Henrik Eger

Haunted by Loss and Abandonment: Talking with the Cast of ‘By the Bog of Cats’ at The Irish Heritage Theatre

By the Bog of Cats – a modern Irish drama by Marina Carr, who has taught in Ireland and the U.S., including at Villanova University – echoes classical Greek theater, especially Medea by Euripides. The...

Review: ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ at the Academy of Music

“I’m not going to take this on the road unless it’s as good as what people have read about, with the same lighting and the same sound. I think that’s my biggest bequest—that I imposed my standards....

Troubled Men: Talking with the ‘Father and Sons’ of Quintessence Theatre’s ‘Long Day’s Journey into Night’

Eugene O’Neill, the only American playwright to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature (1936), a man who struggled with alcoholism but who had the courage to address problematic, taboo subjects,...

Singing From a Trapeze: Interview with Tangle Movement Arts’ founder, Lauren Rile Smith

Lauren Rile Smith, a Philadelphia poet and performer, founded Tangle Movement Arts in 2011. She has trained trapeze and other circus arts at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts and many other...

Tackling Suicide on Stage: Interviews with Nine Playwrights from Elephant Room Productions

The 2017 Philadelphia Fringe Festival offers a wide range of genres and topics, but few as sensitive and important as Suicide Stories: Gallery of the Untold — nine short plays by nine playwrights,...

Father, Son, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Interviews with Producer/Director Harry Dietzler and Director Jeff Dietzler of Upper Darby Summer Stage

Harry Dietzler, the executive and artistic director of Upper Darby Summer Stage, one of America’s oldest and most successful theater programs for young adults, founded the Summer Stage in 1976 as a...

From Bethlehem to Philadelphia: An Interview with Rami Khader, Director of the Diyar Dance Theatre

Director Rami Khader, along with a group of talented and committed artists, both male and female and of differing ages and backgrounds, founded Diyar Dance Theatre in 2008. Based in Bethlehem, their...

‘Hamlet’ at Laurel Hill Cemetery: An Interview with Rosey Hay and Rudy Caporaso of the REV Theatre Company

Every year, the REV Theatre Company fills Laurel Hill Cemetery — Philadelphia’s resting place of the rich, the powerful, and the famous — with an almost cult-like following of theatergoers, who see...

Romping Around the Globe: An Interview with Damon Bonetti, Director of Hedgerow Theatre’s ‘Around the World in 80 Days’

Damon Bonetti, a popular Philadelphia actor and director at various theaters and Co-Founding Artistic Director of The Philadelphia Artists’ Collective (The PAC), is directing a new production of...

Celebrating the Lives of the Emanuel Nine: An Interview with the Cast of New Freedom Theatre’s ‘Mother Emanuel’

During a prayer service on June 17, 2015, nine members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, were killed by a 21-year-old white...

The Dream Team that Made a Small Town Big: Interview with Erin Reilly and Matthew Decker of Theatre Horizon

Theatre Horizon (TH) is a professional nonprofit theatre company headquartered in Norristown, Pennsylvania, 20 miles west of Philadelphia. Since its inception, TH has presented critically-acclaimed...

Repairing and Healing the World Through Theater: An Interview With the Actors of IRC, Philadelphia’s Surreal Theater Company

Near the end of each year, Philadelphia’s only surreal theater, The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium (IRC) —with their deeply philosophical mission statement, “We Bring Good Nothingness to...

Music with a Mission: Interview with Last Chance, a Great American Musical Duo

Last Chance, Philadelphia’s much-talked-about musical duo of singer-songwriter Jack Scott (vocals, banjo, and guitar) and Ingrid Rosenback (vocals, fiddle, and harmonica), has been performing as a duo...

From the Artful Dodger and Peter Pan to Romeo: An Interview with Brandon O’Rourke of The Media Theatre’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’

Henrik: You left quite an impression portraying the Artful Dodger in Oliver! (2009) and Peter in Peter and the Starcatcher (2016) — both at the Walnut Street Theatre. Seen from the perspective of...

‘Wilde Tales’: An Interview with Director Jeremy Bloom, on the Quintessence Production

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), famous and controversial Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet, also authored thought provoking fairy stories for children that appeared in various magazines. Married...

The Philadelphia Chorus’ ‘The Voice of Peace’

German philosopher Theodor W. Adorno (1903-1969), in his 1949 essay, “Cultural Criticism and Society,” claimed, “To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric” (transl. by Samuel and Shierry Weber)....

An Interview With Aaron Cromie and Matthew Mastronardi on Dylan Thomas’ ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ at Walnut Street Theatre

I have seen many Christmas shows, each one enjoyable in its own way, but I’ve never seen a production as moving, as unusual, and as artistically satisfying as this unique version of A Child’s...

