THEATRE EXILE’S 2024 SEASON REVEALED: SHOWS INCLUDE AN R. ERIC THOMAS EAST COAST PREMIERE, THE RETURN OF A FAN-FAVORITE SERIES, AND A TONY AWARD-WINNING PLAY
The South Philadelphia theatre company fuses storytellers & audiences through thought-provoking
works of art.
PHOTOS: HERE
Philadelphia, PA | September 16, 2024 – South Philadelphia-based theater company Theatre Exile
(1340 S 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147) announces a bold new season of thought-provoking productions, including an East Coast premiere, stories of Philly grit, and a six-time Tony Award-winning show. Now in its 28th season, Theatre Exile continues to present shows illuminating the complexities of the human condition, uplifting diverse voices, and reflecting themes of Philadelphia pride and passion.
This season’s humor and irony-infused selection of shows challenges audiences to explore beyond their own perceptions and embrace each character’s personal journey through the author’s vision of art, culture, and history.
“This season, we focused on the importance of the artist's voice in our community and the significance of this critical time in society for that voice to emerge and help us navigate the rapid evolution underway,” said Deborah Block, Producing Artistic Director at Theatre Exile. “Beyond that powerful voice, we’ve selected scripts that reflect the characters' struggles as they try to make sense of the changing times and find their place in it.”
The new season begins on October 24 with playwright John Logan’s Tony Award-winning show RED. Six-time Barrymore Award-winning ambassador of Philadelphia theatre, Scott Greer, portrays the critically acclaimed larger-than-life American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko as he grapples with balancing artistic integrity with the demands of commercial commissions. Set in Rothko’s 1950s New York City studio, the play highlights his battle between ideas and practicality, resonating with today’s necessity for younger artists to find their own voices while picking up where previous generations have left off. Near the end of his career, Rothko questions his place in the artistic world as his assistant pushes him to confront the next generation's role in shaping the future of art.
In Logan’s production of RED, the artist and his assistant Ken, played by emerging actor Zach Valdez, commit furious strokes to canvas while exchanging pointed and, at times, audacious critiques of pop art.
Rothko has just received the biggest commission in the history of modern art to paint a series of murals for the Four Seasons restaurant, but does the assignment align with the authenticity of his work? He and his assistant debate the merits of artistic license and intent and expose their genuine feelings about Rothko’s assignment, presenting the question: What is the cost of artistic commercialism, and is the artist perpetuating his deepest fear that “…one day the black will swallow the red”?
Directed by Matt Pfeiffer, RED reunites Greer and Pfeiffer for the first time since Greer’s Barrymore Award-winning performance and Pfeiffer’s Best Director award for Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale (2015). Pfieffer received the Best Director award for both The Whale and The Invisible Hand (2016), also produced with Theatre Exile. Greer’s powerhouse portrayal of Rothko brings depth and emotion to the artist’s internal conflicts, making his struggles feel as timely as ever. Scott Greer and Zach Valdez unite onstage for the first time since The Motherf**ker With the Hat at Theatre Exile to interpret the two starkly contrasted characters of RED. South Philly-based set designer Colin McIlvaine joins the creative duo to craft a space that reflects the artist’s world and his ever-deepening turmoil.
In its first season, Philly GRIT touched audiences through a collection of three one-woman presentations exhibiting a confluence of candor and comedy. Philly GRIT: A Pirate, A School Girl, and A Good Person presented interactive performances full of witty and piercing social commentary. Returning for its second season beginning February 26, the series offers audiences a chance to experience an eclectic variety of stories that push beyond traditional forms of theater. This season’s two-show presentation aims to amplify diverse voices and storytelling styles, staying true to Theatre Exile’s mission of expressing the human journey through an unfiltered lens. Philly GRIT celebrates Philadelphia’s fearless performers who bring stories to life in unexpected and daring ways.
This season’s two-show series shines a spotlight on raw, unfiltered storytelling. The series wraps up with a night of pure joy at Camp Cookie, a speakeasy-style cabaret led by the incredible Cookie D’iorio. A classically trained vocalist and passionate drag performer, Cookie is known for captivating audiences with her powerful voice, heartfelt performances, and infectious energy. With music, laughter, and plenty of sparkle, Camp Cookie promises an unforgettable experience filled with drinks, fun, and, of course, cookies! With humor at its core, Philly GRIT captures the raw energy and resilience of Philadelphia artists, whose stories reflect the spirit of the city. The series offers two shows for the price of one subscription, with flex tickets available for any performance date. Final selections are underway for this season’s opening GRIT production, authored by a Philadelphia-area playwright, and will open for audiences in 2025.
