The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)
April 30, 1998 - May 24, 1998

 1637 Murders, 656 battles, 375 adulterous acts, and a couple of fairies

...the bard is back.



Developed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company

Directed by Jennifer Childs and Peter Pryor

This fast-paced irreverent comedy, 1812’s first production, presents all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays performed by three actors in under two hours.

"As co-directors of The Compleat Works, Childs and Pryor demonstrate a flair for quick-moving, quick-witted, knockabout comedy." --Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1998

Cast: Michael Byrne
         Kevin Dougherty
         Thomas Fowler

Set Design: Chris Nelson
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Costume Design: Colleen McMillan
Box Office of the Damned
April 16, 1999 - May 16, 1999

Written by Michael Ogborn
Directed by Jennifer Childs and Peter Pryor


Box Office of the Damned is a musical revue that takes the audience through a day in the life of a harried box office staff and the public they serve.

"This view into the house from behind the box office glass is pure theatrical Viagra: You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to see it twice more."
--Philadelphia Weekly, April 1999

Cast: Greg Gephart
         Dave Jadico
         Maggie Lakis
         Richard Paul
         Kimberly Rehfuss
         Jilline Ringle
         Todd Waddington

Musical Director: Chris Ertelt
Set Designer: Chris Nelson
Lighting Designer: Stephen Keever
Costime Designer: Colleen McMillan
The Santaland Diaries and Season's Greetings
December 8, 1999 - December 30, 1999
Written by David Sedaris
Directed by Jennifer Childs and Peter Pryor



This irreverent take on the holiday season features Jennifer Childs and Pete Pryor in their first acting roles with the company. Santaland Diaries and Season’s Greetings are two one-act monologues that take an offbeat and skewered look at the holidays. Santaland Diaries is a man’s hilarious account of his misadventures as a Macy’s elf during the Christmas season, and Season’s Greetings is a dark spoof on the traditional family holiday newsletter.

Cast:                          Jennifer Childs
Set Designer:              Pete Pryor
Lighting Designer:        Stephen Keever
Costume Designer:      Colleen McMillan
Sound Designer:          Nick Rye


Private Eyes
June 1, 2000 - June 25, 2000
Written by Steven Dietz
Directed by William Roudebush


Lisa and Matthew are actors. Lisa is having an affair with her director. Is she? Or is that just a part of the play? Or is that part of Matthew's paranoid fantasies? Or is that a story Matthew made up for his therapist? This twisted and hysterical comedy explores the fine line between truth and illusion and what it does to our relationships.

Cast:         Jennifer Childs
                 Madi DiStefano
                 Drucie McDaniel
                 Dan Olmstead
                 Pete Pryor

Set Designer:              Paul Donovan
Lighting Designer:       Janet Embree
Costume Designer:     Colleen McMillan
Sound Design:            Nick Rye
Mondo Mangia
October 4, 2000 - November 5, 2000
Created and performed by Jilline Ringle
With additional material by Michael Ogborn

Join Box Office of the Damned’s Jilline Ringle for this hysterical (and delicious) cabaret about life, love and the splendor of food. Ringle sings and shares stories while cooking an Italian meal for the entire audience! Traditional shells and red sauce every Sunday and meatless Fridays.

Musical Director: Owen Robbins
Set & Lighting Design: Doug Thomas

The Big Time - Vaudeville for the Holidays
December 1, 2000 - December 30, 2000
Conceived and directed by Jennifer Childs

Four talented Philadelphia actors perform vintage vaudeville sketches, songs, mimes, melodramas, and eccentric music acts. It's a fast and furious quick-change homage to a time-honored comedic form.

"This show is so good it will evoke nostalgia in an audience that has no memory of the original…These songs and sketches have been recreated (or in some cases, newly written in the style of the period) with skill, taste and accomplishment... The Big Time is a triumph." --Philadelphia City Paper, December 2000

Cast:         Tony Braithwaite
                 Jennifer Childs
                 Scott Greer
                 Dave Jadico
                 Steven Taylor

Accompanist:                 Ray Lindsay
Set Design:                    Robert Kramer
Lighting Design:              Stephen Keever
Sound/ Video Design:      Tobin Rothlein
Costume Design:             Susan Bolt

The Great Northeast
April 6, 2001 - May 6, 2001

Written by Pete Kimchuk
Directed by Peter Pryor


When the Northeast decides to secede from the city of Philadelphia, Twinka McDaniels and her family struggle hilariously to maintain their boundaries—both civic and personal. This dark, comic romp features Sharon Eisman, Howard Overshown, and Philly favorites Jilline Ringle, Barbara Winters Pinto, and Harry Philibosian.

