The Arden happily celebrated the opening night of Robin Hood on Saturday, April 28^th by turning the lobby into our own Sherwood Forest! We welcomed community partners Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and its Plant One Million booth, Ricochets Gymnastics Club lead our child guests through a tumbling obstacle course, and Historic Philadelphia came as well to help spread the word about Franklin Square and Square Burger’s Sherwood Forest Very Berry Shake (on sale through the month of May!). Arden staff helped the kids transform into merrymen with crafts and face painting! Then, our competitive guests moved on to the bow and arrow competition in the upstairs lobby. Kid-friendly food and beverages were provided by 12^th Street Catering and Hatboro Beverages. After the show, families enjoyed green apple sorbet over vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce, courtesy of The Franklin Fountain.

Here are some photos from the evening:

Our 2012 fundraising event, the Arden Spring Gala, took place on Saturday, April 21. Over 100 guests gathered at The Rittenhouse Hotel to honor the inaugural members of the Cornerstone Society: Frederick W. Anton, III, Gerard J. Conway, Sr., Carole Haas Gravagno, and Aaron Posner. These four individuals have been part of the Arden’s story since its founding twenty-four years ago, and their support, connections, contributions, wisdom and guidance have helped us to become the theatre company we are today.

The evening began with cocktails and a silent auction in the swank Cassatt Lounge of the Rittenhouse. Guests then moved upstairs to the ballroom for dinner, where Alex Keiper opened the evening with a spirited rendition of “Life of the Party” from Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party. Throughout the evening, Amy Murphy and Terry Nolen individually recognized each honoree with great stories of their history with the Arden, as well as fond memories.  Each honoree received a hand-crafted paperweight, modeled after the Arden marquee.   Harkening back to the early days of the Arden, Anne Robinson sang “Song for Old Lovers” from Jacques Brel is Alive and Well, and John Stovicek sang “The Mason” from Working.

The evening could not have been possible without our generous sponsors Harmelin Media, the Independence Foundation, and Karr Barth Associates and Charles and Dr. Mindy Goldberg Rose. Special thanks to Special Events Chair Ronna Hall and the entire Board of Directors for their support as well.  The gala grossed over $89,000 in support of the Arden’s programming.

Here are some photos of the Spring Gala:

Arden Theatre Company’s next First Friday event will be TONIGHT – Friday April 6, 2012 5:30-8:00pm. The event will include:

A First Friday crowd enjoying their free beer and performance in our Independence Foundation Studio

• Performances from “Tell Me A Story” hosted by former APA Hillary Rea. Local actors and storytellers will reveal true stories based on a theme. Secrets are spilled, confessions blurted, and memories shared. Plus one lucky audience member becomes the Wild Card Storyteller, who will tell a tale connected to the evening’s theme.
• Cyrano-inspired flash duels from Fencing Academy of Philadelphia
• FREE BEER from Boxcar Brewing Company (one per person, 21+ with ID)
• Raffle to win tickets to The Scene on Friday May 25, 2012 for Tulipomania: the musical.

Students can buy $5 Tickets to CYRANO with their student ID 5 minutes before showtime at 8:00pm. Limit one per ID, subject to availability.

Stop by and enjoy a free brew on us and an exciting performance you don’t want to miss!

Don’t have any plans for the rest of the evening? Stay and enjoy the 8:00pm performance of our romantic, modern adaptation of Cyrano. This is probably your last chance to see what Philadelphia Weekly calls, “the rare production that will satisfy any theatergoer.”

Playwright Rogelio Martinez on the set of our 2011 Season Production of “Wanamaker’s Pursuit”

In conjunction with the March 27^th international celebration of World Theatre Day, Rogelio Martinez, playwright of last season’s Wanamaker’s Pursuit, weighs in on the state of theatre today:

Last evening was the opening night of Cyrano, a new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac by Michael Hollinger and Aaron Posner.  Sylvan Society members enjoyed a cocktail party prior to the performance at Ristorante Panorama, one of the Arden’s longtime Dining Partner restaurants.  Frederick W. Anton, III, honorary producer of the production, said a few words during the curtain speech.  The audience celebrated after the show, along with the cast and design team, with a delicious spread by 12^th Street Catering and libations from Hatboro Beverage.

