Arden Theatre Company
The Arden Theatre Company is a full-service professional regional theatre located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offering theatrical and educational productions and programs to artists, audiences, and students of the greater Philadelphia region. The company includes three theatres, which are the 175-seat Arcadia Stage and the 360-seat F. Otto Haas mainstage theatre. In addition the company also has a building at 40 North 2nd Street that is used to house classrooms and administrative and production offices.[1]
History
Founded in 1988 by Terrence J. Nolen, Amy Murphy, and Aaron Posner, Arden Theatre Company began producing at the Walnut Street Theatre Studio.[2] After the second season, the St. Stephen's Performing Arts Center was co-founded to provide a larger theatre (150 seats) and a unified location for classes, education programs, administrative offices and production shops.
In 1994, Arden Theatre Company purchased a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) former post office building in Philadelphia's historic Old City neighborhood.[2] The building has been renovated to contain a 360-seat main stage theatre (F. Otto Haas Stage); the 175-seat studio theatre (Arcadia Stage); the Independence Foundation Studio; a bi-level lobby with box office, elevator, and restrooms; rehearsal and classroom space; and administrative and production offices. The company claims that its move played a significant role in the economic revitalization of the area and during his term as Mayor Ed Rendell said of its impact; "When I think of nonprofit organizations that are having a major economic impact on their neighborhoods, none comes to mind sooner than the Arden."[3]
The company has produced over 90 professional productions with 24 world premiere productions among them.[4][5] As part of its commitment to present new works, the Arden Theatre Company created the Independence Foundation New Play Showcase in 1999. This program aims to stage a new play every season as well as holding workshops and a free public reading of an additional new play. The theatre has also been awarded several grants for past and future development of the arts.[6][7]
Philanthropy and education
The Arden Theatre company also has an educational program included in the company's Arden Drama School.[8]
Awards
Since The Arden's founding in 1988, the company has garnered numerous awards and honors. This includes eight Philadelphia Magazine "Best of Philly" Awards, four “Theatre Company of the Year” citations from The Philadelphia Inquirer, and six Philadelphia City Paper Reader's choice Awards. Arden Theatre has also received 250 nominations and 53 awards from the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater.[9][10]
About
Arden Theatre Company is dedicated to bringing to life great stories by great storytellers – on the stage, in the classroom and in the community.
Mission
Great stories on the stage:
We produce a wide range of stories in a variety of styles – classic and contemporary, intimate and epic, musical and dramatic – and have a commitment to stories that highlight the diversity of people and human experiences. Producing the great playwrights allows us to measure ourselves against the masters of our craft, while sharing the voices of new writers and emerging theatre companies gives us the opportunity to advance our community and the American theatre.
Great stories in the classroom:
Kids are celebrated at the Arden. We nurture curiosity, creativity, and confidence through our educational programming, and ensure that our teaching artists and staff reflect the students whom we are serving. We reach thousands of students each year, introducing many of our region’s kids to theatre for the first time and believe in the power of the arts to shape children’s lives.
Great stories in the community:
We believe in the power of stories to bring people together – that they can celebrate our unique identities while reminding us of our shared humanity. We work to build a vital community of artists who excel creatively through shared experiences and to expand the pool of artists with whom we work to bring new energies and perspectives to our stages. The Arden strives to be Philadelphia’s hometown theatre, contributing to the region’s vibrant cultural landscape.
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2012/13 ANNUAL REPORT
2015/18 STRATEGIC PLAN
2019/24 STRATEGIC PLAN
History
Arden Theatre Company was founded in 1988 by Terrence J. Nolen, Amy Murphy, and Aaron Posner. The company began producing at the 70-seat Walnut Street Theatre Studio, and was immediately hailed as a welcome addition to the Philadelphia theatre community. After our second season, we co-founded the St. Stephen’s Performing Arts Center, which held a larger theatre and a unified location for classes, education programs, administrative offices, and production shops.
In 1995, the Arden purchased and renovated a 50,000 square foot building in historic Old City, creating a thriving two-theatre complex and a new home. Our presence has helped Old City emerge as one of the region’s most popular destinations, with a significant economic impact on the neighborhood. The move was also the catalyst for the creation of Arden Children’s Theatre in 1998, the city’s first resident professional children’s theatre. Arden Children’s Theatre was founded on the dual premises that children’s theatre must maintain the same high production values as our nationally-respected Mainstage shows, and that theatre should be affordable for children and their families.
In November of 2013, we opened the Hamilton Family Arts Center; a two-story, multi-use building situated just north of our main theatre building. The building houses six classrooms, a teacher resource center, the Arden’s rehearsal hall, scenic design shop, and paint deck, and a third performance space, the 100-seat Bob and Selma Horan Studio Theatre. The additional space provided by the Hamilton gives the Arden the ability to support the development of multiple projects at the same time.
The Arden’s Education Department includes Arden for All (AFA), our theatre access and education program for underserved young people; Arden Drama School, our after-school, Saturday, and summer camp classes for students in grades pre K-12; Teen Arden, an immersive after-school access program for Philadelphia-area based teenagers and the Arden Professional Apprentice Program, a nationally renowned comprehensive theatre management training program.
Bring great stories to life
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How big is the Arden Theatre?
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The Arden Theatre has 497 able-bodied seats and can accommodate 2 wheelchairs and 2 attendants in our accessible seating (view seating map).
Who is the Arden Theatre named after?
When St. Albert Place was being built in 1982-83 there was a contest to name the future theatre. A winner was chosen out of a number of great submissions. The winner was Shyamal Bagchee, and his suggestion was to call the theatre the Arden.
What is the history of the Arden Theater?
Image result for arden theatre company
Arden Theatre Company was founded in 1988 by Terrence J. Nolen, Amy Murphy, and Aaron Posner. The company began producing at the 70-seat Walnut Street Theatre Studio, and was immediately hailed as a welcome addition to the Philadelphia theatre community.
Overview
With a mission to tell “great stories by great storytellers,” the Arden Theatre Company presents an annual season of several mainstage productions and children’s works.
The Arden’s great stories have include lively reinterpretations of classic works by William Shakespeare, Stephen Sondheim and Tennessee Williams, as well as the work of contemporary playwrights such as Michael Hollinger and Bruce Graham, whose productions have been among the company’s world premieres.
With every production, the Arden’s creative team views the audience as the key collaborator in a journey to engage the imagination.
The History
The Arden’s creative team views the audience as a key collaborator.
Founded in 1988 — in a rented space at Walnut Street Theatre — by Terrence J. Nolen, Amy Murphy and Aaron Posner, the Arden Theatre Company now has an Old City base with two theaters. The company has a professional children’s theater program, the first in the city; a professional apprenticeship program and initiatives to ensure access for people of all incomes and abilities.
Among its numerous awards are 77 Barrymores and four “Theatre Company of the Year” citations from The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Don’t Miss
The Arden uses the same meticulous standards and high caliber of actors and designers for its children’s shows as for its adult productions. Performances include a Q & A session and a chance to meet the cast.
The Arden also offers the “Family Usher Network” (or FUN), which gives kids the chance to help seat the audience, take a backstage tour and participate in the onstage, pre-show speech.