Political Satire THIS IS THE WEEK THAT IS Opens At 1812 Productions

1812 Productions is pleased to present its annual political comedy, and a Philadelphia favorite, This Is The Week That Is. A staple of the Philadelphia theatre season for the past 12 years, This Is The Week That Is brings to the stage sharp satire and content that changes with the headlines. This Is The Week That Is opens Wednesday November 29th at 7pm at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, in Center City. Preview performances begin Friday November 24th. The production will play through December 31st. Tickets and information are available at www.1812productions.org or at 215-592-9560.

This Is The Week That Is features returning writer/ performers Sean Close, Dave Jadico, Susan Riley Stevens, and Jennifer Childs, who will also direct. This 12th annual production also welcomes new cast members Jenson Titus Lavallee, whose recent appearances include Pig Iron Theatre Company, Theatre Exile, and New Paradise Laboratories, and Rob Tucker, last seen in Arden Theatre's production of The Light Princess, who will also serve as the show's music director.

Following a staggering year in American politics, This Is The Week That Is looks to the impact the new administration has had on the American people and the divisions, as well as the unity, that have taken center stage. "This show has always been about taking the temperature of the country," says creator/ director Jennifer Childs. "Seeing where the American people are in their lives, what they're talking about. With this year's This Is The Week That Is, we want to talk about how we're collectively getting through the tumult. How we're getting out of our social media bubbles. How we're reexamining what we always thought we knew about American politics. How we're hanging on to our idealism. Our mission, however, remains the same as when this show began: Tell the truth and make it funny."

The This Is The Week That Is production team includes Dan O'Neil (assistant director), who recently directed 1812 Productions' lauded production of Jonathan Tolins' Buyer & Cellar as well as Don Montrey, who returns as the show's head news writer. 1812 veterans Lance Kniskern (scenic design) and Jorge Cousineau (video design) return with Jillian Keys (costume design) and Paul Moffit (lighting design). 1812 welcomes its new production manager, Ben Levan, and returning stage manager, Thomas E. Shotkin.

This Is The Week That Is will also host a bilingual performance on Wednesday, December 6th at 6:30pm with live translation and open-captioning in Spanish. This will be 1812 Productions' sixth Spanish-translated production. We are honored to welcome back Fernando Mendez who will translate the working script. Mendez will also join the cast onstage for live translation of improvised and up-to-date material. Mendez is a board member of Congreso de Latinos Unidos and host of the political program El Ritmo de La Comunidad on El Zol Philly.

This Is The Week That Is play November 24th thru December 31st at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, in Center City, Philadelphia. Opening Night will be Wednesday, November 29th at 7:00pm. Tickets range from $28-$42 and are available at 215-592-9560 or at www.1812productions.org.

This Is The Week That Is is part of The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Series. This Is The Week That Is welcomes honorary producer, and longtime 1812 Productions supporter, Terry Graboyes.

1812 Productions was founded in 1997 and is the only professional theater company in the country dedicated to comedy. 1812 Productions is the recipient of an honorary citation from the City of Philadelphia for outstanding work and commitment to the Philadelphia arts community. In 2010 and 2016, they were among a select group of regional theatre companies to receive a National Theatre Company grant from the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards. Their education program, 1812 Outreach, has received multiple nominations and has twice been awarded the Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service. 1812 Productions' mission is to produce theatrical works of comedy and comedic works of theatre that explore and celebrate our sense of community, our history, and our humanity.

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