Here are some photos from the evening!

A friendly First Friday audience watching the performance and enjoying their free beer from Boxcar Brewing Company.

My favorite event each month at Arden Theatre Company is “First Friday”. The first friday evening of each month, Old City galleries and local businesses open their doors and welcome the neighborhood in to show new work, promote new and upcoming artists, enjoy a glass of wine, and listen to musicians play on the sidewalks.

Our next “First Friday” is March 2, 2012 5:30pm-8:00pm. We will be giving out FREE BEER from Boxcar Brewing Company (21+ While Supplies Last) in the lobby. We will be featuring Boxcar’s Winter Ale and IPA.

A view from the street look into the Independence Foundation Studio First Friday performance.

There will also be a short improv performance from The N Crowd 6:00pm-7:30pm. We are extremely excited about this group performing in our Independence Foundation Studio as one of the performers, Tara Demmy, is a former APA Class of 18.

We hope you will stop by to say hello, grab a free beer, and enjoy a laugh filled evening of improv!

Clybourne Park opened on Wednesday, February 1 to a full house.  The Sylvan Society gathered at Serrano for a pre-show party with wine and international fare.  Playwright Bruce Norris attended the reception at Serrano, as well as the performance.  The audience lingered after the show to discuss the performance and partake of a lovely spread by 12^th Street Catering and Hatboro Beverages.

Here are photos from the evening!

On Tuesday, November 15, members of the Arden’s Sylvan Society joined members of the National Museum of American Jewish History at the museum for an event inspired by our production of The Whipping Man. We noshed and had a glass of wine on the museum’s third floor, with a gorgeous view overlooking Independence National Historical  Park. Then, our Associate Artistic Director Ed Sobel led a discussion about American Jews during the Civil War with Rabbi Lance Sussman, from Congregation Keneseth Israel.

While the initial reaction to the premise of The Whipping Man (A Jewish Confederate Solider? With slaves who are practicing Jews, too?) might seem improbable or imagined, Rabbi Sussman gave us an overview of the time period that enforced playwright Matthew Lopez’s premise.  In the 1800s, a small percentage of Americans were Jewish, yet those Jews lived in various parts of the country, primarily in urban centers. And like all Americans, Jews were divided when it came to slavery, aligning with their neighbors and political affiliations rather than their religion. So yes, there were Jewish slaveholders and Jewish officers in the Confederate Army, just like Caleb DeLeon in our play.

The Whipping Man both celebrates and challenges tenets of the Jewish faith, which Rabbi Sussman addressed as well. Simon’s assertions about asking questions and wrestling with God have direct biblical ties. And while Judaism in no way encourages the treatment the DeLeon family gave to John, the Jewish people have a history (like people of most backgrounds) of using violence when in a position of power. Rabbi Sussman got a chuckle from the crowd when sharing this saying: Jews are just like anyone else. Except more so.

After the conversation, we were able to tour the museum’s permanent collection, which takes us through the history of Jews in America, beginning in 1654. The Civil War section features stories, documents, and artifacts that reflect the story from The Whipping Man. (I even spotted a reference to a DeLeon just across from a Confederate uniform that looks like Cody’s costume in the play!)

We are grateful to have such a rich and relevant resource in the NMAJH, just a few blocks from the Arden. If you’ve seen The Whipping Man, you’ll no doubt find value in viewing the collection. And if you’ve already been to the museum, or are intrigued about this period in America’s history, we welcome you to see The Whipping Man. You can even book a tour at the museum with tickets to the show! Get details on that package by calling 215.923.3811 x. 141

Now tell us, how does this play and time in history challenge or enforce your ideas?

After the performance, guests enjoyed a post-show reception in the Arden lobby provided by 12th Street Catering and Hatboro Beverages.

Here are photos from the evening!