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Opening Night for August: Osage County

The Arden kicked off our 24th season on Wednesday, October 5th with August: Osage County! Members of the Sylvan Society gathered across the street from the Arden at LG Tripp Gallery for a pre-show cocktail party. Race Street Café provided light bites while Terry Nolen and Board President Ellen Foster toasted the start of a new season. Arden supporters, friends and members of the press attended the 7pm performance, which was followed by a post-show party catered by 12th Street Café and Hatboro Beverages. Special thanks to our opening night sponsor, Harmelin Media!

Here are some photos from the evening:

Show Must Go On!

The Arden’s 2011 fundraising event, The Show Must Go On, took place on Sunday, May 22. Guests enjoyed cocktails courtesy of Philadelphia Distilling, sumptuous small plates served by Frog Commissary and an interactive backstage tour, taking them places only actors and designers have gone before! The tour included a trip through the F. Otto Haas backstage, green room and dressing rooms and a journey into the Haas booth and high above the stage onto the catwalks. Guests also participated in a fun speed dating event where they had the opportunity to chat for two minutes with Arden favorite artists. Over 30 actors, designers, playwrights and directors volunteered their time to participate in The Show Must Go On. The event grossed over $48,000 in support of the Arden’s programming.

Opening Night of The Flea and the Professor

Over 150 kids and their families filled the Arden’s lobby on Saturday, May 7th for the opening night celebration of The Flea and the Professor. Kids earned stamps on a BINGO card as the made their way around the party, participating in many circus-themed activities including a juggling game, face-painting, a knock-over-the-cans challenge, and an Arden Drama School class, “Create Your Own Circus.” The Garden State Discovery Museum brought their popular giant-bubble and children had the opportunity to create their own hot air balloon at the craft table. The opening night performance began at 7pm, followed by reception hosted by The Franklin Fountain, featuring cotton candy flavored ice cream.

Here are some photos from the evening!

Arden Theatre Celebrates Children’s International Book Day

On Saturday, April 2 the Arden theatre was home for more than 200 kids and their families. We hosted a free fun family event celebrating International Children’s Book Day and Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday. This day inspired a love for reading and drew attention to children’s literature by celebrating Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish author of iconic fairy tales including The Little Mermaid, the Ugly Duckling and The Emperor’s New Clothes, not to mention our upcoming new musical The Flea and the Professor. Families came out for storytelling, face painting, craft projects and even an ice cream social.

Check out the photos from the event:

Sylvan Society Travels To Washington, DC

Members of the Sylvan Society traveled to Washington, DC on Sunday, April 10th to see the Steppenwolf Theatre production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Arena Stage. They enjoyed lunch at the Next Stage Café prior to the 2pm performance. After the show, members had the opportunity to meet and greet with the cast including Tracy Letts and Amy Morton. The day concluded with an exclusive tour of Arena Stage’s newly renovated facility and three theatre spaces, followed by dinner at America, located in Union Station.

Here are some photos from the trip!

Opening Night of Wanamaker’s Pursuit

On Wednesday, April 6, the Arden opened our final mainstage production of the season, Wanamaker’s Pursuit. Sylvan Society members enjoyed a reception at Ristorante Panorama, one of the Arden’s dining partners, prior to the performance. They gathered with members of the design team as well as playwright Rogelio Martinez and director Terry Nolen, to sample Panorama’s fabulous wine selection. The show opened to a sold out house and was followed by a post-show party featuring French-themed cuisine including quiche and chocolate mousse. Post-show party guests included Michael Lisicky author of Meet Me at the Eagle, a novel about the history of the Wanamaker’s department store, representatives from the Philadelphia History Museum, as well as the cast of the show.

Here are some photos from the evening!

