South Philadelphia’s Theatre Exile is set to return to the stage with a bold new season that promises to challenge, entertain, and inspire audiences. The season features two Philadelphia premieres — ‘JOB‘ and ‘The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)’ — alongside the much-loved return of the local series Philly GRIT.
Deborah Block, Theatre Exile’s Producing Artistic Director, leads a committee of readers from varied backgrounds who help select the season’s productions.
“We find scripts with a combination of stalking playwrights that we like, looking at what’s going on in new play festivals, running up to New York and seeing shows there,” Block told Metro. “We get scripts from different sources.”
The two main productions both recently had New York runs: ‘JOB’ appeared on Broadway, while ‘The Great Privation’ played at Soho Rep. Block was fortunate enough to see both productions firsthand before securing the Philadelphia rights for Theatre Exile.
‘JOB’
‘JOB’ is a two-person drama that delves into the psychological toll of modern labor. The story follows Jane, a young content manager at a major social media company whose job is to scroll through and remove destructive content online.
“The people that do that job traditionally don’t last long because it is so horrifying that they mentally cannot handle it for so long,” Block said. “Even though she’s very open and truthful, she is having trouble holding on to the reality in the moment. It dives deep into the human journey.”
‘The Great Privation’
Meanwhile, ‘The Great Privation’ unfolds in Philadelphia across two time periods that begin to blur. Set in 1832 and the present day, the play opens with a mother and daughter guarding a newly dug grave at the original site of Mother Bethel Church, fearful of grave robbers. Their vigilance is interrupted by a Jefferson University student conducting research on the corpses in the cemetery.
The story then jumps to the modern day, where a summer camp occupies the same grounds. “That cemetery is partially covered by a park in Queen Village,” said Block. “Jefferson students, as many teaching medical hospital students, did research on the bodies of Black people. It touches on that history. But it’s also a story of a mother protecting her family.”
Even in its contemporary storyline, the play explores universal themes. The mother worries about her daughter being expelled from school, while the narrative balances dark historical truths with humor and hope.
“The play is also about, as the playwright says, trying to find joy in the world and understanding that there are things that you cannot change,” said Block. “The subject matter is really funny and literally ends in a song.”
Philly GRIT
Philly GRIT, Theatre Exile’s ongoing series, shines a spotlight on local artists through intimate performances.
“We’re highlighting one-person shows,” said Block. “They follow the same format of the types of plays we like. It’s about exposing the human journey, using humor whenever possible to uplift real serious things that are going on in our world.”
The series concludes with a cabaret-style speakeasy called ‘Camp Cookie,’ led by drag artist and opera singer Cookie D’iorio. “It’s about uplifting our local voices in a way that steps outside the structure of the well-made play,” said Block.
This season, Theatre Exile explores the theme Nothing Stays Buried. “In both plays, there’s a truth that we have to learn about, and it speaks to our time right now, where understanding what a definitive truth is is really hard to discern,” Block explains.
With a mix of sharp humor, historical reflection, and exploring social commentary, Theatre Exile’s new season promises to challenge audiences to think deeply about the truths we bury—and those that refuse to stay hidden.
For tickets and additional information, visit theatreexile.org