An Interview with the Producers and the Creative Team of ‘IN MY BODY’ at The Prince Theater

The popular creative team of composer and musician Dan Martin and lyricist and artist Michael Biello, well-known for their many artistic ventures in both New York and the City of Brotherly Love, are...

Life as ‘The Other Place’: An Interview with Jane Ridley

Life as THE OTHER PLACE: An interview with Jane Ridley, actor and theater professor. Background: UK and US Childhood Henrik: You were born in the UK and were briefly transplanted to the US as a child....

An Interview with Actress Michele Loor Nicolay about Appearing in ‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’ at Allens Lane Theater

I had the honor of speaking with Michele Loor Nicolay who is playing Alice Croll, in Rapture, Blister, Burn at Allens Lane Theater. Henrik: If you could rapture, blister, and burn about this much...

‘Look at Me!’ Meet the Cast of Media Theatre’s ‘The Bridges of Madison County’

The latest offering at the Media Theatre, the popular musical The Bridges of Madison County, based on Robert James Waller’s 1992 novel, with a book by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Jason Robert...

Review: 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival Review: REV Theatre Company’s ‘Death is a Cabaret Ol’ Chum—A Graveyard Cabaret’ at the Laurel Hill Cemetery

Death is a Cabaret Ol’ Chum—A Graveyard Cabaret, or: When the dead come alive at the Laurel Hill Cemetery with REV Theatre Company Death, dying, and the supernatural have fascinated the public around...

Revolution Shakespeare’s ‘King John’: An Interview with Director Dan Kern

Revolution Shakespeare, aka RevShakes, a Philadelphia-based company, founded by Artistic Director Griffin Stanton-Ameisen in 2013, started out with a number of fascinating programs, including an...

2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival: ‘PANGAEA’: Interviews with the Cast and Director

PANGAEA, connecting people, life, and historical times through a post-apocalyptic folk opera: An interview with the musicians-actors and the director PANGAEA: “About 300 million years ago, Earth...

An Interview with FringeArts President and Producing Director Nick Stuccio

Henrik: What inspired you to create FringeArts, Philadelphia’s annual theater arts festival—“a city-wide celebration of innovation and creativity in contemporary performance”? Nick: We went to the...

Renegade Company’s Mike Durkin on ‘Animal Farm to Table’ at the 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival

Mike Durkin, an innovative Philadelphia director who has opened many doors, starts out this interview by giving a brutally honest self-assessment on the ongoing fluctuating weight issues in our...

The 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival: ‘Feed’: “Bring Your Appetites.This is a Play You Can Eat!” An Interview with the Applied Mechanics Collective

Applied Mechanics (AM) is a Philadelphia-based collaborative ensemble that has been making original, immersive theater since it was founded by Director Rebecca (Becky) Wright and Designer Maria...

‘Love Can Build a Bridge’: An Anti-Violence Charity Concert: Interviews With Actors and Musicians

The violence in the US and overseas has rattled millions of people, making many of us feel vulnerable. Sarah Gafgen, well-known actor, singer, and director, took the initiative and, with the help of...

An Interview with The Bang Group’s David Parker on ‘Stuck on You’ at Philadelphia’s GayFest! 2016

“Dance theater with a queer sensibility, high spirits, and a spirit of adventure”: An interview with The Bang Group Co-Founder David Parker, performing at Philadelphia’s GayFest! 2016 Laughs abound as...

An Interview With ‘My Favorite Husbands’ Playwright Andrew Marvel-Playing at GayFest! 2016 in Philadelphia

Just when the US is in a political freefall, with Trump and Clinton battling it out, while Stein and Johnson are waiting in the wings, Playwright Andrew Marvel opens a Pandora’s box with Gay...

Interviews With The Playwrights of the Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival 2016-Opening Tonight 8/3/16 and Playing Through Sunday 8/7/16

The Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival 2016 (PWTF) opens tonight, August 3rd and runs through this Sunday, August 7, 2016. It offers the following Staged Readings, introducing Philadelphia to...

Meet the Swingin’ ‘Summer Club’ Team

Discovering secrets of The Summer Club: Interviews with some of the best big band swinging performers on the East coast “Come swing with us back to an era when life was cooler, music was snappier, and...

Taking Flight With The Cast of ‘Boeing Boeing’ at Hedgerow Theatre

Boeing Boeing, a 1960’s French farce by Marc Camoletti, translated into English by Beverley Cross, features Bernard, a self-styled Parisian Lothario who has Italian, German, and American fiancées—all...

A Divine Chat with Mother Superior: Mary Martello of Walnut Street Theatre’s ‘Sister Act’

“I live my life as a flawed character” Mary Martello started performing at the age of seven and “has continued through four kids and fifty years.” She began in Michigan (where she trained at BoarsHead...

