I did a musical with my school and backstage and front stage was amazing. The lights were amazing for spotlight. I'm doing another you one this year, Madagascar Jr. read more

Plays & Players - My last musical - Performing Arts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What a cool venue. There are two stages here. I saw one downstairs. At about 85 years old, this place has history and charm. They are changing their resident theater company. It will be exciting to see who takes the space next. If you get a chance to see a production here, do it! It will be worth it for the atmosphere alone. read more

Attended a show in the upstairs performance space this weekend. The 1st thing you notice when you sit down is the incredible smell of cigarettes. My friend actually smelled the chairs to see if they were in storage where there was smoking. We asked someone from the theater what the smell was. They explained that the bar next door is a social club that doesn't sell food so smoking is allowed. Then they joked that this was a good night and that the smell is usually much worse Im not a smoker and sitting and smelling the stench almost made me leave the production. I can't believe either the theater or the "social club" can't install some kind of ventilation that takes care of this. I love the downstairs performance space but will not attend another upstairs production read more

Came here for the the 3rd night of the Fringe Previews and it was definitely a chill little theater. It's on one of those side streets that make it an instant secret if you don't venture a little bit forward. seriously I probably passed by it a bajillion times without even knowing. But the building definitely has an nice decor and a classic theater appeal. they had a good helping of drinks for the plus, and a downstairs lobby that would have been perfect if I didn't nearly banged my head on the ceiling every time I made the descent. I'd say that Represented Theatre Co. gave the best preview performance but that would be biased. And besides we decided to play secrets and drop hints with an awesomely played cast interview piece. I thought we we're going to be the most secretive for awhile, But Brat Productions definitely took that honor with their recorded audio only preview. At least it had me curious. The honors of the night by far went to the Nice People Theatre Company and the awesomely named (pardon my French) Zombies Ain't Shit Theatre Company. Nice People are doing an awesome group therapy musical called Have A Nice Day. The group features a man with a mother complex, an arguing couple, and a therapist who appears to be smitten with his newest patient, and others characters that I can't wait to find out more about. And the performance of the Zombie group, (again pardon my French) Brainfucked is about pharmaceutical taking college students who turn into brain eating zombies. It's a romance that's suitable for children (I joke, therefore I'm sold!). But this was just one night of ten 10 minute previews! Be sure to check out what Plays & Players are doing during Fringe, because it's sure to be awesome. And their next regular season is going to feature Alice in Wonderland, puppetry classes for your kids, and William Shakespeare's Land Of The Dead (note - not really a Shakespeare play. But a something that should be a true experience. Alas Poor Yorik, I had to shoot him in the head!). Shakespeare vs zombies? I think I could cry blood whether I'm sold or not. But that remains to be seen so I'm there! read more

My first live theater performance in Philadelphia was an excellent one as we visited Plays and Players for the "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" opening night. After looking at photos, it's apparent that this space can be transformed for almost any set needed. The theater is intimate, the location IDEAL (though maybe not for parking, as it's right in the heart of the city, only about a block from Rittenhouse.) However, my very favorite part of the space would have to be Quig's Pub upstairs which we visited during intermission. Sometimes, when a performance is particularly moving, there's nothing like a cold beer (or, for some, a room temperature glass of wine or an icy cocktail) to bring me back to reality for the duration of the play. Bonus: we were able to bring our beverages back into the theater, so no need for slamming drinks in a classy establishment. The acoustics are on point, I never once felt like I was straining to hear. I also liked that the lighting was able to really show off the passing of time, skilled tech folks back stage! My mom's apartment is about 30 feet from this spot, so I'm sure we'll be back. Bravo to P&Ps, you've made a fan out of me! read more

Is this a massive old house or something? I'm not sure but it was really freaking cool. We came here to check out a fringe performance. The show was entitled Superheroes are Super and well, it was awesome. If you want to find out how compatible you are with someone, taking them to see a show where 5 people read a classic comic, dress up like the superheroes and perform uncoordinated hi-jinx is certainly a good yardstick. We sat in the 3rd floor theater which was quite small and a little warm. Still, we enjoyed the show very much and right next door they have a little pub. A little pub with a great beer selection and excellent prices. A little good beer never hurt any stage performance in my opinion. When you get out, you're on a beautiful street in Philly where you can walk just about anywhere. This is a good place. read more

