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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

Advertise on podcast: Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

Rating
★★★★★
5
from
26 reviews
This podcast has
135 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
Peter Schmitz
Explicit
No
Date created
2021/04/07
Latest episode
2026/10/11
Average duration
47 min.
Release period
14 days

Description

Bringing you the best stories from the deep and fascinating history of theater in the city of Philadelphia. This is the podcast for all lovers of theater, students of history - or anyone who enjoys great stories with lots of drama!

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Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia podcast


Whit MacLaughlin Finds His Utopia
2026/10/11
The Artistic Director of the Philadelphia theater troupe New Paradise Laboratories talks with us about his early life and education, about his midlife journey from Bloomsburg, PA to Blacksburg, VA - and about how he is finds his new Home in Art in the "failed Utopia" of Philadelphia. There blog post on our website, with some photos of Whit and the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble during the 1970s and 80s. Go HERE. The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble's own website is HERE. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
Mark Lord, Part Two
2026/09/19
We complete our conversation with the innovative Philadelphia director, teacher and dramaturg Mark Lord. In this episode we touch on many of Mark's productions that he staged with the Philly performance groups Potlatch, Big House and Headlong Dance Theatre. The cover art from this episode is a photograph from a work called Pink Melon Joy, staged in 1992, which Mark discusses in this episode. He also talks about his collaboration with the late designer Hiroshi Iwasaki, and about some of the many students he had the privilege to teach during his years at Bryn Mawr College. To see images of the plays and people we discussed in our two-part interview with Mark, there is a blog post on our website, here: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/begin-again-and-again/  Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
Mark Lord, Part One
2026/09/11
We begin our conversation with the innovative Philadelphia director, teacher and  scholar Mark Lord, for many years a distinguished theater professor at Bryn Mawr College in the Philly suburbs. Mark's life story starts us on a journey we are taking on the podcast, during which we will meet many of the most innovative and cutting-edge theater artists of the modern era of Philadelphia theater. To see images of the plays and people we discussed in our two-part interview with Mark, there is a blog post on our website, here: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/begin-again-and-again/ Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
Funny How We Got Here - 1812 Productions, with Jen and Pete
2026/08/19
An interview with Jen Childs and Pete Pryor, the founders of 1812 Productions, the only Philadelphia theater company dedicated to comedy. A blog post with images from this episode can be found HERE. A full pictorial history of 1812's past shows can be found on their website, HERE. The song "Daddy Long Legs," is from the show Box Office of the Dammed, sung by Jilline Ringle. It was recorded live at the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia on April 2nd 2001, and was included the CD "The Songs of Michael Ogborn" - music and lyrics, copyright Michael Ogborn. All additional music and underscoring is licensed from the collection of Epidemic Sound. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
Mary Martello is Always Right
2026/08/07
Our interview with the great Philadelphia actress Mary Martello. Join us as she shares the fascinating story of her life and her career. To see photos and images of Mary some of the many roles she had performed over her career, see this blog post on our website: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/mary-martello-is-always-right-here/ You can find an even more extensive archive of photos from Mary's life and career on her own professional website, HERE. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
ENCORE EPISODE - Forrest of Philadelphia, Part Three (NEW and IMPROVED!)
2026/07/24
A newly-revised and improved edition of our examination of the final two decades that Edwin Forrest spent in Philadelphia - and his lasting legacy in the city. For photographs and additional commentary about this topic, see our website's blog post! https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/Episode-15-See-The-Players-Well-Bestowed/ Note: There is not much here about Edwin Forrest and the Astor Place Riots, which (as I always point out) took place in New York, not Philadelphia. I think Forrest actually had little to do with causing them. For a fuller examination, see Nigel Cliff's book, The Shakespeare Riots. I also highly recommend this episode by New York history podcasters The Bowery Boys! https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2019/05/the-astor-place-riot-massacre-at-busy.html Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
ENCORE EPISODE: Banned in Philadelphia
2026/07/17
During the Great Depression years of the 1930s, some touring Broadway shows got into trouble in Philadelphia. "The People's Mayor" S. Davis Wilson had his limits when it came to what he would allow in the city's theaters, and plays such as Tobacco Road, New Faces of 1936, and Langston Hughes' Mulatto came under official scrutiny. For more background information and images about this episode, go to our website: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/the-peoples-mayor/ For another story about S. Davis Wilson and the musical he censored called "Orchids Preferred" read all about it on our Patreon page! The link is HERE. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
ENCORE EPISODE: "Guys and Dolls" in Philadelphia
2026/07/10
A Summertime Treat! We bring out again one of our most popular and beloved episodes of the podcast . . .  the story of how Philadelphia saved the pre-Broadway tryout run of the most New York shows ever! For a blog post on our website with additional information and images, go to: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/luck-be-a-lady Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
ENCORE EPISODE: Americana Jubilee - 1976
2026/07/03
In honor of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, we bring back this episode about Philadelphia theater during the Bicentennial year! A blog post with images and more information about the stories we talk about in the episode can be found on our website! https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/bicentennial-blues/ Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
Lane Savadove and EgoPo
2026/06/26
We interview director Lane Savadove about his lifelong journey that has taken EgoPo Classic Theater around the world - and back again. Visit EgoPo's own website here: https://egopo.org/ A great article about the production of The Ramayana that we discuss in the episode can be found at the Broad Street Review, HERE. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
Centennial Summer: Looking Back to 1876 - A Special Episode
2026/06/13
In this special episode, we explore the theatrical history of the great Centennial Exposition – one of the biggest entertainment events ever mounted in Philadelphia. Our guests today are historian John Henry Hepp IV and the blogger and culture history maven TravSD! A blog post, with many of the images and buildings we talk about during the show, is HERE. Here is a link to Professor Hepp's book, Mystery and Marvel, Philadelphia's 1876 Exhibition. And here's how to find a copy of TravSD's history of vaudeville: No Applause—Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
The Ghost Theaters of Callowhill Street
2026/05/23
A modern walking tour along a noisy street - with the narrative of a long-forgotten theater district of Philadelphia's near north side! For a blog post with images and photos of the theaters and streets we discuss in the episode, go to: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/photos-and-images-for-the-ghost-theaters-of-callowhill-street---episode-124/ Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
The Lantern Theater
2026/05/17
Back-to-back interviews about the past - and the future - of the Lantern Theater. Peter talks with Stacy Maria Dutton and Charles McMahon. For a blog post with images relating to this episode go here: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/down-st-stephens-alley/  Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
Interview: Grace Gonglewski
2026/04/17
A conversation with Grace Gonglewski, who has been performing and creating in Philadelphia theaters for the last four decades! She shares with us her memories of her life and work. Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.
Three Nights at the Opera
2026/04/03
Three tales from the deep annals of Philadelphia opera history . .  . . from a fantastical account of a performance of Guy Mannering in the 1840s, to the world premiere of Victor Herbert's Natoma in 1911, to a final Gotterdammerung at the Academy of Music in 1948.  To view images and additional details about all the stories in this episode - go to this blog post on our Patreon page! https://www.patreon.com/posts/121123422 Support the show "Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now! For a link, go to our website: www.aithpodcast.com Our email address is [email protected] Follow us on social media: Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/ Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE © Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved. ℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz. ℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