Cast:         Sharon Eisman
                 Howard Overshown
                 Harry Philibosian
                 Barbara Winters Pinto
                 Jilline Ringle

Set Design:                   Nick Embree
Lighting Design:             Janet Embree
Sound Design:               Tobin Rothlein
Costume Design:            Susan Bolt
Another Big Time - Vaudeville for the Holidays
November 30, 2001 - December 30, 2001

Conceived and Directed by Jennifer Childs
Co-Directed by Greg Giovanni

Scott, Tony, Dave & Jen are back with more vintage vaudeville sketches, songs, mimes and melodramas. Burns and Allen emcee an evening that includes some old favorites and some new acrobatic, ukulele-playing, and vegetable-pitching acts. And, in true vaudeville style, the headliner changes every week!

"Forget Radio City. The show to celebrate the holidays is right here at the Adrienne Theatre."
-Philadelphia City Paper, December 2001

Cast:     Tony Braithwaite
             Jennifer Childs
             Aaron Cromie
             Scott Greer
             Dave Jadico

Special Guests:         Frank Ferrante
                                Jilline Ringle
                                Landis & Company Theatre of Magic

Accompanists:          Don Kawash
                                Christopher Ertelt
Set Designer:            Robert Kramer
Lighting Designer:      Stephen Keever
Costume Designer:    Susan Bolt

Amputation Nation
February 22, 2002 - March 17, 2002

Written and performed by John Lumia
Directed by Joe Canuso


Written and performed by local theatre artist John Lumia, Amputation Nation is a cross between stand-up comedy and performance art. In it, Lumia portrays nine characters that morph from one to the next, including a rock star, a hard-edged music producer and a paranoid teenager. Each poses questions and offers a unique perspective about society’s obsession with image and its relationship with pop-culture.

Sound Designer & Engineer:     Bill Reim
Live Sound Accompaniment:    Stendal

Madame Ranevskaya
May 3, 2002 - June 2, 2002

Based on Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard
Adapted and Directed by Yury Belov


This original adaptation made its world-premiere at 1812 Productions. Madame Ranevskaya takes place in modern-day North Carolina on a daffodil farm, and the characters descendants of The Cherry Orchard’s Ranevskaya family. This adaptation explores the comedic side of Chekhov’s play, with Grace Gonglewski and an outstanding all-Philadelphia-based cast!

Cast:     Sondra Blanchard
             Aaron Cromie
             Anneliese Euler
             Dawn Falato
             Grace Gonglewski
             John Lumia
             Pete Pryor
             Geoff Sobelle
             Dito van Reigersberg

Transcription Assistant & Dramaturg:      Deb Stein
Set Design:             Brad Helm
Lighting Design:      Pete Jakubowski
Sound Design:        Naomi Aizama
Costume Design:     Alison Roberts
Like Crazy Like Wow: 50s Humor with a Holiday Twist
November 29, 2002 - December 29, 2002

Conceived and Directed by Jennifer Childs


Make the scene with 1812 as we go beyond the Big Time in this tribute to the nightclub comedians of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Pete Pryor, Scott Greer, Tony Braithwaite and Jen Childs pay homage to the likes of Nichols and May, Dudley Moore and Peter Cooke, Shelley Berman and tom Lerher. With stand-up, sketches, song and Second City-style improvisation, it's an evening of nostalgia and laughter for the holiday season.

Cast:     Tony Braithwaite
             Jennifer Childs
             Scott Greer
             Pete Pryor

Musical Director: Don Kawash

Set Design: Bradley Helm
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Sound & Video Design: Jorge Cousineau
Costume Design: Colleen McMillan

Heckler
February 14, 2003 - March 16, 2003

By Bill Corbett
Directed by Paul Meshejian
Performed by Benjamin Lloyd

From one of Mystery Science Theater 3000's writers comes this hilarious solo show about a misfit whose self-ordained mission is to fight the system by shouting it down. Benjamin Lloyd plays the lovable but maladjusted title character who realizes that what started as a mere pastime is now a spiritual calling of epic proportions - he must heckle. We follow from event to event as he heckles with glee, striving to vanquish corruption and hypocrisy while still dealing with his busboy job at a Chinese restaurant, his dog and his unrequited love for his hairdresser.

