The Wilma Theater

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The Wilma Theater is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It was founded in 1973 as the Wilma Project to encourage theatrical productions of original material and the development of community artists. In 1979, Blanka Zizka and Jiri Zizka of former Czechoslovakia forged a creative relationship with the Wilma Project as artists-in-residence. They gained swift acclaim for their bold, innovative productions and assumed artistic leadership, changing the name to The Wilma Theater. After many seasons of producing theater at various locations - mainly in a 100-seat converted garage on Sansom Street - the Wilma opened a new, state-of-the-art 300-seat theater on The Avenue of the Arts in 1996.

Productions by the Wilma have been seen at the International Theater Festival in the Czech Republic; in New York at the Public Theater and Manhattan Theatre Club; The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ; Long Wharf Theatre in Connecticut; and ACT Seattle. In addition to their presentations and festivals, the Wilma has produced over 100 productions, including 18 World Premieres, 13 US Premieres, 5 East Coast Premieres, and 64 Philadelphia Premieres. The Wilma co-produced a feature film broadcast nationally on Great Performances. The theater has worked with notables such as Stephen Sondheim, Tom Stoppard, Christopher Hampton, Doug Wright, and Arthur Miller and produced works by up-and-coming playwrights such as Claudia Shear, Lillian Groag, Chay Yew, Charles L. Mee, Jason Sherman, Dael Orlandersmith, Robert William Sherwood, Sarah Ruhl, Polly Pen and Laurence Klavan.

The theater has won 39 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater, the most awards received by any company.[1]

Contents

[edit] Current Season 2007/08

Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, directed by Jiri Zizka[2]

Age of Arousal by Linda Griffiths, wildly inspired by George Gissing's The Odd Women, directed by Blanka Zizka[3]

Ying Tong - A Walk With the Goons [1] by Roy Smiles, directed by Jiri Zizka[4]

Eurydice [2] by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Blanka Zizka

[edit] 30th Anniversary 2008/09 Season

Rock 'n' Roll by Tom Stoppard, directed by Blanka Zizka

Schmucks by Roy Smiles, directed by Jiri Zizka

Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad, translated by Linda Gaboriau, directed by Blanka Zizka

Hysteria by Terry Johnson, directed by Jiri Zizka

[edit] External links

www.wilmatheater.org [3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia :: The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre
  2. ^ Wolfgang Blitzer - philadelphia weekly online
  3. ^ KYW Newsradio 1060 Philadelphia - ''Age of Arousal'' at the Wilma: Handsome Production, Admirable Acting
  4. ^ Play Delves Inside Mind of 'Goon Show' Writer : NPR
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