Closing the season is the East Coast premiere of Glitter in The Glass on May 29, written by R. Eric Thomas, a South Philly-based playwright known for his work on the power of space, placement, and the transformative nature of art. Directed by Brett Ashley Robinson, the production stars Jen Kidwell as Chelle, an artist confronting the complicated legacy of her Baltimore neighborhood, where a Confederate monument has recently been removed. Chelle embarks on a project to replace the statue with a new monument, reflecting her community's changing identity. Developed through Theatre Exile’s Studio X-hibition, Glitter in The Glass speaks to themes of reckoning with the past, confronting the present, and imagining a new future. R. Eric Thomas, a South Philly local, brings this poignant and timely work to life.
In Glitter in The Glass, Chelle has recently purchased her childhood home in the Upton neighborhood, and her brother Willard is working on refurbishing it. The stunning home sits in an area that’s more weed than flower, with a front window view framing an empty pedestal recently home to a statue of the Confederate general Robert E. Lee: an eyesore and an opportunity. In Chelle's determination to focus on the present, she begins building a new monument to replace the old one. What goes in the place of a Confederate monument in a Black Baltimore neighborhood? Will a reckoning come? And after that, well, what then? Proclaimed as “Wildly funny and thought-provoking” by Broadway World, Glitter in The Glass explores liminal spaces and a world on the cusp of exploding.
R. Eric Thomas and Brett Ashley Robinson are reunited in Glitter in The Glass as playwright and director following their world premiere at Theatre Exile with the family-friendly production The Ever Present(2021) as part of the company’s outdoor theatre series that year. Robinson also returns to Exile this year following her irreverent solo performance in the 2024 Philly GRIT series’ Good Person and her directorship in the 2023 world premiere of James Ijames smash hit Abandon. Combining humor with poignant social commentary, Glitter in The Glass debuted for online audiences in 2020 and hits the stage at Theatre Exile in the spring of 2025.
In support of the upcoming season, Theatre Exile received funding from the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Independence Foundation. Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation.
2024/25 Season Shows & Ticket Information
RED by John Logan
Directed by Matt Pfeiffer
October 24 to November 10
Mark Rothko has landed the biggest commission in the history of modern art. He works feverishly. But when his young assistant challenges him, Rothko faces the agonizing possibility that his crowning achievement could become his undoing. Featuring Scott Greer as the powerful and passionate Mark Rothko and Zach Valdez as his assistant, RED is a provocative portrait of an artist's ambition and the importance of the next generation finding their voice.
Philly GRIT by Various Philadelphia-area Playwrights
Productions TBD
February 26 to March 9, 2025
This season’s two-show series aims to amplify diverse storytelling styles while staying true to Theatre Exile’s mission of expressing the human journey through an unfiltered lens. Philly GRIT will end with Camp Cookie featuring Cookie D’iorio, Philadelphia-based drag performer, classically trained vocalist, songwriter, activist, and lover of all things sparkly! Camp Cookie is a speakeasy Cabaret filled with music, laughter, drinks, and of course.. cookies.
*East Coast Premiere*
Glitter in The Glass by R. Eric Thomas
Directed by Brett Ashley Robinson
May 29 to June 22, 2025
Chelle, a Black mid-career artist, has written a check that she's not sure her talent can cash. When the city of Baltimore takes down the Confederate monument in the park across the street from her childhood home, she has an idea. She'll apply for a grant to create a piece to replace it. Caught between the past, the present, and the future, Chelle, portrayed by Jennifer Kidwell, is catapulted into a journey that takes her back before the Middle Passage and out beyond the bounds of this planet.
Ticket Information
Audiences can choose from a variety of four-show Flex Pass Subscriptions for Theatre Exile’s season. With the subscription, patrons will receive four single tickets, one ticket per show, that can be used for any show date during the season. Single tickets for Theatre Exile’s upcoming productions are available for purchase starting at $10 per ticket.Subscription sales are available online, with packages starting at just $45. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Theatre Exile box office at 215-218-4022. For more information, visit theatreexile.org and follow Theatre Exile on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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About Theatre Exile Theatre Exile is a non-profit theater company dedicated to enhancing the cultural experiences of Philadelphians through the staging of works that engage the imagination since it was founded in 1996. Theatre Exile strives to reach new audiences throughout the community by presenting both new works as well as established plays that are often reinterpreted in original ways. These productions emphasize freedom of expression formulated through innovation, exploration, and provocation. At the same time, Theatre Exile provides a safe and creative environment where local artists can grow, experiment, and find their voice. Learn more about Theatre Exile’s 2024/25 season, purchase tickets, and more by visiting www.theatreexile.org.
