great show, and a fun experience! read more

I recently held my 40th birthday party at the Club, and it was an absolutely FANTASTIC experience. The manager of the club was extremely easy to work with and very responsive to the many questions I had about my event. She allowed us to come in with catering before the event and do proper set-up, which was also great. The bartender was excellent - extraordinarily nice and took great care of our group. I wish she could bartend ALL of my parties! The doorman kept the party legit, and very kindly helped guests get taxis at the end of the night. All in all, this was the easiest, most pleasant, least stressful party event that I've ever been involved with. I would highly recommend renting the Club for your event! read more

I know you're probably tired of seeing dudes dressed in drag belting out pun-filled musical numbers, tap dancing, and (in the case of one acrobatically-inclined performer) doing back flips on stage. Wait, you've never seen a performance like that before? Then you better get a ticket to the next M&W show! Seriously, these guys are talented. I was originally put off by the all-male composition of the group (what century is it?!) and snooty Ivy League-ness of it all. I was especially wary of the drag component: I have seen fabulous drag (like Martha Graham Cracker) but also horrible drag that mocks and debases women. M&W falls squarely in the former fabulous category. I was particularly impressed by the Sophia performance in Beautopia: A Face Odyssey. The clubhouse in center city is itself worth checking out just for the bar which has an impressive array of German beer steins covering the walls. Grab a beer and enjoy the show! read more

Had our wedding reception here, and it was awesome! If you want a location that is historic and unique ... whether a wedding, or any event ... check this place out! We had over 90 people, cocktail party downstairs, and full dinner in the upstairs ballroom/theatre. Kate, the House Manager, and her staff were amazing to work with ... full bar offerings, with great service. Our guests loved the quirkiness and fun of the place, which is full of historic photos, paintings, and theatre related items. Loved it! read more

The Mask and Wig was a real find as a venue for our party. We'd walked past it for years, intrigued about its interior, and then when we took a tour, we were enchanted. In fact, we'd been nervous about holding our event (a book party), but when we saw the space, we were suddenly confident that it would be an utter pleasure to gather friends together in this wonderful building. And it was! I can't praise the M&W staff enough: Kate the manager was calm, clear and imaginative about how to make our party go smoothly and with a style that was all about the details, but never fussy. The bartenders were superb and I love it that they serve Philadelphia Distilling spirits. It's a brilliant space for a party because of the two levels: people who wanted to hang out and chat over cocktails stayed downstairs in the bar, and then upstairs we had music and dancing. This is a magical little Philadelphia gem, and its management is nothing short of perfect. read more

We had our wedding reception at Mask & Wig and it was perfect. Kate was great to work with, I loved having both the bar and the ballroom for staging food and events, and the quirky setting really suited us. The bartenders were excellent. All of our guests had a great time. I wish I could afford to throw parties there more often! read more

I saw the show Flight Club (2016 season) and it was by far the best student production I have seen at Penn. The performers of Mask & Wig are incredibly talented and I would recommend seeing their annual off-campus show in the spring - it definitely is at the same caliber of any theater on Broad. read more

*not a review of a Mask and Wig production; these comments regard venue rental* We had a wedding here. Lovely evening, but some of our interactions with M&W could've gone better. M&W handles their own wine and spirits, not caterers, and in the end, we felt overcharged for alcohol. We had requested that bottles be opened up only as needed at the downstairs bar and that wine pours be "catering standard" (meaning small). This was important to us; we were on a small budget and only wanted to pay for what people would actually drink. Neither of these requests were followed, pours were big and many full bottles of wine were wasted as open bottles sat upstairs on the catering side table; the cater waiters weren't offering pours because they were busy doing other things. We lost much of our deposit this way and that wine went to waste. We also paid M&W for a sound-system rental that malfunctioned during dancing, and we were not able to get it fixed. The amount shaved off the rental fee for this was minimal and we had to request it. Additionally, we thought we were renting the place "as is" from our initial walk through. But when we went back for the final walk through, there was a large set on the stage and the stage curtain had been removed. Nobody warned us about that possibility. The club heard our concerns and put up a temporary curtain that mostly covered the set for our wedding day. We were happy they did that. On the plus side, the building has many positives too: intimate, historic, colorful, unique. There is much to like about it. read more