Quintessence Theatre Group

Review: ‘My Fair Lady’ at Quintessence Theatre

Quintessence Theatre has built a strong reputation as a home for classic drama. But now they’ve dived into the American Musical Theatre canon in a big way by staging one of the most popular and...

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,...

Review: ‘Aesop’s Fables’ at Quintessence Theatre Group

All of the characters in Lee Cortopassi’s colorful cartoon-like adaptation of Aesop’s Fables sparkle, and speak, just like the original ones drawn up way back circa 600 B.C. But they also snap,...

Review: ‘Uncle Vanya’ at Quintessence Theatre Group

There’s something seriously wrong with this house. That’s what one character says early in Quintessence Theatre Group’s new production of Uncle Vanya, and boy, is she right. Uncle Vanya is set in a...

Review: ‘The Broken Heart’ at Quintessence Theatre Group

It’s unlikely you will be familiar with John Ford’s The Broken Heart. Like most early 17th century playwrights not named Shakespeare, Ford’s works are rarely performed: he’s known almost exclusively...

Review: ‘Love’s Labor’s Lost’ at Quintessence Theatre Group

Quintessence Theatre Group brings William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, as directed by Alexander Burns, vibrantly to life with spectacular staging, scintillating costumes and a sparkling cast....

Review: ‘Wilde Tales’ at Quintessence Theatre Group

Brightened by a beautiful glittering garden backdrop, several of Oscar Wilde’s fabled fairy tales, smartly adapted and directed by Jeremy Bloom, convey the childlike spirit to an enchanting world...

Review: ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ at Quintessence Theatre

Janis Dardaris is a force to be reckoned with. As Mother Courage, standing firm with her hands on her hips and wearing a white, shapeless frock covered by a blue sweater, she is a tower of strength...

‘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...

Review: ‘Happy Days’ at Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia

All dolled up in her fanciest dress, she’s smiling and chipper. It’s a sunny day, and Winnie is not going to let a little thing like the gigantic mound of dirt she’s buried in up to her waist bring...

Review: ‘Doctor Faustus’ at Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia

One thing was abundantly clear as the youthful Quintessence Theatre Group cast took its curtain call to the cheers of a packed house: these players had fun. Fun you ask? Isn’t this The Tragical...

Review: ‘Saint Joan’ at Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia

Repertory Theatre has all but vanished in this country today. Fortunately, one can still travel to cities like DC and Philadelphia to see a company of actors enact a group of classic works, with a...

‘Hansel and Gretel’ at Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia, PA

While all of us are familiar with the story of the two siblings wandering into a witch’s candy house in the woods, Quintessence puts a fun spin on the story. With catchy songs, fun characters, and...

‘The Mandrake’ at Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia

Sex sells, and this certainly true of Quintessence’s The Mandrake. Their 6th season starting off a “Love and Lust” theme, The Mandrake certainly fulfills the quota for lust, and then some. Originally...