History
The Wilma Theater began in 1973 as the "Wilma Project", founded to produce original material and to develop community-orient artists. Blanka Zizka and Jiri Zizka from Czechoslovakia joined the project in 1979 as artists-in-residence, and later took over artistic leadership, changing the name to the Wilma Theater. The company staged their productions at a variety of different theaters, in particular a 100-seat converted garage on Sansom Street, but opened their current 296-seat theater on S. Broad Street in 1996.
Jiri Zizka left the theatre at the end of the 2009-2010 season, and died in January 2012.
Productions by the Wilma have been seen at the International Theater Festival in the Czech Republic; in New York City at the Public Theater and Manhattan Theatre Club; the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey; the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut; and ACT in Seattle. In addition to their presentations and festivals, the Wilma has produced over 100 productions, including 18 world premieres, 13 United States premieres, five East Coast premieres, and 64 Philadelphia premieres. The Wilma also co-produced a feature film broadcast nationally on Great Performances.
The Wilma has worked with notables such as Stephen Sondheim, Tom Stoppard, Christopher Hampton, Doug Wright, and Arthur Miller and produced works by up-and-coming playwrights such as Claudia Shear, Lillian Groag, Chay Yew, Charles L. Mee, Jason Sherman, Dael Orlandersmith, Robert William Sherwood, Sarah Ruhl, Polly Pen, and Laurence Klavan.c.
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