Blanka Zizka News

To support the ongoing Justice for George Floyd and Black Lives Matter movements, The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia will stream their 2018 production of James Ijames' KILL MOVE PARADISE from today, June 8, 2020, to June 21, 2020, featuring members of the Wilma's HotHouse Company.

The Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia has announced an innovative new program that provides audience members flexibility and peace of mind about when and how they return to their theatre after the COVID-19 health crisis.

Three women joyfully tell the story of their hometown of Harlem in Renaissance in the Belly of the Killer Whale, on stage at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia now through March 7. Due to popular demand, the company has added an additional performance on Saturday, March 7 at 2pm.

This afternoon, the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia announced a groundbreaking artistic leadership plan. Building on the regional theater's esteemed 40-year history, the Wilma will embark on a new artistic vision called The Next Chapter. Under this plan, three new Co-Artistic Directors have been hired by the Wilma's Board of Directors to collaborate alongside Founding Artistic Director Blanka Zizka.

What is exceedingly special about the Wilma's production is that all storytelling elements work together in perfect harmony to create a visually stunning, entertaining and thought-provoking production. 

Truth, lies, and power - the thrilling play Describe the Night by Rajiv Joseph has announced an extension at Philadelphia's Wilma Theater. Due to popular demand, the award-winning epic, directed by Artistic Director Blanka Zizka, will now run to February 22, 2020.

Three women joyfully tell the story of their hometown of Harlem in Renaissance in the Belly of the Killer Whale, on stage at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia beginning Wednesday, Feb. 26. The show has already been extended due to popular demand and will now close on Saturday, March 7.

Truth, lies, and power - the thrilling play Describe the Night by Rajiv Joseph takes the stage at the Wilma Theater from Jan. 28-Feb. 16, 2020. The award-winning epic, directed by Artistic Director Blanka Zizka, explores the blurred lines between lies, history, and conspiracy theories as it traces the origins of Russian President Vladimir Putin's power.

Clare Barron's ferocious, tender, and raucous comedy Dance Nation takes the stage at the Wilma Theater, October 22 through November 10, 2019.

Who are we if not you and me? On which side of history are we going to be? Is place an illusion? Are we borrowing the here and now and if we are from whom? Is destruction an inseparable component of love? These are some of the questions posed by Lebanese poet and artist Etel Adnan in her introspective poem There: In the Light and the Darkness of the Self and of the Other. 

Renowned visual artist and film maker Rosa Barba and Wilma Theater Artistic Director Blanka Zizka team up to create this world premiere adaptation of this poem.

FringeArts announced the curated component of the 2019 Fringe Festival today, featuring eleven theater, dance, music, and interdisciplinary engagements at FringeArts' home on the Delaware Waterfront and in venues around the city September 5-22. Tickets are currently on sale to FringeArts Members, and go on sale to the public on Monday.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), announced today that nominations for the Zelda Fichandler Award, for a director or choreographer who is transforming theatre in the Central Region, are now being accepted through July 2, 2019.

The world's tallest and hairiest drag queen and her band, the Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret, make their Wilma Theater mainstage debut with their trademark masterful musical stylings and uproarious comedy. Played by Pig Iron Theatre Company co-founder Dito van Reigersberg, Martha Graham Cracker has been hailed as the 'drag queen king of Philadelphia' by The Philadelphia Inquirer and received Philadelphia Magazine's Best of Philly award for her one-of-a-kind unscripted show. This June, she will grace the stage of the Wilma for two groundbreaking performances, including a Martha Graham Cracker show like never before: a matinee performance for children and the young at heart. Tickets are on sale for this limited engagement event, running from June 28-June 29.

The Wilma Theater is set to celebrate its annual fundraising event, Fete 2019, honoring former Managing Director James Haskins, who in March departed the Wilma after 13 seasons of leadership to helm the renowned Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis as their new Managing Director. For Fete 2019, the Wilma seeks to recognize and celebrate Haskins for the indelible impact of his 20 years of service to the Philadelphia cultural community, having served a number of leadership roles at arts organizations throughout the city before landing at the Wilma in 2006. Philanthropists and arts leaders throughout the city will gather for an evening of gourmet fare and drink, and performances from local favorites. Tickets and sponsorships are on sale now for Fete 2019, which will be held at the Wilma on June 10, 2019 beginning at 5:30pm.

Soho Rep. today announces a one-week extension of the New York Premiere of Christopher Chen's Passagein response to popular demand and critical praise. The innovative play, a fantasia on colonialism past and present, asks the question: if Country Y occupies Country X, can someone from Country X and someone from Country Y ever form a mutual relationship?

The Wilma Theater has announced its 2019-2020 Season, featuring a lineup of new and innovative plays from some of the most exciting emerging voices in the field of theater. The season begins with a limited run of a world premiere stage adaptation of Etel Adnan's famous poem There, which will be co-presented with FringeArts in the 2019 Fringe Festival, co-created by Wilma Artistic Director Blanka Zizka and world-renowned visual artist Rosa Barba.

When a family of shepherds in the suburbs of Corinth learns their adopted son Oedipus has ascended the throne of Thebes, they plan a bender to end all benders. But who's on cleanup after the party's over? Equal parts irreverent comedy and emotional journey into family dysfunction, Dionysus Was Such A Nice Man by Kate Tarker examines with horror and humor the lasting effects of personal trauma. The first ever World Premiere commissioned for Wilma's HotHouse, this searing new play directed by French physical theater master Dominique Serrand runs April 23 - May 12 at The Wilma Theater.

Soho Rep. presents the New York Premiere of Obie Award-winning playwright Christopher Chen's Passage (April 23-May 26), a fantasia on colonialism past and present that asks the question: if Country Y occupies Country X, can someone from Country X and someone from Country Y ever form a mutual relationship? Directed by Saheem Ali, Passage is a playful and gripping experiment that isolates power as the sole differentiator between people challenging the arbitrary binaries that define how we live.

Following an extensive nationwide search, Guthrie Theater Artistic Director Joseph Haj today announced the appointment of two new members to his senior leadership team: James Haskins as managing director and Mollie Alexander Hogan as director of development.