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Plays and Players actually began in 1911 at the Art Alliance . It was a social club devoted to expanding and developing new Theater experiences for and by its membership. Members were an exclusive group of friends who commissioned works to be written and performed for charitable purposes. The first President, Maud Durbin Skinner, was the wife of the famed American Actor , Otis Skinner , who performed upon the Delancey Street stage during its early history. Many other theatrical greats have acted here over the years including the Barrymore s, John Drew and Kevin Bacon . Plays and Players is very likely the Community Theater on which Philadelphia Playwright George Kelly based his slapstick Comedy ''The Torch Bearers''. It is also the theater where the acclaimed Broadway Play , '' Stalag 17 '', premiered. By the 1950's the membership of the private club was less exclusive and more representative of the center city community, but performances were still only for members. In the 1960's, Plays and Players decided to "go public" and opened its productions to the entire community. In the 70's the Plays and Players Children's Theater was added to the busy schedule. In addition, the Plays and Players Theater has hosted many other artistic endeavors: Drama Guild, Pocket Playhouse, Gilbert and Sullivan Players, American Music Theater, Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival to name a few. Plays and Players is in a state of constant change. Center city populations are often transient. Children grow up. New artists mature and move into professional circles. Community theatre moves in cycles, welcoming the new participants and keeping in contact with the old. In their busiest seasons, Plays and Players produced several adult plays and 5-6 children's plays while supporting a Workshop theater and full calendar of social events. They took performances to Nursery Schools , Swim Clubs , Street Festivals and Philadelphia's Bicentennial Celebration. In recent years, the Family Theater remained active, but commitments to the building necessitated a hiatus of their own adult productions in favor of rental income. For many years, Plays and Players has been the home of the professional regional theatre Philadelphia Theatre Company ( PTC ), their in-house rental. Recently, PTC has made plans to build their own space on Broad Street (Philadelphia) which will be called the Suzanne Roberts Theater. When PTC moves to their new home, another cycle will begin at Plays and Players Theater. Preparations are underway to fill the gap from PTC's departure with their own, original productions and new rental partners. Building and theater equipment concerns must be met, especially Lighting and Sound equipment. A group of Artists known as the Torchbearers, are lending talents and time to ever-expanding activities. More family theater productions are being brought to the mainstage as was done last season with '' It's A Wonderful Life '' and '' You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown '' and this season with '' The Secret Garden '' in September 2005 and " James And The Giant Peach " coming in June 2006. They have also been working to revive adult productions, starting with '' Half The Rent In America '' which premiered in November 2004, followed by our upcoming musical '' La Cage Aux Folles '' in December 2005 and their second member-written Premiere , '' The Department '', taking the stage in April 2006. EXTERNAL LINKS
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