‘Happy Days’ by Samuel Beckett: An Interview with E. Ashley Izard Who is Playing Winnie at Quintessence Theatre Group Through this Sunday

The much talked about Quintessence Theatre Group, one of the few ensemble theaters in Philadelphia, under the direction of Alexander Burns, is featuring two of its actors—E. Ashley Izard as Winnie and...

An Interview with Jeff Coon: Part 2: Raising His Two Children in His Own Special Secret Garden

In this two-part interview, we look into some corners of the secret garden in the life of the much talked about Jeff Coon at a time me when American family structures are changing and expanding. Jeff...

An Interview With Jeff Coon On The Arden’s ‘Secret Garden: Part 1: An Outstanding Father On and Off the Stage

In this two-part interview, we look into some corners of the secret garden in the life of actor Jeff Coon at a time when American family structures are changing and expanding. Jeff talks about his...

‘Pushing the Envelope to Attract Contemporary Audiences: Goldoni at the Hedgerow Theatre: Part 2 of An Interview with Director Aaron Cromie

Here is the second of two interviews with Aaron Cromie, one of Philadelphia’s most beloved directors, mask makers, writers, and interdisciplinary theater artists. Henrik: Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793)...

‘Riffing, Replacing, and Reworking Goldoni’s “Servant of Two Masters” at the Hedgerow Theatre: An Interview with Director Aaron Cromie: Part 1

This is the first of two interviews with Aaron Cromie, one of Philadelphia’s most beloved directors, mask makers, writers, and interdisciplinary theater artists. Henrik: Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793),...

Talking With 16 Year-Old Amir Randall on Playing Trayvon Martin in ‘The Ballad of Trayvon Martin’ at New Freedom Theatre

“Without these people, I would just be another black boy passing on the street” “The Ballad of Trayvon Martin by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj and Thomas J. Soto is a poetic docudrama inspired by the death...

“A Shiver Goes Down My Spine”: An Interview with Playwright Andrea Stolowitz on Her Play ‘Schlüterstraße 27’

“I’m trying to find everyone. Everyone of my generation.” “We are all screaming across time . . . we feel comfortable here.” Summary: In 1936, Dr. Max Cohnreich escapes Berlin, Germany, and arrives in...

‘Machinal’: An Expressionistic Masterpiece: Interview With Director Brenna Geffers, Part 2

Machinal by Sophie Treadwell, considered one of the most important Expressionist plays in the United States, premiered on Broadway in 1928. Inspired by the life of Ruth Snyder, who was convicted of...

Lover, Wife, and Murderess—EgoPo’s Stunning ‘Machinal’: Interview with Director Brenna Geffers: Part 1

Machinal by Sophie Treadwell, considered one of the most important Expressionist plays in the United States, premiered on Broadway in 1928. Inspired by the life of Ruth Snyder, who was convicted of...

‘Beowulf and Grendel’ is Alive at the Mount Moriah Cemetery: An Interview with Director Maura Krause

“Beowulf” is an Old English epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative lines, one of the oldest literary documents in Anglo-Saxon literature. Beowulf has a long history of having been passed on through...

An Interview with Villanova Theatre’s ‘Translations’ Director Valerie Joyce: Part 2: Behind the Scenes of Her Production of ‘Translations’

In Part 2, Director Valerie Joyce takes us behind the scenes of her production of Translations at Villanova Theatre. Henrik: Congratulations to the whole Villanova community for having been awarded “a...

An Interview with Villanova Theatre’s ‘Translations’ Director Valerie Joyce: Part 1: The Irish Chekhov

Villanova University, with its long theater tradition, has fostered not only the classics, but Irish theater for many years. To honor the 100-year anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin,...

Playwright Walt Vail on The Beacon Theatre Productions’ Production of his Play ‘Young Frederick Douglass’

In Part Two of his interview with Playwright Walt Vail, Henrik Eger asks Walt to take him on his journey of writing Young Frederick Douglass. Henrik: How long did it take you to write Young Frederick...

Playwright Walt Vail on his New Play ‘Young Frederick Douglass’ Which Opens Tomorrow at Beacon Theatre Productions in Philadelphia

Young Frederick Douglass (YFD), a world premiere play by Walt Vail, one of Philadelphia’s oldest and most prolific writers, is about the slave who became one of America’s most famous abolitionists....

‘A Caveman with a Brain and a Heart’: An Interview with Vince Valentine From ‘Defending the Caveman’

Defending the Caveman, an informal study of psychology, sociology, and pre-history, is the longest running one-man-show in Broadway history. Written and originally performed by Rob Becker in 1981, it...

An Interview with Singer Jen Creed-Performing ‘A Night at the Oscars’ This Friday, 2/19@7:30 PM at L’Etage in Philadelphia

Jen Creed, once a mathematician and former recruiter in the investment management industry, now sits on the Board of Directors of The Voice Foundation, and teaches voice, and serves as the head of...