Theatre Exile

Performance of ‘north of the boulevard’ by Bruce Graham was amazing! Scott Grier, Brian McCann, Bill Rahill, Lindsay Smiling, truly wrenching authentic portrayal. Killer. Thank you.

I can’t say this enough for Philadelphia Theatre: Prepare to be surprised by the performances and the venues. Theatre Exile put up a great production of «Glengary Glen Ross» in Spring 2007 and the space was another hidden treasure.
The cast was filled with tenured actors that gave unique performances that came together in a singular production. It was my first show with this production company and if it was at all representative of their other shows, you’ll definately see me going back to see more productions in the future.
The mission of this company is to «produce risky and challenging plays that contain a sense of true Philadelphian grittiness and passion» by staging both new and established works. In addition, their focus is on letting tenured and up and coming artists work their craft while trying to find themselves as theatre artists.
After speaking with someone on the phone over at the Theatre Exile box office, it was confirmed that they have and will probably continue to use the theater at the Christ Church Neighborhood House at 20 N. American Street. Ready for another suprise venue like Latvian Society theater (see my review for Pig Iron Theatre Company)? Well, on the THIRD floor of this church, there is a former basketball court that has been transformed into a black box theater. Imagine, the half court line is the edge of the stage. One half of the space is a platform with folding chairs as seats (nearly 100 or maybe more), and the other half is all space for the actors to play.
It was rather stunning as the bare wood frame for the building is exposed and painted black.
So, now for the things to watch for: This theater is NOT handicap accesible. No elevator and a lot of walking (check to see if everyone in your party is capable of walking up several flights of stairs). Bathrooms for men are located in the basement meaning that you’ll be going down four floors. Late seating is often not possible as the stage is only 5 feet away from the front row.
This company is one of the major players in the Philadelphia area. Make sure you make it to a show if you’re in the area. Tickets are normally priced between $ 15-​$ 40 and there are discounts available for students/​seniors as well as Philly FunSaver discounts.