Cast: Benjamin Lloyd
Set Design: Bradley Helm
Lighting Design: Troy Martin-O’Shia
Costume Design: Rosemarie McKelvey

Bat Boy: The Musical
 May 16, 2003 - June 15, 2003

Book by Keythe Farley & Brian Flemming
Music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe
Directed by Jennifer Childs


1812 is thrilled to present this Philadelphia premiere of last year's off-Broadway musical sensation. Based on the Weekly world news feature story, BAT BOY FOUND IN CAVE!, this quirky musical comedy follows the adventures of Bat Boy after he leaves the cave and attempts to find acceptance in small town society. Hailed as "A jaggedly imaginative mix of skewering humor and energetic glee..." by the New York Times and "Wickedly funny" by the New York Daily News, Bat Boy explodes with big laughs and great music.

Cast:     Sarah Bolt
             Aaron Cromie
             Ben Dibble
             Dawn Falato
             Christina Gianaris
             Neill Hartley
             Dave Jadico
             Josh Lamon
             Tony Lawton
             Mary Martello
             Pete Pryor

Musical Director: Jim Ryan
Assistant Director: Kevin Glaccum
Set Designer: Brad Helm
Lighting Designer: Stephen Keever
Special Effects Designer: David Deneen
Choreographer: Karen Getz
Sound Designer: Nick Rye
Costume Designer: KJ Gilmer
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
August 22, 2003 - September 20, 2003

Written by David Foster Wallace
Adapted for the Stage by Scott Greer, Michael Hollinger, Tony Lawton and Aaron Posner
Directed by Aaron Posner

The latest in 1812’s Cabaret Series is this funny and frightening examination of men, sex and the dark side of human nature. Scott Greer and Tony Lawton play more than a dozen characters in this provocative adaptation of short stories by the best-selling author of Infinite Jest. You will laugh, cringe and pray they’re not talking about you.

Cast:     Scott Greer
             Tony Lawton
             Deborah Seif

Set & Lighting Design: John Hoey
Sound Design: Karin Graybash
Video Design: Kevin Finn
Costume Design: Millie Hibbel

Something Wonderful Right Away
December 5, 2003 - January 4, 2004

Conceived and Directed by Jennifer Childs

Join 1812 for the funniest Philadelphia theater tradition of the holiday season! After visiting the vaudeville houses of The Big Time and sitting in on the smoky nightclub sets of Like Crazy Like Wow, 1812 investigates the improvisation clubs of the late 1950s and early 1960s and discovers Something Wonderful Right Away. 1812 favorites Tony Braithwaite, Dave Jadico, Mary Jackman Carpenter, Scott Greer, Pete Pryor and Jen Childs improvise their way through the holidays in an homage to the Compass Players and early Second City.

Cast:     Tony Braithwaite
             Mary Carpenter
             Jennifer Childs
             Scott Greer
             Dave Jadico
             Pete Pryor

Musical Director: Jim Ryan

Set Design: Bradley Helm
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Costume Design: Cloe Fox Wind

The Uneasy Chair
March 26, 2004 - April 25, 2004

Written by Evan Smith
Directed by Jennifer Childs

Why do people get married? Why do people drift apart? Why do English Judges wear those funny looking wigs? The answer to some of these questions can be answered by seeing 1812’s hilarious, farcical comedy of manners. This Philadelphia Premiere features two of Philly’s finest actors: David Howey and Maureen Torsney-Weir who bring on the laughs and explore the institutional side of this blessed union between men and women.

Cast:     Chris Faith
             David Howey
             Susan Riley Stevens
             Maureen Torsney-Weir

Set Design: Nick Embree
Lighting Design: Peter Jakubowski
Sound Design: John Mock
Costume Design: Colleen McMillan
Mondo Mangia
Written & performed by Jilline Ringle
September 29, 2004 - October 31, 2004

The smash hit is back for a full five weeks in Philadelphia! The one, the ONLY, Six-foot Amazon From Hell Whom All Men Desire returns to 1812 in her delicious cabaret about life, love and the splendor of food. Mondo Mangia was a runaway hit when it premiered 1812's cabaret program in 2000, and who can forget the one-night fundraiser she performed for 1812 last year? She continues to satisfy audiences and critics alike with her luscious artistry.


Cast: Jilline Ringle

Set Design: Tony Ferrieri
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever


Always a Lady
Conceived & Directed by Jennifer Childs
December 3, 2004 - January 2, 2005

Mae West, Sophia Tucker, Eva Tanguay, Fanny Brice, Trixie Friganza, Totie Fields, Phyllis Diller, Belle Barth, Alice Pearce, Pat Carroll, Imogene Coca, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett... and more. Jennifer Childs and Jilline Ringle trace their comic ancestry and pay homage to some of the funniest ladies in history in the latest installment of 1812's popular Holiday Series.


