The political satire show has become a Philadelphia mainstay and offers something for everyone, because who doesn’t want to laugh?
Seeing This Is The Week That Is is sort of like seeing Saturday Night Live or The Daily Show, only with song and dance numbers and audience interaction. The political satire show has become a Philadelphia mainstay and offers something for everyone, because who doesn’t want to laugh? A mixture of scene-work, satire, stand-up and comedy improvisation, This Is The Week That Is changes day to day, week to week, based on the headlines, so each show is unique. In his annual letter, the show’s director, Dan O’Neil wrote: “I know whatever the news brings us, we’ll find a way to… take a headline, an idea, or a political figure and make a big splashy musical number around it.”
This Is The Week That Is manages to effectively bring an audience together by creating a safe space to laugh about a subject that often makes us angry or despondent: politics. Whether you are a democrat, a republican, an independent, apolitical, or something else entirely, This Is The Week That Is offers a hysterical and refreshing outlet. I attended opening night, December 4th, 2019 and I haven’t stopped smiling since. Because the show makes equal fun of everyone, it’s impossible not to leave feeling uplifted.
This Is The Week That Is hosted a Spanish-captioned performance on Saturday, December 7th with translations of the working script by Fernando Mendez.
If you want to have a good time surrounded by people who may or may not share your political perspective but will share some laughs, make your way to Plays & Players Theatre.
Written & Performed by:
Sean Close, Justin Jain, Tanaquil Márquez, Dave Jadico, Pax Ressler, and Brett Robinson
Head Writers: Jennifer Childs and Thomas E. Shotkin
Head News Writer: Don Montrey
Music Director: Pax Ressler
Directed by: Dan O’Neil
The This Is The Week That Is production team, part of The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation Series, includes Don Montrey, Lance Kniskern (scenic design), Jorge Cousineau (video design), Jillian Keys (costume design), Maria Shaplin (lighting design), and honorary producer Terry Graboyes.
This Is The Week That Is plays thru January 5th, 2020 at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, in Center City, Philadelphia. Tickets range from $28-$50 and are available at 215-592-9560 or at www.1812productions.org.
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