Opening Night of Superior Donuts

With the smell of fresh doughnuts filling the Arden’s lobby, we kicked off the opening night performance of Superior Donuts on Wednesday, March 9th. Members of the Sylvan Society enjoyed cocktails and a buffet dinner courtesy of Gigi Restaurant, and had the opportunity to mingle with Rogelio Martinez, playwright of Wanamaker’s Pursuit, Donuts director Ed Sobel, and other members of the Donuts design team.

Following the 7pm opening performance, audience members leapt to their feet during the curtain call. After the show, guests enjoyed a rousing post-show reception with members of the cast and devoured doughnuts delivered fresh from Frangelli’s Bakery, our doughnut sponsor for the production.

Here are some photos from the evening!

Arden at the Rosenbach

Often finding ways to collaborate, the Rosenbach Museum and Library and the Arden partnered once again on a joint donor event held on Tuesday, March 1^st. Members of the Arden’s Sylvan Society and the Rosenbach’s Delancey Society gathered at the museum to take in the rare collection of theatre pieces, featured exclusively for this event.

Derick Dreher, Director of the Rosenbach and Terry Nolen, Producing Artistic Director at the Arden gave opening remarks. They welcomed Elizabeth Fuller, Rosenbach librarian, to showcase the theatre collection which included a rare second edition of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, published in 1619, and the libretto and music of Porgy and Bess, signed by the Gershwins and other influential members of the production.

One of the most exciting pieces of the exhibition was an early draft of Eugene O’Neill’s stageplay Anna Christie, with extensive revisions in his own hand. Members had the opportunity to get an up close and personal look at these pieces before enjoying a wine and cheese reception with guests including Grace Gonglewski (Josie Hogan from the Arden’s recent production of A Moon for the Misbegotten) and Rogelio Martinez (playwright of Wanamaker’s Pursuit, which will premiere at the Arden in April).

Here are some photos from the evening!

Opening Night of A Moon for the Misbegotten

By Angela DuRoss, Development Director

Following the wintery snowfall early last week, the Arden kicked off our production of A Moon for the Misbegotten on January 12^th. 200 guests gathered for the opening of the first Eugene O’Neill play ever produced at the Arden. Members of the Sylvan Society sampled the tastings of the microbrewery, Triumph Brewing Company, at a pre-show cocktail reception. Guests celebrated in the Arden lobby following the performance, sharing light bites and wine with cast members, designers and Arden friends. Board members of the Charlotte Cushman Foundation were also in attendance, as the foundation provided support for Grace Gonglewski in her role as Josie in the production.

The Borrowers Opening Night

By Angela DuRoss, Development Director

Over 200 kids and their families filled the Arden’s lobby on Saturday evening, greeted by friendly Arden staff members donning blue Borrowers t-shirts. It must be opening night of Arden Children’s Theatre!

The Borrowers opening night party included kid-friendly fare (hot dogs and chicken nuggets, of course!) courtesy of Catering By Design and a fabulous cake shaped like a boot created especially for the party by the Whipped Bake Shop. The Arden welcomed community partners including our neighbors, The Clay Studio, providing a potting wheel demonstration, and Eagles Youth Partnership, who sent their Storybook Man to read select scene from The Borrowers novel by Mary Norton.

Our Education department helped kids to make their own Borrowers puppets and facilitated a fun scavenger hunt where families searched the Arden’s lobby for “borrowed items.” Following the performance, The Franklin Fountain provided an ice cream treat for everyone – homemade vanilla ice cream with tiny gingerbread “Borrowers” to go on top! It was a fun-filled evening to kick of Children’s Theatre season at the Arden and reminded us just how fun our theatre can be when it’s filled with hundreds of kids.

Here are photos of the festivities!

Opening Night for August: Osage County

Show Must Go On!

Opening Night of The Flea and the Professor

Arden Theatre Celebrates Children’s International Book Day

Sylvan Society Travels To Washington, DC

Opening Night of Wanamaker’s Pursuit

Opening Night of Superior Donuts

Arden at the Rosenbach

Opening Night of A Moon for the Misbegotten

The Borrowers Opening Night

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