Theatre Tour: Quintessence Theatre Group

Over the past three years, I’ve been to a ton of different theatres in the Philadelphia area.  I’ve talked about the plays I’ve seen, and the people I’ve spoken to, but I’ve never actually talked about the theatres themselves.  This is the start of a new segment for me that I’m calling “Theatre Tour”.  Our first stop on the theatre tour is Quintessence Theatre in Germantown.  Now, Quintessence is one of my favorite theatres in the area, for quite a few reasons.  And it’s a theatre that I often recommend to people, especially when talk of my blog comes up at work.

First of all, let me tell you about the building Quintessence is in.  It’s the Sedgwick Theater, once a movie theater.  The lobby is spacious, with couches, a background for pictures, headshots of actors in the show, and posters of plays from past seasons.  But the real magic is when you head through the lobby.  In the next room is a small concessions stand, a number of tables, and gorgeous art deco style walls and ceiling.  This is all the original Sedgwick architecture, and Quintessence is currently working on restoring the building.  I, for one, can’t wait to see it in its full glory.

Going through that second lobby will bring you into the theatre.  Quintessence has a small, black box theatre that I’ve now seen in many different formations.  There’s not just your typical stage and audience set up, but I’ve seen shows done on the ground with the audience to one side going up.  I’ve seen the stage be in the center of the space with seats on either side.  It’s really amazing what Quintessence does with the space they have.  It may be a small theatre, but you can tell just from sitting in those seats that it has a lot of heart.

The gorgeous building and general setup is only a part of the Quintessence experience.  I’ve now seen a number of plays there, and I’ve absolutely loved every single one of them.  Quintessence pushes boundaries…they do daring shows, shows that could even be considered risky at times.  And they always manage to pull these show off flawlessly.  Last season, they did A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Antony & Cleopatra in repertor.  I’ve got to say, if you’re going to pick out two opposite shows, this is how you do it.  Seeing those actors tackle so many different roles in two Shakespeare shows was incredible.

This season, Quintessence did Rare Accidents which was Henry IV parts one and two abridged.  Now, I’ve seen Midsummer a million times.  And I thought Antony & Cleopatra was about as unique as you could get in theatre…but I never in a million years thought I’d see Henry IV in any form onstage.  It was amazing (for more, just read the linked blog post!)  I love that Quintessence does stuff like that.  It was an incredible experience.  But this is just what Quintessence does.

So much goes into these shows that make Quintessence so different from other theatres.  The building is definitely a part of that…it’s absolutely magical to be in that building.  The shows themselves are spellbinding.  I haven’t seen an actor in a role that I thought could be better cast.  But Quintessence goes above and beyond.  Their casts are usually small, with actors playing multiple roles.  The Pirates of Penzance is usually done with a large cast…forty or more, and Quintessence did it with twelve.  In Midsummer, I’m pretty sure every cast member played at least two characters.  Their repertory shows were obviously carefully picked and carefully cast.

It’s not a big theatre, but the work they do is completely stunning.  Things like costumes and sets are simple, but impeccably designed to do exactly what they’re meant to do.  They make it work, which is definitely saying a lot for a theatre like this.  Especially since they’re slightly out of Philly but still in the Philly area.  It’s definitely a little gem of a theatre in a fun little area.  Germantown is a very fun place, and honestly, I can’t think of a better place for a theatre like Quintessence.  The Sedgwick Theater transformed is breath taking.

You can’t miss Quintessence, with it’s neon lights and marquee, telling us what’s playing there.  Right now, you’ll see them boasting Rare Accidents.  Next up will be The Hypochondriac, adapted from Moliere.  As they continue to show bold, fun shows and work on restoring this historic building to it’s original glory, Quintessence really brings so much to the table when it comes to theatre in the Philly area.  I definitely have to say that Quintessence is one of my favorite companies, one of my favorite theatres.  Quintessence has so many things that other theatres don’t…I love getting to walk into that building and see those shows that they put so much care into.