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An interview with the director Mary B. Robinson, about the time she spent as the final Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Drama Guild.
Gregory Poggi successfully led the Philadelphia Drama Guild throughout the decade of the 1980s. He talked with us about his tussles with board members, battles with critics, fundraising triumphs and the growing audience support for professional nonprofit theater companies
The sudden success of the Drama Guild - a former amateur theater group transformed into a professional local powerhouse - finally fulfills the promise of giving Philadelphia a flagship nonprofit theater company.
January 1, 1800: Philadelphia's premiere theater company rang in the New Year with their production of the spectacular Romance entitled "Blue Beard, or Female Curiosity."
Three new Philadelphia theater complexes are built for the mid-century modern era - funded by wealthy philanthropists.
A re-edited, reduced and remixed account of the entire history of the Theatre of the Living Arts – the first major professional theater company in Philadelphia's modern era.
Our first episode of Season Four - introducing our plans and hopes for the upcoming year on the podcast!
Like the ghost of Hamlet's father, the body of John Barrymore would not stay still . . . one dark night it suddenly appeared in the Philadelphia.
An encore presentation of a chapter from Thomas Keels' "Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of Brotherly Love."
We interview the late theater historian Barry Witham about his 2013 book "A Sustainable Theatre: Jasper Deeter at the Hedgerow," and then bring listeners along on a guided tour of Hedgerow Theatre campus in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania.
An exciting announcement - Join the party, as we launch our new book!
This Encore episode of the podcast - first released as Episode 35 in our Season One - goes on a journey to the Paul Robeson House and Museum in Philadelphia.
In which we close out the Tryout Town story of Philadelphia theater - and we share a chapter of Peter's upcoming book!
Vinnette Carroll brought her gospel-themed musicals about African American culture through Philadelphia In the 1970s. We discuss this much-neglected important Black theater artist, in a conversation with Jerrell Henderson.
The continuation of to the story from our previous episode, we talk about the failures, successes - and sometimes the deaths of shows and performers of commercial tryout shows in Philly of the 1970s.
Many hopeful Broadway tryout shows came through Philadelphia during the 1960s. Some shows died in Philly - and some performers and audience members did too!
The Philadelphia story of the development and world premiere of that famous Iowa musical, by Meredith Willson, "The Music Man."
Plays and musicals often displayed the deep influence of Hollywood! Here's the story of commercial shows coming to Philadelphia on tryout runs in the 1950s.
The most iconic New York musical ever - but its original success can be credited to the "tryout-town" audiences in Philly!
Post-war theater in Philadelphia reflected the many serious issues the country was facing: Carmen Jones, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Member of the Wedding and Death of a Salesman all had tryout premieres in Philadelphia.
The story of Cole Porter's classic musical Kiss Me, Kate's world premier opening in Philadelphia in December of 1948.
"Pal Joey," "Native Son," "Annie Get Your Gun" - during the years of the Second World War, there was a new surge of exciting Broadway productions trying out in Philadelphia.
A reissue of our conversation with scholar Jonathan Shandell and director Jerrell Henderson, about a little-known chapter of Philadelphia's theater history.
Philadelphia enters the Great Depression, and wrecking crews were tearing down many of the city's grand old theaters.