Cast: Jennifer Childs
         Jilline Ringle

Musical Director: Dan Paul
Choreographer: Karen Getz
Dramaturg: Kathryn Nocero

Set Design: Bradley Helm
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Sound & Video Design: Jorge Cousineau
Costume Design: Cloe Fox Wind

all wear bowlers
Written & performed by Geoff Sobelle and Trey Lyford
January 7, 2005 - February 6, 2005

Two silent film clowns take a wrong turn and find themselves in a haunted theatre, where hard-boiled eggs play tricks on them and gravity refuses to behave. The desolation of Samuel Beckett and the pathos of Laurel & Hardy collide to create a surreal world of venomous ventriloquists and belligerent bowlers. If you missed it at the 2003 Philadelphia Fringe Festival (or even if you didn't) don't pass up this opportunity to see this modern-day vaudeville show.


Cast: Trey Lyford
         Geoff Sobelle

Lighting Design: Randy Glickman
Sound Design: James Sugg

Recent Tragic Events
Written by Craig Wright
Directed by Pete Pryor
April 15, 2005 - May 15, 2005

It's September 12, 2001: Andrew, a shy bookstore clerk and Waverly, a self-possessed advertising executive, meet for the first time on a blind date. Along with Waverly's boisterous neighbor, Andrew's ex-girlfriend and a famous novelist, they are thrust into an evening exploring the very nature of their existence. Created by one of the writers for HBO's show Six Feet Under, Recent Tragic Events is a surprising, poignant and absurdly funny tale.


Cast: Jennifer Childs
         Chris Faith
         Jeb Kreager
         Juliette Dunn Pryor

Set & Lighting & Sound Design: Jorge Cousineau
Costume Design: Millie Hiibel

Independence Cabaret Series
Quinnopolis vs. Hamlet
Performed by Jeremy Beck and Christopher Patrick Mullen
Directed by David Dalton
August 25, 2005 - September 25, 2005

Two buffoons face off with Shakespeare’s most famous work, determined not to perform it. Hamlet proves a worthy opponent however and these unwilling actors get more than they bargained for, as the spirit that haunts the stage is not the ghost of Hamlet's father, but the play itself. Combining classical performance and physical theatre, Quinnopolis’ existential comedy is the latest in 1812’s celebrated Independence Cabaret Series.


Cast: Jeremy Beck
         Christopher Patrick Mullen

Set Design: Peter Ksander
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Costume Design: Lisa Zinni

The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Holiday Series
Double Down: A Good Bet on a Comic Pair for the Holidays
Conceived & Directed by Jennifer Childs
December 1, 2005 - January 8, 2006

1812 favorites, Scott Greer and Tony Braithwaite return to the Holiday Series to pay homage to America’s greatest comedy teams of the 20th century. From Abbott & Costello to Martin & Lewis to Batman & Robin, Braithwaite & Greer celebrate the dynamic duos whose unique friendships have kept us laughing for the last 100 years.


Cast: Tony Braithwaite
         Scott Greer

Musical Director: Owen Robbins
Choreographer: Karen Getz
Set Design: Bradley Helm
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Costume Design: Cloe Fox Wind


Perfectly Marvelous
an 1812 Cabaret Festival
Directed By Deborah Seif
February 23, 2006 - March 26, 2006

Harriett Levy, Box Office of the Damned’s original matinee lady, returns to 1812 to host this month-long festival of music and laughter. Perfectly Marvelous is dedicated to the memory of the incomparable Jilline Ringle. In her spirit it will feature Philadelphia performers - some new faces and some old friends - taking the stage alone to share stories and sing songs. Three different performers will alternate nightly, so grab a cocktail and a table close to the stage and catch the cabaret stars of tomorrow.


Cast: Amorika Amoroso
         Sarah Bolt
         Kimberly Rehfuss
         Todd Waddington


Musical Director: Jeremiah Downes, Dan Paul
Set Design: Bradley Helm
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever

The Phoebe and Otto Premiere Series
Daughters of Genius

Written by Evan Smith
Directed by Jennifer Childs
May 18, 2006 - June 18, 2006

From the author of 1812’s smash hit, The Uneasy Chair, comes this world premiere comedy about three girls and their search for knowledge. Combining the wit of Oscar Wilde with the outrageousness of Monty Python, Daughters of Genius focuses on the poet John Milton and his famously contentious relationship with his daughters. As Milton’s Paradise Lost nears completion, he wants his girls to be silent and take dictation while they yearn to understand the passion behind the poetry. Androgynous angels are summoned, deals are made with the devil and aerial battles are fought with beautiful hilarity in this ambitious new play.


