Philadelphia Small Theatres Meet to Discuss Support

Representatives from 24 theatre companies producing work in the Greater Philadelphia area met on July 23 at the Adrienne Theatre’s Second Stage to discuss a united approach to independent theatre promotion. Facilitated by Ty Furman of the Vagabond Acting Troupe, the meeting was held to establish whether there was a need for such a "consortium" of self-termed "fringe" theatrical companies in the Philadelphia area.

"The sense we got from that initial meeting," said Furman following the meeting, "is that there is not only an interest, but there is a real need for an organization to promote the smaller companies of Greater Philadelphia."

"If you ask the average person on the street what ‘live theatre’ is available in Philadelphia, you would never realize what a thriving sub-culture there is in the theatre community," agrees Aileen McCulloch, Artistic Director of the VAT, who helped to organize the initial meeting. "You’ll commonly hear four or five names when people list the Theatres Companies of Philadelphia.

"In actuality," continues McCulloch, "there are at least 45 semi-professional and professional theatrical companies operating in the area that are regularly producing what might be termed cutting edge work. The common denominator between these incredibly prolific companies is lack of exposure and thus a primarily "theatre-centric" audience - made up of area performers - i.e. the folks who want to see it all - and a core group of audience regulars for each company."

Citing the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia (TAGP) and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival as recent signs that the area is brimming with theatre outside the mainstream, this newest administrative addition to the Philadelphia theatre community hopes to be a link to these larger organizations, not a competitor.

"It’s hard for some of the smaller organizations to get together funds and to win recognition from TAGP’s annual Barrymores for Excellence in Theatre," explains McCulloch, "but the intimacy of these groups can frequently provide something that the larger venues don’t. We want to make sure that Philadelphia area theatre-goers know that there are dramatic intimate-space choices available almost every weekend of the year - even when the old stand-by’s are dark."

In attendance at the meeting were representatives from Big Mess, Bloody Someday, Bratt Productions, The Brick Playhouse, Robert Christophe and Kim Waldauer, Daylight Zone, Fictitious Theatre Co., Gravy, Iron Age, Magnet, The Center Theatre Co. (MCCC), Mum Puppet Theatre, Rikiki, The Shubin, Simple Minded Productions, Site, Theatre Double, Theatre Exile, Teatro Legasi, Rumpus, Theatrix, Untitled (Shannon Zura), The Vagabond Acting Troupe, Inc. and Theatre Catalyst Inc.

To get a sneak peak at many of these theatre companies, theatre goers can drop in on the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, September 9-19 in Old City, Philadelphia. With plans already in the works to join forces in fundraising and public relations, these many smaller companies of Philadelphia are gearing up to spread the word that Philadelphia’s theatre scene is decorated with "Fringe" year-round.