Philadelphia Spotlight: February 2010
in Let’s Pretend We’re Married
(© John Flak)
February is a month for romance, and the perfect time for 1812 Productions to bring back its delightful comedy Let’s Pretend We’re Married, February 2-14. Created and performed by Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs, the cabaret style two-hander features music and sketches popularized by some of history’s greatest comedy couples. Charming and enormously funny, this is the perfect show to attend with your favorite valentine.
No play in theater history is more romantic than Shakespeare’s tale of passion Romeo and Juliet (February 25-April 11). The Arden Theatre Company’s production brings together some of Philly’s top young talent including versatile director Matt Pfeiffer and the city’s fastest rising actor Evan Jonigkeit, who teams with newcomer Mahira Kakkar to portray the tragic young lovers.
Passion, love, and rage are on full display in Euripides’ jaw-dropping tragedy Medea, which opens this month at Villanova Theatre (February 2-14). A classic tale of a woman scorned, the story focuses on Medea, who is banished from her home and separated from her children. Bent on revenge against her husband, Medea engages in a series of horrific acts that will leave you shaken.
Jeffrey Finn Productions presents a limited engagement of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Merriam Theater on the Avenue of the Arts, February 9-14. Featuring music from such legendary Webber shows as Starlight Express, Evita, and The Phantom of the Opera, the production stars Tony Award nominee Howard McGillin.
The latest play from Philly dramatist Bruce Graham, Any Given Monday, is having its world premiere in a co-production from Theatre Exile and Act II Playhouse (February 4-28). Directed by Barrymore Award winner Harriet Power, the comedy focuses on a devoted football fan embroiled in marital difficulties. Graham’s dazzling comedy Something Intangible won the 2009 Barrymore for best new play making Monday one of the season’s most anticipated new works.
InterAct Theatre begins the new year with the world premiere of Sean Christopher Lewis’ solo docu-drama City of Numbers (through February 21). Inspired by interviews Lewis conducted with inmates at Graterford Prison and community leaders (including the city’s mayor Michael Nutter) the piece examines inner-city crime and the ability of the arts to transform lives.
Lantern Theater Company presents the area premiere of acclaimed British playwright David Hare’s The Breath of Life (February 4-28). A particularly human play about two women approaching the twilight of their lives, Hare’s intimate drama concerns long-held secrets and a surprising connection buried deep in the women’s past.
Walnut Street Theatre presents Quiara Alegria Hudes’ Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue (Independence Studio on 3, February 23-March 14). José M. Avilés directs this Pulitzer Prize finalist play, which focuses on three generation of Latin men, all of whom are war veterans.
