Quintessence Theatre Company

QUINTESSENCE THEATRE GROUP IS DEDICATED TO THE PERFORMANCE ANDADAPTATION OF EPIC WORKS OF CLASSIC LITERATURE AND DRAMA FOR THECONTEMPORARY STATE, WHICH IGNITES THE MIND THROUGH THE POWER OF THEACTOR, DESIGN AND SPOIKEN WORD. QUINTESSENCE THEATRE EXISTS TO DEVELOPAND PRODUCE THEATRE WHICH IS IMMEDIATE AND NECESSARY, AND THAT STRIVESTO ATTRACT NEW AUDIENCES TO THE ART FORM BY CHALLENGING ITS ARTISTS ANDAUDIENCES ALIKE TO CONSIDER WHAT IS ESSENTIAL IN THEATRE AND HUMANNATURE.

SEE SCHEDULE O.QUINTESSENCE COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL ELEVENTH SEASON (2020-21) IN JULY 2021, AFTER PIVOTING AND RETHINKING OUR PLANS MANY TIMES DUE TO THE EVER-EVOLVING PROTOCOLS AROUND COVID-19. ULTIMATELY, WE PRODUCED A ROBUST SEASON WITH THREE VIRTUAL MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS: FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT'S THE LITTLE PRINCESS, A LIVE STREAMING FAMILYFRIENDLY HOLIDAY ADVENTURE THAT WAS SO WELL-RECEIVED WE PRESENTED AN ENCORE BROADCAST; SOJOURNER BY RICHARD LAMONTE PIERCE IN COLLABORATION WITH FIRST WORLD THEATRE ENSEMBLE; AND THE PULITZER-PRIZE WINNING THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH BY THORNTON WILDER. THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH WAS HAILED BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, WHO SAID, "TO WATCH IT AS AMERICA EMERGES NERVOUSLY FROM THE PANDEMIC CANNOT BE OTHER THAN TONIC, AND THIS EXCEPTIONALLY FINE PRODUCTION IS THE RIGHT SHOW FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT." THE MAINSTAGE SHOWS DREW IN VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE OF 2,025 PATRONS. WE ALSO PRODUCED A VIRTUAL READING SERIES OF FOUR CLASSIC PLAYS THAT REACHED 198 HOUSEHOLDS, AS WELL AS THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, A SERIES OF RARELY-PRODUCED ONE ACT PLAYS BY THORNTON WILDER, AS AN AUDIO THEATRE EXPERIENCE THAT REACHED 64 HOUSEHOLDS. THE EFFORT OF THIS UNDERTAKING WAS TRULY HERCULEAN, AND ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE EVERYONE ON THE TEAM WAS COMMITTED TO CREATING THEATRE DURING THE PANDEMIC.INTERWOVEN WITH OUR PRODUCTIONS, OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS CONTINUED TO INTRODUCE LOCAL STUDENTS TO THE JOYS OF THEATRE THROUGH VIRTUAL MATINEES AND POST-SHOW WORKSHOPS. USING ACTORS FROM THE PRODUCTION, WE ALSO OFFERED SELECT CLASSROOMS "IN-SCHOOL" (VIRTUAL) WORKSHOPS TO INTRODUCE STUDENTS TO THE PLAYS THROUGH INTERACTIVE LANGUAGE-BASED EXERCISES THAT BOOST PUBLIC SPEAKING, ANALYTICAL SKILLS, CONFIDENCE, AND APPRECIATION OF LANGUAGE. INSEASON XI (2020-21), 508 STUDENTS EXPERIENCED VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES AT QUINTESSENCE, ALSO RECEIVING PRE-SHOW THEATRE EDUCATION AND POST-SHOW TALKBACKS.QUINTESSENCE SERVES THE GENERAL PUBLIC. OUR HOLIDAY FAMILY-FRIENDLY SHOW IS ATTENDED BY CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS FIVE, OFTEN WITH SIBLINGS, PARENTS, AND GRANDPARENTS IN TOW. OUR OTHER SHOWS' PATRONAGE IS NEARLY AS DIVERSE, DRAWING IN PATRONS AGED 11-13 (IN MIDDLE-SCHOOL) UP THROUGH 65+. WE ARE GLAD TO HOST A PARTICULARLY DIVERSE PATRONAGE, WITH 21% OF PATRONS IDENTIFYING AS BLACK LAST YEAR; FAR HIGHER THAN THE PHILADELPHIA THEATRE AVERAGE OF 4%. IT IS IMPORTANT TO US TO CONTINUE TO DIVERSIFY OUR AUDIENCES, WHICH WE DO EACH YEAR BY IN-PERSON, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND STREET MARKETING, INCLUDING OUTREACH TO A NUMBER OF MINORITY-LED BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS OFFERING FREE AND/OR REDUCED-PRICE TICKETS TOENCOURAGE PATRONAGE.THE SEDGWICK THEATERIN MARCH OF 2020 QUINTESSENCE'S HOME, THE SEDGWICK THEATER, WAS CLOSED BY THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA DUE TO THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK. AT THAT TIME, THE VENUE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF ADDRESSING A SERIES OF CODE RELATED ISSUES THAT THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HAD BROUGHT TO QUINTESSENCE'S ATTENTION IN EARLY 2020. THIS INCLUDED NEW EMERGENCY EGRESS LIGHTING, THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW FIRE ALARM SYSTEM, AND THE USE OF NEW FIRE RETARDANT AUDIENCE RISERSAND CHAIRS. IN MAY OF 2020, PA SENATOR ART HAYWOOD PRESENTED QUINTESSENCE WITH A $5 MILLION RACP BUDGET LINE ITEMIZATION FOR THE ACQUISITION AND RENOVATION OF THE SEDGWICK THEATER. QUINTESSENCE HIRED VOITH AND MACTAVISH ARCHITECTS TO DEVELOP A RENOVATION PLAN FOR THE HISTORIC THEATRE, AND GG&A CONSULTANTS TO DEVELOP A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR QUINTESSENCE AT THE SEDGWICK THEATER. IN NOVEMBER OF 2020, QUINTESSENCE SECURED ITS FIRST RACP AWARD FROM GOVERNOR WOLF FOR $500,000. WHEN THE SEDGWICK THEATER REOPENS IN DECEMBER OF 2021, IT WILL HAVE ADDRESSED ALL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S CODE CONCERNS. QUINTESSENCE PLANS TO BEGIN THE LARGER VENUE RENOVATIONS IN THE SUMMER OF 2023.