Amazing venue. The bar on the 3rd floor pours you a NICE glass of wine... and Norman David's Eleventet sounds great in that room. Cool space for sure, can't wait to see more productions there. read more

Plays & Players - Norman David's Eleventet - Performing Arts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Two-part review, one for the theater and one for the play we saw. Theater: The theater has a very intimate feel. There are two options for the stage, one smaller and one larger. When I first took my seat on the smaller stage I felt like I was going to be sitting on top of the actors, but once the show started I felt like the distance was pretty good. The seats were comfortable enough but were pushed too close together - lack of personal space is a big con as far as I'm concerned. Like other reviewers noted, the place is warm, and the downstairs bathrooms were a furnace. That said, it was mid-January and I'd rather be too warm than too cold, so no complaints here. Also, apparently there's a bar on the third floor. I didn't check it out so I can't comment, but an upstairs bar doesn't usually hurt a place. Not a whole lot else that was notable about the place. Three stars. Play: I saw A New Brain on opening night. I loved it and there's a decent chance I'll go back a second time. The play (a musical) dealt with a pretty serious theme (songwriter experiences a life-threatening brain emergency) in a funny, occasionally touching, sometimes-cheesy-but-it's-a-musical-so-it's-okay kind of way. I was actually surprised at how talented the vast majority of the actors were, in terms of both singing and acting. I really "bought" all the characters, which is a rarity for me. A couple of scenes were a bit over-the-top and a couple of the characters didn't blow me away, but overall it was solid. Side note: I overheard during intermission that there had been some sort of issue with the sound during the first act, but I couldn't tell, so kudos to the tech crew. Four and a half stars. read more

[ production - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ] We got free tickets from the Philly Yelp Elite squad to see "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf", which was an amazing experience. I don't often go to plays - usually only when I am given free tickets - and the last thing I saw in Philly was some awful Samuel Beckett thing that I didn't understand, probably because I'm not highbrow enough for that sort of thing, so I've been rather turned off theatre for most of my life. This production redeemed it! A touching, intelligent, and fantastically impactful story with four phenomenal actors. There were occasional line slipups, which they recovered from with dignity and actually added to the charm of the whole thing. [ venue ] The theatre itself is rather small and intimate, tucked away on a residental section of Delancy Street. Friendly and casually dressed staff will meet you at the door to collect tickets and hand out playbills. The theatre is pretty old and worn, but comfortable. You'll be able to see and hear comfortably from anywhere within the room. Downstairs has bathrooms, a water fountain, and a small concession stand which sells tea, coffee, hot chocolate, candy bars, and small snacks. There appears to be some kind of bar upstairs, which I did not check out. There are only two stalls in the women's bathroom, so make a point of rushing out there to avoid the line during intermissions. [ website and pricing ] Tickets seem super affordable - the tickets for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf were selling online for $10, which is amazing for the production value and quality of the play. The website is a bit messy and counterintuitive - there's a link for a credit score calculator at the top of the page, which is odd - might be a sponsorship thing. **PROTIP for online ticket buyers: The "buy tickets" page doesn't seem to work - If you want to order tickets you have to find the event in the calendar on the right hand side of the page and copy-paste the http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/ link into your browser. [ conclusion ] Lovely little place to absord some culture which is well-run and managed enough. Not polished, but that might be a part of its charm. Take an evening and check it out. read more

Last night we had the pleasure of seeing Shakespeare's Land of the Dead here. It was a great premise but the actor playing the lead role did not carry his weight. I love it when any performing art medium attempts to work outside the box, so I so love the interactive element to the theater. Sadly, a lot of that interactiveness was splattered all over my jacket. I laughed, I groaned, and I got to hear one of my favorite songs last night. With a little refinement this show could be the talk of twitter #zombie land. read more

This is one of my favorite small theater companies within the city of Philadelphia. The building is gorgeous. The plays they put on are well thought out and fun to go to. And the people doing the behind the scenes work, funding, and keeping this place doing what they do, they are passionate about their art. Obviously every show is different so I can't tell you that they all will be winners, but the space and the people doing the work here are great and care much for their art. Also it's quite convenient to several nearby bars, or if you're seeing something in the cabaret space on 3, they have a bar on site! read more

