WITCH to Open Quintessence Theatre's 17th Season

On September 30, Quintessence Theatre opens its 17th season with the regional premiere of Witch by award-winning playwright Jen Silverman. Directed by Maura Krause, the critically acclaimed play is a sharp and inventive retelling of the classic Jacobean tragicomedy that questions whose soul is worth saving when the devil comes to town. The cast features Philadelphia actors Trevor William Fayle, Frank Jimenez, Suli Holum, Steven Rishard, Abdul Sesay, and Imani Williams. Witch is set to run from September 30 to October 25, with 23 performances presented onstage at Quintessence at the Sedgwick Theater.

In Witch, a charming devil (Jimenez) arrives in the quiet village of Edmonton to bargain for the souls of its residents in exchange for their darkest wishes. Elizabeth Sawyer (Holum) should be his easiest target, having been labeled a 'witch' and cast out by the town, but her soul is not so readily bought. As the devil returns to tempt her and her neighbors, unexpected passions flare, alliances are formed, and the village is forever changed. Silverman's inventive retelling of the classic tragicomedy offers audiences a sharp, subversive fable that debates how much our souls are worth when hope is hard to come by.

Witch is a modern adaptation of the 17th-century English play, The Witch of Edmonton, by John Ford, Thomas Dekker, and William Rowley, which was inspired by the real-life story of Elizabeth Sawyer, an English woman executed for witchcraft in 1621. The original play depicts Sawyer as an older woman who sells her soul to the devil only after being shunned by her neighbors. Silverman's adaptation maintains The Witch of Edmonton's radical spirit while reimagining the tragedy as a darkly comic, distinctly contemporary exploration of exclusion, power, and the human need to be seen. Since its world premiere in 2018, Witch has received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, hailed as an 'exceedingly smart new comedy' (Chicago Tribune) and 'darkly humorous' (The Hollywood Reporter).

'The act of writing a new play inspired by a classic is one of the most aggressive and exciting ways to explore an old story in a new way, and Jen Silverman's brilliant and biting comedy reimagines and riffs on one of the great Jacobean tragicomedies in a timeless and necessary way for today,' said Alex Burns, Artistic Director of Quintessence. 'Since its premiere at Chicago's Writers Theatre in 2019, Quintessence has been offering to sell its soul to bring this new classic to Philadelphia. Our patience has paid off, and there couldn't be a better team than the one helmed by Mara Krause and an ensemble of powerhouse actors led by Suli Holum to cast Witch's spell on Philadelphia.'

The cast of Witch is headlined by award-winning playwright, director, and actor Suli Holum (The Little Princess, 2020) as Edmonton's resident outcast, Elizabeth Sawyer, with local actor Frank Jimenez making his Quintessence debut as the visiting devil, Scratch. Also making their debut at the Mt. Airy theatre are local stage and screen actor Steven Rishard, portraying the wealthy and powerful Sir Arthur Banks, and Philadelphia-based actor Abdul Sesay as the boundlessly ambitious and successful Frank Thorney. Quintessence welcomes back Barrymore Award-winning actor Trevor William Fayle (they/them) (Awake and Sing!, 2019) as Sir Arthur's shy son, Cuddy, and Imani Williams (Antony & Cleopatra and FIRE!!) as the Banks family's servant Winnifred.

Barrymore Award-nominated director Maura Krause (they/them) makes their directorial debut at Quintessence with Witch. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and California College of the Arts, Krause is also a writer and lecturer at California Polytechnic University. They served as the Artistic Director of Philadelphia's first producing playwrights' collective, Barrymore Award-winning company Orbiter 3, and were the Artistic Associate at Azuka Theatre from 2018 to 2020. Directing credits include Man of God by Anna Moench (InterAct Theatre Company), Tiny Beautiful Things (Arden Theatre Company), the world premiere of Boycott Esther by Emily Acker (Azuka Theatre), and the world premiere of Breathe Smoke by Doug Williams (Orbiter 3). They have also collaborated with Applied Mechanics, Ampersand, the Greenfield Collective, Cleveland Public Theatre, and more.

'I am thrilled to be returning to Philadelphia to direct Witch at Quintessence,' shared Krause. 'I couldn't imagine a better production to bring me back to this city's amazing theatre community. I've loved Jen Silverman's work since 2010, when I was an artistic intern at Woolly Mammoth reading their MFA thesis script. Witch mingles snappy humor and poignant humanity with all of Jen's trademark brilliance. The play's piercing examination of how social systems and rigid assumptions shape everyone's lives, even as we crave genuine connection, will never stop being relevant. Witch asks many questions but offers no simple answers, and I look forward to sharing that heartfelt ambiguity with Quintessence's lovely and thoughtful audiences.'

Krause leads a creative team featuring Lighting Designer Joseph Glodek, Sound Designer Larry Fowler, Scenic Designer Isy Kessler, Costume Designer Kelly Myers, Choreographer Thomas Choinacky, Props Designer Liz McDonald, Original Score Composer Damien Figueras, Fight Director Sean Bradley, and Intimacy Director Bess Rowen. The production team includes Stage Manager Randi Alexis Hickey, Assistant Stage Manager Emmie Parker, and Production Manager Santino Lo.

TICKETING INFORMATION

Witch runs from September 30 to October 25, and opens on Saturday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m. All performances take place at the historic Sedgwick Theater (7137 Germantown Avenue), a flexible black box theater. The play has an estimated running time of 95 minutes, with no intermission, and is recommended for audiences 13 years or older.

Tickets run from $30 to $65. Theatergoers enjoy Pay-What-You-Can tickets for Witch on Wednesday, September 30. Multiple discounts, Group Sales, event details, and information are available at qtgrep.org or by calling the Box Office at 215-987-4450. Public and street parking is available throughout the Mt. Airy neighborhood.

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

• Digestif Dialogues – Following each Wednesday and Thursday evening performance, audiences are invited to grab a drink from the bar and stay for a post-show conversation about Witch with a member of Quintessence's team.
• Post-Show Cast Talkback Night: Thursday, October 8 at 8:30 p.m. – Patrons can meet the cast members immediately after the performance to ask anything they'd like about the production.
• Post-Show Conversation: Sunday, October 18 at 4:30 p.m. – Professor Jennifer Matisoff from Arcadia University will take the stage after the performance to discuss Jacobean Drama, along with the nuances of Jen Silverman's adaptation and production in depth.
• Elemental Recitation Series: Monday, October 19, at 7 p.m. – Quintessence's celebrated Elemental Recitation series returns this season with a reading of John Ford, Thomas Dekker and William Rowley's The Witch of Edmonton. An ensemble of professional actors will present a rehearsed reading of the 1621 Jacobean tragicomedy, which inspired Jen Silverman's Witch. Tickets are $10, and free to Quintessence season subscribers.

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