Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

A Summertime Treat! We bring out again one of our most popular and beloved episodes of the podcast . . .  the story of how Philadelphia saved the pre-Broadway tryout run of the most New York shows ever! For a blog post on our website with additional information and images, go to: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/luck-be-a-lady Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia&quot...

In honor of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, we bring back this episode about Philadelphia theater during the Bicentennial year! A blog post with images and more information about the stories we talk about in the episode can be found on our website! https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/bicentennial-blues/ Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK...

We interview director Lane Savadove about his lifelong journey that has taken EgoPo Classic Theater around the world - and back again. Visit EgoPo's own website here: https://egopo.org/ A great article about the production of The Ramayana that we discuss in the episode can be found at the Broad Street Review, HERE . Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the...

In this special episode, we explore the theatrical history of the great Centennial Exposition – one of the biggest entertainment events ever mounted in Philadelphia. Our guests today are historian John Henry Hepp IV and the blogger and culture history maven TravSD! A blog post, with many of the images and buildings we talk about during the show, is HERE . Here is a link to Professor Hepp's bo...

A modern walking tour along a noisy street - with the narrative of a long-forgotten theater district of Philadelphia's near north side! For a blog post with images and photos of the theaters and streets we discuss in the episode, go to: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/photos-and-images-for-the-ghost-theaters-of-callowhill-street---episode-124/ Support the show "Adventures in Theater His...

Back-to-back interviews about the past - and the future - of the Lantern Theater. Peter talks with Stacy Maria Dutton and Charles McMahon. For a blog post with images relating to this episode go here: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/down-st-stephens-alley/  Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all onlin...

A conversation with Grace Gonglewski, who has been performing and creating in Philadelphia theaters for the last four decades! She shares with us her memories of her life and work. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our e...

Three tales from the deep annals of Philadelphia opera history . .  . . from a fantastical account of a performance of Guy Mannering in the 1840s, to the world premiere of Victor Herbert's Natoma in 1911, to a final Gotterdammerung at the Academy of Music in 1948.  To view images and additional details about all the stories in this episode - go to this blog post on our Patreon page! https://w...

In the Spring of 1978, "The Troc" - Philadelphia's longtime notorious burlesque house on Arch Street - closed for business.  The journalist Edgar Williams composed this poetic farewell to the site of so many vivid, poignant, and hilarious episodes from his youth. A good photo essay about the history of The Troc can be found in this online article by writer Thom Carroll in the Philly...

It might seem to be a lurid Hollywood tale . . . but is it really a Philadelphia theater story? Here's our take on the life and times of the actress Diana Barrymore, eldest daughter of John Barrymore - from her privileged beginnings, through her successes on stage, her failures in filmdom . . to her sad and sordid end.  But is she really just another celebrity cautionary tale? There's mo...

Herbert J. Biberman, the screenwriter, director and left-wing activist, was once one of the most well-known men in show biz - but not, unfortunately for his talent or his intellect.  In 1950, he became famous for being one of the "Hollywood Ten," a group of men known for their opposition to politically-motivated industry blacklists - and facing prison for refusing to cooperate with the H...

The rise of the Arden Theatre  Company - as well as the story of the beginnings of the modern Walnut Street Theatre Company and the Lantern Theater Company. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is AITHpodc...

The story of Albert Innaurato and his play "Gemini." Set in South Philadelphia in the 1970s, it was to become the biggest commercial and artistic triumph of his career. The famous TV commercial for the original Broadway production is on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz8p6-LconE But Gemini also served as a constant reminder that success can fleeting, and that an artist's...

The director Abigail Adams and the actress Marcia Saunders talk to us about their lives and careers, and about how their theatrical and artistic home at People's Light in Malvern, Pennsylvania. To learn more about the production of  Steel Magnolias at People's Light: https://www.peopleslight.org/whats-on/20252026-season/steel-magnolias/ Support the show "Adventures in Theater Histor...

As a Holiday, treat, the Philadelphia actor Brian Wilson talks with us about his life and career.  Brian tells us about his memories - everything from his roles on "The Wire," to his work with the director Walter Dallas, to his quest to perform in all the plays of August Wilson (no relation!). And he shares this thoughts about the state of African-American theater in the Quaker City at t...

A conversation with Chris Lippa about the life and work of his father, the late Louis Lippa, the Philadelphia playwright and actor - and about Chris' vision to make a real home for the history of theater in the city. For a tribute to the life and work of Louis Lippa (1928-2018), see this page on the website of People's Light and Theatre Company, where he was a playwright-in-residence for...

A reprise of our 2023 interview with Bernard Havard of the Walnut Street Theatre - including a tour of the historic building.  Newly remixed, and with a new introduction and extra content about our upcoming episodes of the podcast! A blog post with images from our visit to the Walnut can be found on our website: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/photos-for-the-walls-of-walnut-street/ Support the sh...

We talk with Bruce Graham - a son of Ridley Township in Delaware County who  has been writing, teaching, and performing in Philadelphia since the 1980s. Graham has written dozens of plays which have been produced everywhere from Los Angeles to London, as well as turning out scripts for Hollywood films, TV movies, sitcoms and soap operas - but he always returned to his hometown, and where his plays...

An interview with writer, director, translator and theater critic Carol Rocamora, who founded the Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays in 1981, and was its Artistic Director to 1994. Philadelphia-area playwright Michael Hollinger was Rocamora's literary manager in the early 1990s, and credits his time working with Carol at PFT for helping to shape his future career. A blog post on our...

A conversation with Seth Rozin, the founder and artistic director of InterAct Theatre of Philadelphia. Seth shares some great stories about the early years of the company, including the tour of Ireland in the autumn of 1988, the creation and performance of the play "6221," and how he has made a career in the world of non-profit American theater. InterAct Theatres website: https://www.int...

A conversation with actor Tom Teti about his life, his career in Philadelphia theater, and his long association with People's Light and Theatre Company in Malvern. For a blog post with images and additional information about Tom's career, go to: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/tom-as-in-teti/ For more information about the October 2025 production of Tommy and Me at PLTC, go HERE . Suppo...

Director Blanka Zizka and stage manager Patreshettarlini Adams talk about their decades of work at the Wilma Theater, sharing stories of their longstanding artistic collaboration and deep friendship. And they agree that "Theater is Music." An excellent and heartwarming Adventure in Philadelphia Theater History! Music from historic Wilma Theater productions sampled in this episode include...

The history of Philadelphia's Wilma Theater during the 1990s, with archival recordings of the voices of Jiri and Blanka Zizka. For images and additional information about this episode, see the blog post on our website HERE . The original interviews of Jiri Zizka can be found on YouTube - HERE and HERE . The original interview of Blanka Zizka can also be found on YouTube - HERE . Support the s...

The voices of Jiri and Blanka Zizka help to narrate the history of Philadelphia's Wilma Theater during the 1980s. For images and additional information about this episode, see the blog post on our website  HERE . Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to o...

A conversation about the impact that Blanka and Jiri Zizka had on the Philadelphia theater scene in the 1980s and 90s. If you have not yet listened to our Episode 97, "Off-Off Broad Street," in which we discuss the history of "The Wilma Project" during the 1970s, you can find it here:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1721762/episodes/16873817 This is one of a multi-part series on th...