A reprise of one of our early episodes from Season One, in which we travel back 225 years to a single fascinating day in American theater: January 1, 1800.

Philadelphia's premiere theater company rang in the New Year with their production of the spectacular Romance entitled "Blue Beard, or Female Curiosity." Meanwhile, in the audience, there are other dramatic events were taking place! Join us on this adventure in early American life, on the cusp of the 19th Century.

To see a full blog entry about this episode, including more illustrations, explanations, and a selected bibliography of source material, go to  /blog/episode-8-new-years-day-at-the-new-theatre-1800/

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

Three new Philadelphia theater complexes are built for the mid-century modern era - funded by wealthy philanthropists. The Annenbergs would donate grand new Modernist-style Arts Centers at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania, and the Haas family would spearhead the drive to renovate the old Walnut Street Theatre.

For a blog post with photos of all three theaters and other events described in the episode, go to our website: https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/mid-century-modern/

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

A re-edited, reduced and remixed account of the entire history of the Theatre of the Living Arts – the first major professional theater company in Philadelphia's modern era.

Photo of the company of The Line of Least Existence was taken by Bill Watkins.

Links to blog posts on our podcast's webpage, with other images and information about our sources, can be found here, here and here.

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

Our first episode of Season Four - introducing our plans and hopes for the upcoming year on the podcast.

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

Like the ghost of Hamlet's father, the body of John Barrymore would not stay still . . . one dark night it suddenly appeared in his hometown. 

A story about the wandering remains of a member of Philadelphia's most famous acting family, taken from Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of Brotherly Love, a book by Thomas H. Keels.

This episode was originally released as our Episode 34 in July of 2022.

Please visit Tom's website, www.thomaskeels.com, for more information on his other books and upcoming talks and lectures.

For blog post with images and more thoughts about this topic, go to:
https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/alas-poor-yorick/

To find out more about Mount Vernon Cemetery in North Philadelphia:
https://www.mountvernoncemetery.org/

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

An encore presentation of Peter's reading of the chapter "Oh, It's a Lovely War: The Mischianza 1778" from Thomas H. Keels' Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of Brotherly Love.

Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of Brotherly Love by Thomas Keels, is available on Amazon.com. Please visit Tom's website, www.thomaskeels.com, for more information on his other books and upcoming talks and lectures.

For blog post with images and more thoughts about this topic, go to:
https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/the-pageant-that-shook-walnut-grove/

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

A re-released and edited version of our Episode 36!

In this show we interview theater historian Barry Witham about his 2013 book A Sustainable Theatre: Jasper Deeter at the Hedgerow, and then bring listeners along on a guided tour of Hedgerow Theatre campus in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania.

Check out this blog post with historical images of Jasper Deeter, plus photos from our visit to the Hedgerow in August 2022, on our website!
https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/photos-of-the-hedgerow/

More historic images can be found on the Hedgerow Theatre's website: https://www.hedgerowtheatre.org/history

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

An Exciting Announcement! 

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

This Encore episode of the podcast - first released as Episode 35 in our Season One - goes on a journey to the Paul Robeson House and Museum in Philadelphia.

For a blog post on our website with additional information, images, and links, go to:
https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/the-house-i-live-in/

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.

In which we close out the Tryout Town story of Philadelphia theater - and we share a chapter of Peter's upcoming book!

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

Our website: www.aithpodcast.com

Our email address: [email protected]

Bluesky: @aithpodcast.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AITHpodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aithpodcast/

Support our work and get BONUS EPISODES on Patreon! GO HERE

© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.