Cast: Mike Dees
         Jodi Epstein
         Dawn Falato
         Grace Gonglewski
         Michele Guidry
         Lenny Haas
         David Howey


Dramaturg: Michele Volansky
Aerial Choreography: Robin Marcotte
Flying by Foy
Set Design: Bradley Helm
Lighting Design: John Hoey
Sound Design: Greg Wilder
Costume Design: Millie Hiibel


The Independence Cabaret Series
Madame Douce-Amere
Created by Emmaunelle Delpech-Ramey, Claude Ferrie, Celine Rames, David Brick & James Sugg
Directed by David Brick
October 6, 2006 - October 29, 2006

An intimate journey into the joys, sorrows, and very ripe bananas of a day in one old lady’s life. Combining clowning, mime, sign language, and music, Madame Douce-Amere is a poignantly funny tribute to the healing power of joy and the latest in 1812 Productions’ celebrated Independence Cabaret Series.


Cast: Emmanuelle Delpech-Ramey
         James Sugg

Original Set Design: Claude Ferrie
Original Costume Design: Anne De Quillettes
Lighting Design: Sarah Jakubasz
Assistant Costume Design: Regina Rizzo


The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Holiday Series
This Is The Week That Is: Political Humor for the Holidays
Conceived & Directed by Jennifer Childs
December 1, 2006 - January 7, 2007

1812’s Holiday Show gets political! This Is The Week That Is is a hilarious mix of the history of political humor and the lampooning of current events. Featuring Holiday Show veterans Scott Greer, Jennifer Childs, Tony Braithwaite, Dave Jadico, and Jim Ryan as well as two new faces, Susan Riley Stevens and Steven Wright, This Is The Week That Is will change from week to week to keep things as current as the nightly news... only much, much funnier!


Cast: Tony Braithwaite
         Jennifer Childs
         Scott Greer
         Dave Jadico
         Susan Riley Stevens
         Steven Wright


Musical Director: Jim Ryan
Set Design: Dave Jadico
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Sound Design: Nick Kourtides
Video Design: Jorge Cousineau

The Development Series
Small Fish
Book & Lyrics by Susan J. Vitucci
Music by Henry Krieger
Directed by Jennifer Childs
Honorary Producer: Susan Greene

March 13, 2007 - March 25, 2007

A rare opportunity for our subscribers to get a behind the scenes look at the making of a new musical. This workshop presentation of Susan J. Vitucci’s sensational puppet operetta follows the adventures of the supreme chicken diva, La Pulcina Piccola, in an underwater world. Small Fish features a lush score by Grammy Award Winning composer, Henry Krieger (Dreamgirls, Sideshow) and each workshop presentation includes a post-show discussion and an insider's look at this one-of-a-kind musical experience.


Cast: Monica Stephenson
         Jason Stockdale
         Susan Vitucci


Musical Director: Chris Sapienza

The Phoebe and Otto Premiere Series
The Four of Us
Written by Itamar Moses
Directed by Pete Pryor

May 18, 2007 - June 17, 2007

Itamar Moses, an ascending star in the American theatre scene, brings us this bitingly hilarious tale of friendship tried and true. David and Benjamin, college buddies and aspiring writers, have just run face-first into more success than they ever imagined. (Well, at least one of them has!) Now they must figure out how to make room for the accolades without losing each other in the process. The Four of Us is an East Coast premiere comedy about jealousy, disposable income, and learning how to do justice to your own story.


Cast: Jen Kreager
         Matt Pfeiffer

Set & Sound & Video Design: Jorge Cousineau
Lighting Design: Paul Peyton Moffitt
Costume Design: Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind
Props Design: Nick Westervelt


The Phoebe and Otto Premiere Series
The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life In The Universe
Written by Jane Wagner
Directed by Mary Carpenter
September 21, 2007 - October 28, 2007

In roles made famous by pioneering comedian Lily Tomlin, 1812 Productions’ season opener stars Philadelphia’s funny lady, Jennifer Childs, in a one-woman tour de force. Playing all manner of life’s misfits–from gym bunnies and prostitutes, to New Age Supermoms and Trudy the bag lady who talks to extra-terrestrials, The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life In The Universe is a searing and joyful reminder of why it’s so wonderful to be a resident of the planet Earth.


Cast: Jennifer Childs

Set Design: Matt Saunders
Lighting Design: Drew Billiau
Sound Design: Mark Valenzuela
Costume Design: Regina Rizzo


The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Holiday Series
This Is The Week That Is: More Political Humor For The Holidays
Conceived & Directed by Jennifer Childs
September 21, 2007 - October 28, 2007

After six sold-out weeks and breaking box office records, 1812 Productions’ smash-hit holiday show This Is The Week That Is is back for another term in office – taking on politics near and far, with classic wit and skewering observations. Just like its first incarnation, this season’s This Is The Week That Is will be re-written nightly to stay ahead of Washington’s curve balls and City Hall’s latest scandals!


Cast: Tony Braithwaite
         Mary Carpenter
         Scott Greer
         Dave Jadico
         Steven Wright

Head Writer: Don Montrey
Musical Director: Eric Ebbenga

Set Design: Dave Jadico
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Sound & Video Design: Jorge Cousineau
Costume Design: Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind

The Independence Cabaret Series
Suburban Love Songs
Choreographed And Directed by Karen Getz
April 4, 2008 - April 27, 2008

1812 Productions is thrilled to present this one-of-a-kind comedy experience that was a runaway hit at the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. In a style that could only be called Ingmar Bergman meets Austin Powers, Suburban Love Songs is a dance comedy extravaganza set in a Tupperware/Swingers Party in 1968. Accompanied by a soundtrack including Sergio Mendes, Herb Alpert and Jose Feliciano, Suburban Love Songs features performances by 1812 favorites Jennifer Childs, Dave Jadico, Mary Carpenter, Dawn Falato, Karen Getz and many more, in a hilarious journey back to the America of yesteryear.


Cast: Mary Carpenter
         Jennifer Childs
         Dawn Falato
         Mario Fraboni
         Karen Getz
         Dave Jadico
         Fred Siegel
         Amy Smith

Set Design: Bradley Helm
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Sound Design: Christopher Colucci
Costume Design: Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind


The Development Series
Beautiful Boy
Conceived by Pete Pryor
Directed by Matt Pfeiffer

May 13, 2008 - May 25, 2008

As a special bonus to our season subscribers, 1812 Productions is pleased to offer the second installment of its new Development Series. Beautiful Boy is a new comedic work in progress from Resident Artist and company Co-Founder Pete Pryor about one father’s perspective on how a family grows up with autism. Stagings of this special two-week workshop will feature live action and multi-media presentation.


Cast: Pete Pryor

Dramaturg: P. Seth Bauer
Lighting & Video Design: Paul Moffitt

The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Series This Is The Week That Is: The Election Special
Written by Jennifer Childs, Don Montrey, Thomas Shotkin and the This Is the Week That Is Ensemble
October 9, 2008 - November 2, 2008

Join us for the third production of 1812’s runaway hit, This Is The Week That Is. This Is The Week That Is: The Election Special!, 1812’s signature take on political satire, returns to look at the hilarious history of the nation’s highest office — from powdered wigs to presidential podcasts. With Tony at the news desk, Patsy from South Philly, and a script that changes nightly, This Is The Week That Is: The Election Special! will be a blow by blow countdown of the final days leading up to the history-making 2008 Presidential Election.



Cast: Tony Braithwaite
         Jennifer Childs
         Dave Jadico
         Tony Lawton
         Steven Wright

Head Writer: Don Montrey
Musical Director: Alex Bechtel
Set Design: Dave Jadico
Lighting Design: Stephen Keever
Sound & Video Design: Jorge Cousineau
Costume Design: Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind


The Phoebe and Otto Premier Series
Cherry Bomb: The Worst Act in Vaudeville for the Holidays
Book & Lyrics by Jennifer Childs
Music by James Sugg
Directed by Jennifer Childs
December 11, 2008 - January 4, 2009

Cherry Bomb: The Worst Act in Vaudeville for the Holidays is a musical burlesque extravaganza from award winning artists Jennifer Childs and James Sugg. Standing center stage in the show’s spotlight are The Cherry Sisters, the most untalented performers ever to grace the vaudeville stage. From the cornfields of Iowa to the bright lights of New York, The Cherry Sisters sang off-key to packed houses, dodged tomatoes during curtain calls, and were the worst good time to be had in early twentieth century America. Cherry Bomb is 1812 Productions’ ninth annual holiday show and promises to take Philadelphia’s favorite holiday tradition to a whole new level!


Cast: Megan Bellwoar
         Charlotte Ford
         Scott Greer
         Dave Jadico
         Mary Martello
         Mary McCool
         Maureen Torsney-Weir

Musical Director: Eric Ebbenga
Choreographer: Karen Getz
Dramaturg: Michael Hollinger

Set Design: Adam Riggar
Lighting Design: James Leitner
Sound Design: Nick Kourtides
Costume Design: Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind


The Independence Foundation Series
The Karma Cookie
Written by P. Seth Bauer
Directed by Pete Pryor
March 5, 2009 - March 29, 2009

1812 takes a walk on the cosmic side with this world premiere comedy. The Karma Cookie follows two brothers as they allow their lives to be guided by the fortunes they receive in fortune cookies. Soon they find themselves on a fast paced, hilarious ride through Chinese restaurants, extreme aerobics classes, far-out meditation with disappearing monks, and unbelievable trips on clockwork trains. These sharp tongued, Cockney brothers cover the globe on their quest for enlightenment, but they must stay focused and learn as they go lest they never find the secret behind their amazing journey!


Cast: Tony Lawton
         Jered McLenigan

Dramaturg: Elizabeth Pool

Set Design: Matt Saunders
Lighting Design: Paul Moffitt
Sound & Video Design: Jorge Cousineau
Costume Design: Rosemarie McKelvey


Let's Pretend We're Married
Written by Tony Braithwaite & Jennifer Childs
Honorary Producer: Arcadia Foundation
May 26, 2009 - June 14, 2009

The perfect event to close the season, Let’s Pretend We’re Married is a new cabaret about bliss of the wedded sort starring comedy masters Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs. Let’s Pretend We’re Married features original material as well as classic cuts from Burns and Allen to The Bickersons, and is packed with songs of love (both the upright as well as the horizontal kind) by everyone from Irving Berlin to Prince.


Cast: Tony Braithwaite
         Jennifer Childs

Musical Director: Owen Robbins

Lighting Design: Shelley Hicklin
The Phoebe and Otto Premiere Series
The First Day of School: A Soccermom Sex Farce
Written by Billy Aronson
Directed by Pete Pryor
October 1, 2009 - October 25, 2009

What happens in suburbia stays in suburbia. But when a group of devoted parents decide to make their childrens’ first day of school a “first” of their own, they turn their quiet little lives upside-down and give a whole new meaning to the term “physical education.” This hilarious new comedy from Billy Aronson, credited for the original concept for the musical RENT and a writer for MTV’s Beavis and Butthead, stars 1812 Co-founders Pete Pryor and Jennifer Childs with Philadelphia favorites Chris Faith, Susan Riley Stevens, and Karen Peakes.

Cast: Eileen Cella
         Jennifer Childs
         Chris Faith
         Karen Peakes
         Pete Pryor
         Susan Riley Stevens
         Michael Tomasetti

Dramaturg: Elizabeth Pool

Set Design: Dirk Durosette
Lighting Design: Paul Moffitt
Sound Design: Christopher Colucci
Costume Design: Alisa Sickora-Kleckner


The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation
This Is The Week That Is
The New Administration

Honorary Producers: Wendy & Albert M. Greenfield, III
Written by Don Montrey, Jennifer Childs, Thomas E. Shotkin & the This Is the Week That Is Ensemble
December 3, 2009 - January 3, 2010

1812’s signature take on political satire is back by popular demand, shining the comedic light of truth on the new administration, local politics and the economic shake-down. With Tony at the news desk, Patsy from South Philly, and a script that changes nightly, This Is The Week That Is will be the perfect stimulus package for your holiday season.

Cast: Tony Braithwaite
         Jennifer Childs
         Dave Jadico
         Steven Wright
         Brian Anthony Wilson

Head Writer: Don Montrey
Musical Director: Alex Bechtel

Set Design: Dave Jadico
Lighting Design: Shelley Hicklin
Sound & Video Design: Jorge Cousineau
Costume Design: Alisa Sickora-Kleckner


Let's Pretend We're Married

Written by Tony Braithwaite & Jennifer Childs
February 2, 2010 - February 14, 2010

Let’s Pretend We’re Married, the smash hit of 1812’s 08-09 season returns for a special limited engagement! Starring Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs, Let’s Pretend We’re Married features original material as well as classic cuts from Burns and Allen to The Bickersons, and is packed with songs of love by everyone from Irving Berlin to Prince! With all NEW material added for Valentine’s Day, don’t miss your chance to see what all the fuss is about!

Cast: Tony Braithwaite
         Jennifer Childs

Musical Director: Owen Robbins

Lighting Design: Shelley Hicklin


The Independence Foundation Series
Happily Ever After

Written & Performed by Mary Martello
Directed by Jennifer Childs
March 4, 2010 - March 28, 2010

You’ve seen her in 1812’s smash hit BatBoy and as Ella Cherry in 1812’s world premiere musical Cherry Bomb. Now, join us as three time Barrymore Award Winner Mary Martello brings you her hilarious and moving new cabaret about the lives of aging princesses. Come spend an evening with “the most beautiful voice in Philadelphia” as she looks at the bittersweet journey from ingénue to diva.

Cast: Mary Martello

Musical Direction/Arrangements: Eric Ebbenga

Set Design: Adam Riggar
Lighting Design: Shelley Hicklin
Costume Design: Alisa Sickora-Kleckner
Video Consultant: Jorge Cousineau
Animation: Daniel Palmieri
Hair & Makeup Design: Jon Carter


An Evening Without Woody Allen

Essays & Short Stories by Woody Allen
Compiled & Directed by Jennifer Childs
April 29, 2010 - May 16, 2010

Come spend a cool and classy evening with the work of an American comedy master. An Evening Without Woody Allen features classic tales like The Whore of Mensa, The Kugelmass Episode and A Brief But Helpful Guide to Civil Disobedience among many other hilarious accounts of nebbishes, yentas, and schnooks. With three performers and one spotlight, 1812 Productions presents another exclusive world premiere comedy experience.

Cast: Charlotte Ford
         Dan Hodge
         Thomas Shotkin

Set & Sound & Video Design: Adam Riggar
Lighting Design: Paul Moffitt


Why I'm Scared Of Dance by Jen Childs

Written and Performed by Jennifer Childs
Directed by Harriet Power
October 7, 2010 - October 31, 2010

Best known for her premiere comedy creations (Always a Lady, Cherry Bomb, This Is The Week That Is, Double Down), in Why I’m Scared of Dance by Jen Childs, Ms. Childs takes to the stage to give the audience a one on one lesson in jazz, hip hop, ballet, and why working at the barre is not quite as much fun as working at the bar. A moving and self-effacing comedy, Why I’m Scared of Dance by Jen Childs is about turning the choreography life gives you into the dance that only you were born to do.

Cast: Jennifer Childs

Choreographed by: Jennifer Childs with Nichole Canuso, Melanie Cotton, Karen Getz & Amanda Miller

Set Design: Adam Riggar
Lighting Design: Shelley Hicklin
Sound Design: Christopher Colucci


The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Series
This Is The Week That Is


Written & Performed by the This Is The Week That Is ensemble with Head Writer Don Montrey
Directed by Jennifer Childs
December 2, 2010 - December 31, 2010

1812 Productions’ perennial smash holiday show This Is The Week That Is returns for its fifth year to give you the breakdown on local, national, and world events as only 1812 can. Stimulus packages, nuclear arms, healthcare, dog curbing in South Philly—they’re all fair game in a script that changes nightly—and sometimes even at intermission!

Cast: Alex Bechtel
         Tony Braithwaite
         Scott Greer
         Dave Jadico
         Susan Riley Stevens

Head Writer: Don Montrey

Set Design: Dave Jadico
Lighting Design: Shelley Hicklin
Sound & Video Design: Jorge Cousineau
Costume Design: Lauren Perigard


Laughter On The 23rd Floor

Written by Neil Simon
Directed by Matt Pfeiffer
April 7, 2011 - May 8, 2011

McCarthy’s blacklist, the FBI, a big bully Television Network, and a who’s who of comedy legends-to-be. It’s the 1950s in America and the fight to be funny is on. Neil Simon’s classic comedy, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, takes us to the legendary writer’s room for Sid Caesar’s variety comedy program Your Show of Shows. Laughter on the 23rd Floor is a fabled account of how writers Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, and others matched wit to wit and punchline to punchline to make comedy history.

Cast: Jennifer Childs
         Michael Doherty
         Chris Faith
         David Ingram
         Dave Jadico
         Tony Lawton
         Pete Pryor
         Kelly Vrooman
         Carl Wallnau

Set Design: David Gordon
Lighting Design: Thom Weaver
Sound Design: Mike Kiley
Costume Design: Rosemarie McKelvey


The Phoebe and Otto Premiere Series
Our Show of Shows

Written and Performed by David Ingram, Tony Lawton, Jennifer Childs, and Dave Jadico
April 21, 2011 - May 15, 2011

1812 Productions’ Our Show of Shows takes the exuberant comedy of Sid Caesar’s writer’s room and brings it center stage. À la Your Show of Shows, 1812’s Our Show of Shows features vintage and original material performed in 1812’s signature style. If you loved The Big Time: Vaudeville for the Holidays, Let’s Pretend We’re Married, Always a Lady, and This Is The Week That Is, 1812’s Our Show of Shows is the place to be for unpredictable, one-of-a-kind comedy.

Cast: Jennifer Childs
         Michael Doherty
         David Ingram
         Dave Jadico
         Tony Lawton
         Kelly Vrooman

Fight Choreographer: Samantha Bellomo
Dramaturg: Eddy Friedfeld

Set Design: David Gordon
Lighting Design: Thom Weaver
Sound Design: Mike Kiley
Costume Design: Alisa Sickora-Kleckner