Ever have one of those moments where you're like, "Only in Philthy?" Yeah. So I was on a date (!!!) with someone who had scored us free tickets to Gayfest: Crumple Zone. We met up at Plays and Players. For the record, she was carrying a huge bag of food, and I was in black jeans and an Oscar the Grouch t-shirt. The person (queer! how delightful) who met us on the first floor didn't even blink and let us know we had to go upstairs. The building is currently under renovation, which just adds to the "what the FUCK am I in Oz??!" feel. There is a giant brass gate just chilling on the landing to the second floor and a busted window next to an immaculate one on the third floor. We were directed to the pub (yes, the pub) which is to the right of the third floor stage to wait. It is ... tiny, air conditioned, blaring very gay music and -- yes -- you can carry your drink into the show. Which is precisely what my companion did. The theater itself is very intimate. I'd say it seats no more than thirty something. The a/c was on full fucking blast, so we were both shivering within minutes. However, good acoustics, and I have nothing to complain about for the scenery. Uh, Gayfest, on the other hand. Look, everyone should go spend 25$ on this because queer people in queer plays is really fucking important. It is REALLY IMPORTANT to support queer artists and writers and play companies. That being said, you're going to laugh at the wrong parts of Crumple Zone because the writing is absolutely god-awful. There is a monologue from one character to his lover (who is cheating on his bf of four years ooooooo dramz). It goes approximately like this: "I have a dream of you and me ... on a deserted beach." That's as far as I got before I was desperately holding back sobs of laughter, and my poor benefactor was grabbing my arm and doubling over too. There are a lot of those moments, interspersed with actually quite good performances from a few of the actors, as well as two sexual assaults which add nothing to the plot. so idk read more

Cute small and classy theater in Rittenhouse square. It's in a residential blocks so pretty hard to miss unless you're looking for it. I came here to watch "This is the week that is" an 1812 production and it easily become one of the favorite plays!! I HIGHLY recommend that show to anyone. It is was a really well produced political satire show. The only thing that would have made the play slightly better is if they had drinks (aka wine) to go along with the snacks they had! I think if they want to increase their revenue a little wine or beer might just do that for them! read more

Plays & Players - Performing Arts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

How cute is this place????? It's definitely on the small and cozy side. Saw Collin Kane here he was absolutely hilarious but I can't write a review based on him. The place was built in 1909, walking in you feel transformed into a different century. The place is small enough that we could see the stage and the performers clearly from the back which must make it super convenient for other shows. The chairs, hallways, bathrooms, everything looks like it's hanging on by its last leg but I think that adds to character. Lovely little place in a hidden location would love to go see more shows here read more

Plays & Players - Stage - Performing Arts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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1812 Productions, Philadelphia's All Comedy Theatre's home for Our Show of Shows tonight and Laughter on the 23rd Floor ealier this year. Bring Mom. She'll have fun. read more

Small theater with seats requiring replacement. Intimate and historic.

I have so many mixed feelings about this place. For one.. It is in no way handicap accessible for comedy shows on the 3rd floor. You walk up very narrow hallways and are seated in an incredibly cramped area. The worst part about this place is the heat. The show had an 8pm start time and we stood cramped in a room with 50 other people with no air conditioning until 8:30. The show room was not any better. I looked around and saw one air conditioner. The seating area is a bunch of chairs crammed together. People were fanning themselves and at one point the host said, "I know it's hot! Thanks for sticking it out!" How is there no air conditioning? The show was 'craigslisting' and I thought the host was very funny. I might come back during a cooler time of year. Might. read more

Plays & Players - We both had to sit arms crossed so we weren't awkwardly touching each other. Very close quarters. - Performing Arts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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It was a nice historic place in the midst of a very peaceful, quaint/cozy neigborhood. I saw a super funny, well-acted play "The Boston Marriage". Overall it was a very unique and pleasant experience. One of those totally Philly type of things to do. Also, did you know that student rush tickets are only $5 there?! read more

