Here’s the latest on Philadelphia’s theater scene.
‘Once Upon a Bridge’
For the past two decades, Inis Nua Theatre has produced contemporary, provocative plays from Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales – often as American premieres – that reflect each cultures’ new identities in today’s world.
Starting its 20th anniversary season on March 6 (through March 24) is the East Coast premiere of Irish playwright Sonya Kelly’s ‘Once Upon a Bridge’. Along with acting as the company’s first mainstage show at The Drake in some time, ‘Once Upon a Bridge’ stars three performers who have graced Inis Nua productions in the past – two of whom have their own companies in Walter DeShields’ Theatre in the X and Alice Yorke’s Lighting Rod Special.
“What feels important to me about Inis Nua is that its stays true to its mission: contemporary playwrights, contemporary voices and the exciting opportunities to get in on the conversations that these plays are having with its audiences,” said director Brett Ashley Robinson, a first-timer to Inis Nua’s direction. “We find parallels to our own lives in these plays.”
DeShields notes that any and every opportunity to “tell as many different experiences as possible to as many diverse audiences,” is necessary for a fruitful, thought-provoking theater community.
As for Sonya Kelly’s ‘Once Upon a Bridge’, her contemporary story is ripped from the headlines, inspired by a shocking 2017 incident where a jogger pushed a woman into the path of an oncoming bus on Putney Bridge in London. After the push, the jogger kept running and didn’t look back. And though the quick-thinking bus driver swerved to avoid hitting the woman and CCTV footage of the incident was released, the jogger was never found… and mystery ensued.
“Sonya is red hot across Ireland right now but still new to Philadelphia and American audiences,” writes Inis Nua Artistic Director KC MacMillan. “’Once Upon a Bridge’ is lightning fast, almost a thriller, but it’s also deeply human, funny, and offers the kind of magic only theater can do–the magic of a profound story, unexpectedly revealed, as audiences share intimate space with the performers.”
For tickets and information, inisnuatheatre.org.
‘Overwinter’
Let’s stick with the Drake space for a second to discuss the Azuka Theatre Company’s newest offering, ‘Overwinter’. This world premier drama by playwright Mackenzie Raine Kirkman and direction from Reva Stover is about a handful of apiarists who discover that one of the bees in their swarm has remarkable intelligence far beyond the bee norm. Bee-tween the impossibility of what is most definitely happening and the fear of what the world will do when it learns, the researchers and the bee try to figure out the best solution and realize some things are inextricably at odds. That’s frightening.
Actors Frank Jimenez and Michael A. Stahler are the buzz men behind the bees of ‘Overwinter’, and the Azuka production is running now until March 17. For information and tickets, visit azukatheatre.org
‘Frozen’
Disney Theatrical Group, the Shubert Organization and Ensemble Arts Philly present the Disney family classic ‘Frozen’ at the Academy of Music starting March 21. One of its stars — one-time Philadelphia thespian Dan Piehal — spent a great deal of his time training with the avant-garde Pig Iron School in Kensington.
‘Frozen’, with its music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and its book written by Jennifer Lee, runs until April 7 at Academy of Music. Between its towering staging coming from the producers who made ‘The Lion King’ roar and Piehal’s athletic performance values, expect ‘Frozen’ to be the hottest ticket in Philly.
For details, visit ensembleartsphilly.org
