TOPDOG/UNDERDOG to Open People's Light Season With Arden Theatre

People's Light opens its 2026/27 Season with a landmark collaboration alongside Arden Theatre Company, Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog. Directed by acclaimed Philadelphia artist Amina Robinson in her People's Light directorial debut, the production stars People's Light Company Artist Akeem Davis as Lincoln and George McGriff as Booth. Topdog/Underdog runs September 16 - October 18 in the Steinbright Theater. Tickets start at $35 and are on sale now.

In a bold move for this region, People's Light and Old City's Arden Theatre Company have joined forces to co-produce Topdog/Underdog, offering audiences the opportunity to experience the production in two distinctly different theatrical environments. The production opens first at People's Light before moving to Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia, where it will continue its run for a new audience and offer the work a fresh context on Arden's stage.  

One of the defining American plays of the 21st century, Topdog/Underdog follows brothers Lincoln and Booth as they confront love, rivalry, survival and the weight of family history. Written by Suzan-Lori Parks, the first Black woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the play remains as urgent today as when it premiered, offering an unflinching examination of brotherhood, power and the forces that shape our lives.

A three-time Barrymore Award-winning artist, Amina Robinson makes her People's Light debut as one of the region's most sought-after theatrical voices, with acclaimed work at Arden Theatre Company, The Wilma Theater, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.

The production also marks a meaningful artistic homecoming for People's Light Company Artist Akeem Davis (Sweat, A Christmas Carol, All My Sons, Mark Twain: Sacred Cows Make the Best Hamburgers), whose career has been deeply intertwined with both producing theaters. A Company Artist at People's Light, Davis has become one of the most celebrated performers in Greater Philadelphia through acclaimed work on stages across the region . At Arden Theatre Company, he has appeared in notable productions including A Doll's House, Gem of the Ocean, King Hedley II and Radio Golf, making this collaboration a natural convergence of two organizations that have helped shape his artistic journey.

Joining Davis is George McGriff, (74 Seconds to Judgement, Ragtime, The Best Man) an accomplished Philadelphia actor recognized for his commanding stage presence and emotionally nuanced performances. As Booth, McGriff brings equal complexity to Parks' unforgettable portrait of two brothers bound together by love, rivalry and the weight of family history. Together, Davis and McGriff anchor one of the most demanding and celebrated two-person dramas in the American theater canon.

"Suzan-Lori Parks is one of the most fearless writers of our time, an artist who interweaves the personal and the political with fire and depth," said Zak Berkman, Producing Artistic Director of People's Light. "I'm proud to be staging her masterwork alongside our friends at Arden Theatre, and to bring together such a remarkable collection of artists to dive into this intimate and epic story that feels more startlingly alive than ever."

"Topdog/Underdog is one of those plays that reveals something new every time you encounter it," said Director Amina Robinson. "Suzan-Lori Parks has created two unforgettable characters whose humor, pain and resilience stay with you long after the play ends. To bring this story to life with artists from People's Light and Arden is incredibly exciting because it reflects what makes Philadelphia's theater community so special…a willingness to collaborate, challenge one another and create work that's bigger than any one institution. I'm especially excited to see how the distinct spaces and stages at People's Light and Arden will shape the production in different ways and how each environment will invite us to discover something new in the play.

“The Arden is thrilled to co-produce Suzan-Lori Parks' brilliant play with this remarkable team of Philadelphia artists,” said Terrence J. Nolen, Producing Artistic Director at Arden Theatre Company. “We were fortunate to partner with People's Light on co-productions in our early days and those productions celebrated the extraordinary talent of Philadelphia artists. We're honored to rekindle that spirit and bring together our shared passions and energies to create this new production with such an exceptional Philadelphia cast and creative team.”

Topdog/Underdog launches People's Light's 2026/27 Season, which explores the many ways family shapes who we are, from the families we're born into to the communities we choose. As the season opener, the production sets the stage for a year of bold storytelling that invites audiences to confront difficult questions with empathy, curiosity and hope.

Performances begin Wednesday, September 16, with opening on Sunday, September 20. Tickets are available at PeoplesLight.org or by calling the Box Office at (610) 644-3500.

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