Quintessence Theatre Group Continues Fifth Season with THE METAMORPHOSIS

Quintessence Theatre Group continues its fifth season of progressive classic theatre with Franz Kafka's THE METAMORPHOSIS. As part of the centennial celebration of Kafka's groundbreaking masterpiece, Rebecca Wright directs Steven Berkoff's timeless stage adaptation.

In Kafka's THE METAMORPHOSIS, successful traveling salesman Gregor Samsa mysteriously transforms overnight into a gigantic insect-like creature. Can Gregor sustain his life, his family and his job despite his inexplicable metamorphosis? Gregor's parents and sister, who have been living off of Gregor's success, must transform their lives in order to survive. How long will their love for Gregor remain unconditional once they are unable to communicate with him, repulsed by him and are fearful of his presence?

Quintessence welcomes its first guest director: Rebecca Wright, founding Artistic Director of Philadelphia's Applied Mechanics. Wright will explore how all bodies transform, juxtaposing the mundane and the grotesque, and exploring Kafka's surmise that any home can become a cage, any failure in communication can become a nightmare, and any regret can become a monster. Berkoff's hyper-physical adaptation focuses Kafka's existential questions on the actor's body. In our contemporary moment, the body is a politicized battleground and defined by the functions we require of it. Wright will collaborate with Philadelphia's Kristen Bailey as Gregor, using cross-gender casting to delve more deeply into questions of the transformative nature and performance expectations of the body.

Anita Holland returns to Quintessence as Mrs. Samsa. She is joined by Douglas Hara* as Mr. Samsa and Gracie Martin as Greta, both making their Quintessence debut. The ensemble also includes returning Quintessence actors Alan Brincks, Julia Frey and Lee Minora as the three lodgers.

Joining the creative team are Colin McIlvaine (Set Designer), Katherine Fritz (Costume Designer), Maria Shaplin (Lighting Designer) and Adriano Shaplin (Sound Designer).

THE METAMORPHOSIS will begin previews on Wednesday, February 4 at 7pm and open on Saturday, February 7 at 8pm. All performances are at the Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave in Mt Airy, Philadelphia, 19119. To purchase tickets visit QuintessenceTheatre.org or call 215.987.4450.

ELEMENTAL RECITATION SERIES

Join Quintessence for our Elemental Recitation series, as members of the Quintessence ensemble and actors from Philadelphia's esteemed theatre community gather to recite rarely performed classics. Quintessence will return to reader's theatre this winter with two adaptations of other classic Kafka's tales.

Kafka's In The Penal Colony - Monday, February 16 at 7pm

Kafka's The Trial - Monday, February 23 at 7pm

Tickets to the Elemental Recitation Series are ten dollars and free to Quintessence Season Subscribers. For information and tickets please visit our website.

QUINTESSENCE: A CLASSIC REPERTORY ENSEMBLE FOR PHILADELPHIA

Quintessence Theatre Group is a professional classic theatre, dedicated to the performance and adaptation of epic works of classic literature and drama for the contemporary stage, which ignites the mind, body and soul through the power of the actor, design and spoken word.

SEASON V

Now in its fifth season, Quintessence continues to work towards the establishment of an acting ensemble and a rotating repertory at the historic Sedgwick Theater in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. As Quintessence Theatre's home, the Sedgwick Theater, a 1928 art deco movie palace designed by William Lee, will regain its place as a jewel in Philadelphia's cultural landscape.

In Season V, Quintessence expands its offering to five productions of epic classics for the contemporary stage. Quintessence began the season with a return to all-male Shakespeare, presenting a thirteen actor AS YOU LIKE IT and RICHARD II in rotating repertory, and continued to establish a new tradition for holiday family classics with Lewis Carroll's ALICE's ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND. The season will conclude with a new adaptation of Dumas' THE THREE MUSKETEERS complete with swordfights choreographed by Philadelphia fight master Ian Rose.

THE METAMORPHOSIS plays February 4 - March 1. A special PAY WHAT YOU CAN preview will be presented on Wednesday, February 4 at 7:00pm. Post-show talkbacks with the creative team will take place on Sunday, February 15 and Thursday, February 26. Please check the performance schedule below or visit QuintessenceTheatre.org for exact performance times and dates.

Tickets are $34 - $27 general admission, $25 for seniors (65 and over), $15 for youth (21 and under). Group discounts and weekday student matinees are available. To purchase tickets visit QuintessenceTheatre.org or call 1.215.987.4450. For ticket information please email BoxOffice@QuintessenceTheatre.org.