I was a contestant on the What's My Line show here, a few weeks ago. Nice small intimate theater on the 3rd floor. Great Host and Panel...very funny and audience engagement. Highly recommend! read more

I went to see Plays and Players production of Neil Labute's "The Shape of Things" and I have to say what a great performance it was! While the Plays and Players Club is the longest running Community Theatre in Philadelphia, their new artistic approach has just breathed new life into the organization as well as the location. Plays and Players has brought on board a bunch of new artists with fresh ideas about creative ways to use the stage and reach a new audience. Back to "The Shape of Things", the production takes place on stage in a stadium seating fashion as the action plays out merely steps away from the audience making the production more intimate while taking advantage of the professional lighting on the main stage. This production was directed by Carol Laratonda who has quickly become one of the newest directors to watch! The cast of four include Molly Casey, Scott Franco, Jacqueline Holloway, and Ken Sandberg. The relationship between these actors and the characters they play is genuine and easily made apparent by the intimate staging. This production has a very limited run and will close on Sunday, August 10th so rush on over to www.playsandplayers.org and get your tickets!! read more

Plays & Players - The Shape of Things - Performing Arts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My favorite venue in town this far. The bar staff is amazing and help you create a drink of your liking. Would recommend venue to anyone

For full disclosure, I am a board member at Plays & Players. I just want to clarify something for all comers. Plays & Players Theatre is the wonderful building that my company owns, and Plays & Players is the theater company that operates the space. We produce our own shows such as the Shape of Things, and our own events such as the On Stage Philadelphia Performing Arts Preview Series referred to by Bill M. Robert S. has seen shows produced by companies such as Philadelphia Theatre Company (Nerds!) and 1812 Productions (Cherry Bomb) with whom the quality of production we have nothing to do with. They simply rent our space. So when Cherie C. says we are changing our resident theater company, we actually are re-establishing Plays & Players as the resident theater company. We are grateful to have current renters like 1812 Productions and Theater Exile to raise the profile of our space - but we invite audiences to see our own work as central to what we do. www.playsandplayers.org for more info! read more

Wonderful place...the 3rd floor bar is one of the coolest places I've ever had an intermission drink. The theatre has great acoustics as well. read more

Plays & Players presented "Dream House: A Rainy Day Play". It was DELIGHTFUL. I took my 4 year old grandson to his first play and also the Mommy and Me activities prior to the play. The Mommy and Me had us participate in activities that related to the play and was also nicely paced between doing, listening and snacks. The one woman play was non-violent and offered the children and adults action, excitement and joy. A not to be missed time. read more

Went to see Shakespeare's Land of the Dead last night at Plays & Players. Very disappointing and mediocre. Some very good acting, and a few actors who were not up to the challenge of their roles. Great concept for a show, but poorly executed. read more

I really enjoy Plays and Players and have seen some excellent productions there, such as Nerds! Last night my wife and I and some friends went to see Cherry Bombs. It was a very talented cast given one of the worst scripts I have seen in a long time with which to work. The performers, however, were talented and several in particular had beautiful voices. I understand the show was about "a bad group of performers" but this was a real snoozerand I could not wait for it to end. In all fairness, some people did like it, my wife and the other husband I was with, but his wife had the same reaction I did. The rest of the audience seemed split. Admittedly, this is just one man's opinion! read more

Wife and I attended a comedy show here . The theatre was small but made for a cozy atmosphere . The show was well done and we would return for other shows. We were able to walk to a local pub afterwards to cap off the evening . read more

Beautiful theater on Delancey Street in Philly. Small but not overly cramped. Terrific neighborhood, great location. We saw This Is the Week That Is - 1812 Production / Philadelphia's All Comedy Theater Company. Political satire a la SNL. It was absolutely hilarious! They do a few sketches that are interactive with the audience, which can be if-fy, but it went off well. Cast is super-talented: writers direct and perform and... However, the queen of the night was Jennifer Childs. She did a skit with a character named Patsy, a South Philly lady who was encouraged to have her own show by her neighbors because she has an opinion on everything! So clever and entertaining. She brought the house down! We also enjoyed Will the Real Chris Christie Please Stand Up. The entire show was tremendously entertaining. read more