Our Story

In recent years, Theatre Exile received news that our long-time home on 13^th Street, Studio X, was being purchased by developers, and would be torn down and rebuilt as new residences. Our Producing Artistic Director, Deborah Block, worked to convince the developers to include a brand new theater space for Theatre Exile in this building, as we have become a cultural cornerstone in the South Philadelphia community. Over the past year, we moved out of our space as it was torn down and completely rebuilt, and moved back into our new theatre in early 2019.

During this time, we began a capital campaign, to fund not only our move back into the new theatre space and all that would be needed to outfit and furnish it, but also for a year’s transition for our rehearsal, performance and administrative office needs. The swift response from funders and community members, as well as long-time Theatre Exile supporters and new audience members, is a testament to Theatre Exile’s staying power in the Philadelphia theatre community. It is also a vote of confidence in our place as an important part of both the history and future growth of our South Philadelphia neighborhood.

Our new space is changing the way Theatre Exile works within our community. As Theatre Exile sees itself not only serving the five county area but also the community in which we live, we aim to maintain our important position in the South Philadelphia cultural landscape, allowing our patrons to experience our work in an intimate manner, but also offering a venue for the local civic association, church groups and schools to meet and hold events. With our new space, we will be able to continue to serve local artists and community members that need a smaller, more affordable venue conveniently located in their neighborhood. The new space has been created to accommodate theater, dance, and music with specially designed floors and a subterranean performance space that allows for music in this residential neighborhood.