Cato: A Tragedy was a famous 18th Century play by Joseph Addison - supposedly the favorite play of George Washington himself! What connection did it have to the history of America - and the theater history of Philadelphia?This ...

The story of three small ambitious cutting-edge Philadelphia theater companies of the 1970s. Why did some survive - and some falter?For a blog post with images of the productions and people we discuss in the episode, go

An interview about Philadelphia theatrical projects that employed so many local actors before and during the Bicentennial Year of 1976.In the very place where the American experiment began, regular work in "historical re-enactment" and ...

An interview with the director, writer and artist Tom Bissinger, in which we talk about his work in the 1960s and 70s, including his all-too-brief term as the final Artistic Director of the Theatre of the Living Arts in Philadelphia. A ...

A recut and remixed and refocused version of an interview with the director Mary B. Robinson, about her years she spent in the 1990s as the Artistic Director of the Drama Guild. (Stay tuned at the very end for an brief announcement about the fu...

Gregory Poggi successfully led the Philadelphia Drama Guild throughout the decade of the 1980s. He talked with us about his memories of those days - tussles with board members, battles with critics, fundraising triumphs and the growing audience...

The sudden success of the Drama Guild - a former amateur theater group transformed into a professional local powerhouse - finally fulfills the promise of giving Philadelphia a flagship nonprofit theater company.For a brief blog post wit...

A reprise of one of our early episodes from Season One, in which we travel back 225 years to a single fascinating day in American theater: January 1, 1800.Philadelphia's premiere theater company rang in the New Year with their productio...

Three new Philadelphia theater complexes are built for the mid-century modern era - funded by wealthy philanthropists. The Annenbergs would donate grand new Modernist-style Arts Centers at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania, a...

A re-edited, reduced and remixed account of the entire history of the Theatre of the Living Arts – the first major professional theater company in Philadelphia's modern era.Photo of the company of The Line of Least Existence wa...

Our first episode of Season Four - introducing our plans and hopes for the upcoming year on the podcast.

Like the ghost of Hamlet's father, the body of John Barrymore would not stay still . . . one dark night it suddenly appeared in his hometown.  A story about the wandering remains of a member of Philadelphia's most famous acting fam...

An encore presentation of Peter's reading of the chapter "Oh, It's a Lovely War: The Mischianza 1778" from Thomas H. Keels' Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of Brotherly Love.Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of B...

A re-released and edited version of our Episode 36! In this show we interview theater historian Barry Witham about his 2013 book A Sustainable Theatre: Jasper Deeter at the Hedgerow, and then bring listeners along on a guided t...

An Exciting Announcement! 

This Encore episode of the podcast - first released as Episode 35 in our Season One - goes on a journey to the Paul Robeson House and Museum in Philadelphia.For a blog post on our website with additional information, images, and links, ...

In which we close out the Tryout Town story of Philadelphia theater - and we share a chapter of Peter's upcoming book!

In the 1970s, director Vinnette Carroll brought her gospel-themed musicals about African American culture through Philadelphia on their way to Broadway. We discuss this much-neglected important Black theater artist, in a conversation with Jerre...

The continuation of to the story from our previous episode, we talk about the failures, successes - and sometimes the deaths of shows and performers of commercial tryout shows in Philly of the 1970s.For images and notes about shows ment...

Many tryout shows - along with some post-Broadway tours - came through Philadelphia during the 1960s. Some shows died in Philly - and some performers and audience members did too!For images and notes about shows mentioned in this episod...

The Philadelphia story of the development and world premiere of that famous Iowa musical, by Meredith Willson, The Music Man .For a blog post with additional information and images, go

The fates and fortunes of commercial shows of the 1950s  demonstrate how deep the influence of Hollywood was in American commercial theater coming through Philadelphia on tryout runs.For a blog post with additional information and ...

The most iconic New York musical ever is saved by Philadelphia tryout audiences.For a blog post on our website with additional information and images, go to: https://www.aithpod...

Post-war theater in Philadelphia reflected all the many serious issues the country was facing: Carmen Jones, A Streetcar Named Desire, Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Member of the Wedding  and Death of ...

The story of Cole Porter's classic musical Kiss Me, Kate's world premier opening in Philadelphia in December of 1948. For a blog post on our website, with images from the productions we discuss in the episode: