The Making of
This Is The Week That Is
A documentary commission from
American Theatre Wing
In 2018, 1812 Productions received a commission from American Theatre Wing to produce a documentary about the creation of its long-running political comedy This Is The Week That Is. Commissioned by American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards, the documentary joins American Theatre Wing's permanent video archive as part of their In The Field series. In a statement released on American Theatre WIng's social media channels, they say, "What does it take to create political humor in the theatre? This Is The Week That Is has been running its political satire show for over 13 years, yet now feels more needed than ever in the theatre space. From its creation in 2006 through today, we discover how this project came to be, why the need is so strong now, and what it takes to creatively and logistically create content that is relevant to the audience of 1812 Productions in Philadelphia. This special is in partnership between American Theatre Wing and 1812 Productions to highlight amazing work done throughout the country."
Inspired by the 1960s British television satire That Was The Week That Was, and created by 1812 Productions' Producing Artistic Director Jennifer Childs, This Is The Week That Is has been a staple of the Philadelphia theatre season for the past 13 years. Featuring a script that changes nightly, improvised comedy, musical parodies, and a versatile cast of Philadelphia performers, This Is The Week That Is continues its mission to "Tell the truth and make it funny"—an edict given by comedy legend Mort Sahl. While filming the documentary during the show's most recent iteration in December 2018, Ms. Childs said, "It's been a remarkable exercise at this moment in history to look back while also looking forward. I am so grateful to the many people who have worked on this show over the years and helped make it the institution it is."
Capture, a Philadelphia-based video production firm, shadowed the This Is The Week That Is creative team throughout the rehearsal process and production run. Capture co-founder Jorge Cousineau led the project. Cousineau is also an award-winning light, scenic, and video designer whose work has been featured in This Is The Week That Is for many years.
The documentary is also available on American Theatre Wing's Vimeo channel HERE, along with other documentaries from the series.
This Is The Week That Is will return to the stage November 29, 2019 thru January 5, 2020 starring veteran writer/performers Justin Jain, Sean Close, and Dave Jadico with additional casting to be announced this fall.
This Is The Week That Is is part of The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Series. This Is The Week That Is welcomes honorary producer, and longtime 1812 Productions supporter, Terry Graboyes. This Is The Week That Is also welcomes its corporate sponsor The Kelly Group at Elfant Wissahickon Realtors.