Not a theater fan? Maybe you just haven’t found your gateway show yet.
This fall, Philadelphia’s stages are offering plenty of unconventional ways to dip a toe into the stage world with improvised reality TV competitions, Japanese ghost stories in a historic garden, creepy-cookey family chaos, athletic showdowns, pub-set tales and even a Stephen King feature. All you have to do is give one a shot.
1812 Productions is kicking off its 30th anniversary season with 'This Should Never Be A Musical: An Improvised Reality Show.' This fresh concept where “no two performances are alike" is set to run from Sept. 4 to 27 at Arden Theatre Company’s Arcadia Stage. As the company notes, the comedy blends the chaos of 'American Idol' and 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' with the mockumentary spirit of 'Waiting for Guffman.'
Essentially, each night, the audience supplies “hilariously terrible” musical titles, which performers turn into improvised songs and scenes through a series of reality TV-style challenges. The audience then votes to determine which “musical” advances, with the winner revealed at the start of the second act. To cap everything off, the cast will perform a fully staged, 30-minute version complete with costumes and choreography of the winning production. Tickets (starting at $44) are available online.
40 N 2nd St., 1812productions.org
‘SPORTS!’
3701 Filbert St., obvious-agency.com
Those unsure of the stage might want to start with a familiar story. The Walnut Street Theatre is kicking off its 218th season with 'The Addams Family: The Musical.' This iteration of the popular story will bring everyone’s "favorite creepy, kooky clan to the stage for a gloriously offbeat comedy about love, family, secrets, and meeting your daughter’s 'normal' boyfriend". Previews begin Sept. 22 and performances will run Sept. 30 through Nov. 1.
Halloween is also a great time to nab tickets: Walnut Street’s Hallo-Week will feature special performances and deals from Oct. 28 to 31, including $28 mezzanine seats, a free youth ticket with a full-price adult ticket, date-night packages, and an Addams After Dark Halloween performance with $10 drink specials. All tickets (various pricing) are available online.
825 Walnut St., walnutstreettheatre.org
There’s a new kind of performance coming to the city this fall, one that puts a fresh twist on the traditional ghost story. Schreiben the Conjurer and Envoute Entertainment will present a strictly limited engagement of ‘Kaidan: Tales of Moonlight and Rain’, following a successful run at Plays and Players during last Fringe season. As the company notes, this month’s set of performances moves beyond the traditional theater setting and into the historic Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center in Fairmount Park — a setting fit for a show based in Japanese ghost stories and eerie illusions.
Schreiben the Conjurer will lead the performance as narrator and medium. Cited as a master of the hidden arts, Schreiben will guide audiences through the evening’s “100 Spirits” ritual, joined by a stylized Abe No Seimei. The show will take place on Sept. 18 and 19, with intimate performances scheduled at 7 and 9 p.m. each evening. Capacity is strictly limited, with reservations required. Proceeds from ticket sales (starting at $68 via Bucketlisters) will support Shofuso’s ongoing upkeep, programs, and renovations.
Lansdowne and Horticultural Drives, japanphilly.org/shofuso/
What if you found out you had two months to live—and decided to bet against it? 'A Gambler’s Guide to Dying' is making its Philadelphia premiere with Inis Nua Theatre Company this season.
The one-person show follows a lifelong gambler who takes on his biggest wager yet: beating his own mortality. Told through the eyes of his grandson, this "funny, tender, slightly mysterious" story will unfold inside Fergie’s Pub from Sept 30 to Oct. 18.
Part of Inis Nua’s Pop-Up Play in a Pub series, every ticket comes with a savory pie and drink voucher, so you can skip the traditional theater ritual and settle in with a pint and a story instead. Tickets (starting around $25) are available online.
1214 Samson St., inisnuatheatre.org
As a release notes, the chilling psychological thriller features regional favorites Bruce Graham and Emma Gibson, who will bring the infamous battle of wills between a famous author and his devoted fan to life onstage. Under the direction of Catharine Slusar, the show promises to be an experience that will “keep audiences on the edge of their seats until the lights come up.”
Philadelphians can catch Misery onstage from Oct. 14 to Nov. 1. Tickets (pricing varies) are available online.
64 Rose Valley Road, Media, hedgerowtheatre.org
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