Podcast reviews

Read Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia podcast reviews


5 out of 5
26 reviews
★★★★★
caro_lean 2023/12/02
Great find!
If you love the theatrical arts, architecture, history or Philly, this is a great channel. Very well researched and produced. The Vaudeville part 1 ...
★★★★★
Izzy’sFried 2023/10/24
Izzy
Agree with other reviewers. This podcast sheds light not only on Phila theatre history — this is American theatre history. The generational lines ...
★★★★★
Bob Goren 2023/10/21
Just terrific
It IS just terrific!!
★★★★★
AngelPirateNY 2023/01/14
Informative, enlightening, and engaging
Peter Schmitz’ deeply researched podcast uncovers important moments in Philadelphia theatre history, providing helpful context and insights, as well a...
★★★★★
tg53 2022/08/16
Fun and informative!
Great Listening. Peter graciously expresses his enthusiasm for the subject with each anecdote he tells. Like a seasoned storyteller, Peter shares such...
★★★★★
BobSinPhilly 2022/07/23
Great fun!
Peter's narrations are such fun to listen to. They are like theater history told to you as a bedtime time story by your favorite uncle. They're more ...
★★★★☆
SloanR5 2021/10/07
Love Me Some Peter Schmitz
Peter's voice is so soothing, and his excitement for the subject is evident. He goes into so much detail, and the show is highly informative. I am new...
★★★★★
sjmphila 2021/04/16
Excellent content, very well-produced! Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia
This is great, little-known content on the very rich history of theater in Philadelphia. The production is excellent: good pacing, great music and aud...
★★★★★
Theater Phan 2021/04/13
You don't have to be from Philly to enjoy this show!
The title makes it seem like it's only meant for Philly people, but everyone can enjoy this podcast. It doesn't matter where you are from - or even if...
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