EgoPo Classic Theater is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit

repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

specializing in performing "Classic Theater on the Edge," often producing works of a collaborative nature that incorporates original music, dance, and masks. It was founded in 1991 in San Francisco by Lane Savadove who remains the company's Artistic Director. EgoPo has staged over two dozen productions and hundreds of performances in Philadelphia, New York, New Orleans, Chicago, Washington D.C., and internationally, in Indonesia and Croatia. A volunteer Board of Directors governs EgoPo. EgoPo is headquartered at 1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

EgoPo’s History

EgoPo, whose name is derived from the French concept "The Physical-Self," was begun in San Francisco in 1991, as a theater company as well as an acting style. EgoPo moved operations to New Orleans in 2002, and built a new theatrical home, the Jewel Theater. The theater opened with a half-masked, expressionistic version of

Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the de ...

’s masterpiece, ''

Spring Awakening (play) ''Spring Awakening'' (german: Frühlings Erwachen, links=no) (also translated as ''Spring's Awakening'' and ''The Awakening of Spring'') is the German dramatist Frank Wedekind's first major play and a foundational work in the modern history of ...

''. The production experienced a six-week sold-out run and garnered many awards. Also notable was a production of ''Company'' (see ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

'' by Samuel Beckett). On August 27, 2005, the EgoPo company arrived in Philadelphia to begin technical rehearsals for a production of ''The Maids x 2'', a ground-breaking version of

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...

’s classic, ''

The Maids ''The Maids'' (french: Les Bonnes, links=no) is a 1947 play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It was first performed at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in Paris in a production that opened on 17 April 1947, which Louis Jouvet directed. The pla ...

''. Three days later EgoPo became known as Philadelphia’s "stranded theater company." EgoPo lost its theater to

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

, most company members lost their homes, and their funding base was gone. An outpouring of financial and emotional support from the Philadelphia theater community, including

The Pew Charitable Trusts The Pew Charitable Trusts is an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1948. With over 6 billion in assets, its stated mission is to serve the public interest by "improving public policy, informing the public, a ...

, The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, and the Arden Theater Co., enabled EgoPo to permanently relocate to Philadelphia. In February 2006, EgoPo staged The ''Maids x 2''

Off Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

at the

Bouwerie Lane Theater The Bouwerie Lane Theatre is a former bank building which became an Off-Broadway theatre, located at 330 Bowery at Bond Street in Manhattan, New York City. It is located in the NoHo Historic District. The cast-iron building, which was constructed ...

. In 2007, EgoPo began its new life as a Philadelphia company with a restaging of its Barrymore-nominated production of Spring Awakening at the Mainstage of the Adrienne Theater and restarted its professional conservatory. Since that time, EgoPo has produced the

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

’ Festival, and the

Expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

Festival, including the Burns’ Classic Reading Series, during which EgoPo united ten other Philadelphia-based theater companies for the yearlong event. The 2009-2010 season featured a yearlong Philadelphia Beckett Festival, including three mainstage performances and a dozen short Beckett plays presented at the Painted Bride Art Center. Since their relocation to Philadelphia, EgoPo has become known for its themed seasons which allow for a much deeper audience engagement than normal artistic programming allows. For the 2010-11 season, EgoPo produced a year-long "Theater of Cruelty Festival", the first season investigating the theory and work of Antonin Artaud since Peter Brook produced a similar season with the Royal Shakespeare Festival in 1964. This season featured an interactive cabaret production of four world premier adaptations of Artaud's writing, as well as a version of Peter Weiss' Marat Sade in West Philly's historic Rotunda, and a world premier adaptation of Henri Barbusse's Hell (L'Enfer). For the 2011-12 season, EgoPo produced a year-long "Jewish Theater Festival" including an environmental production of Anne Frank, a world-premier version of the Golem, and the Philadelphia premier of Tony Kushner's

Dybbuk In Jewish mythology, a (; yi, דיבוק, from the Hebrew verb meaning 'adhere' or 'cling') is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person. It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished ...

. For audience engagement, EgoPo is holding public Passover Seders and presented the Auschwitz trial documentary The Investigation.

Awards

EgoPo's awards include: two Barrymore Nominations for Outstanding Sound Design/Original Music and Outstanding Music Director. "Best Production of 2000" in New York by ''Backstage'', two Big Easy nominations, five Storer Boone nominations, one Ambie Award, nine Marquee Nominations, six Louisiana Theater Festival Awards, and two

Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre is an annual, nationally recognized award program by Theatre Philadelphia for professional theater productions in the Greater Philadelphia area. Each season culminates in the Fall with an awards cerem ...

nominations. EgoPo's renowned productions include a 72-hour performance in the Nevada Desert commissioned by the

Desert Siteworks Desert Siteworks was an event held on the Black Rock Desert for three years (1992-1994). Participants built art and participated in self-directed performances. History In 1992, Desert Siteworks was conceived and directed by William Binzen. De ...

Project. and a commission from

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

to adapt Beckett's prose Company, which was broadcast nationally, then went on to a yearlong run in three cities, and was awarded "Best Play of 2000". Recent notable productions are: '' Waiting for Godot'', ''

Endgame Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to: Film * ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film) * ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film * ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...

'', ''Company'', ''Bluebird'', ''

Woyzeck ''Woyzeck'' () is a stage play written by Georg Büchner. Büchner wrote the play between July and October 1836, yet left it incomplete at his death in February 1837. The play first appeared in 1877 in a heavily edited version by Karl Emil Fr ...

'', and '' Spring Awakening''.

Recent productions

2015-2016 Production Calendar, The American Giants II: The Women Festival The Children's Hour by

Lillian Hellman Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, prose writer, memoirist and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway, as well as her communist sympathies and political activism. She was blacklisted aft ...

Directed by: Adrienne Mackey Ran from October 7–25, 2015 The Latvian Society Theater, 531 N. 7th St. Philadelphia, PA The Women by

Clare Boothe Luce Clare Boothe Luce ( Ann Clare Boothe; March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American writer, politician, U.S. ambassador, and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play '' The Women'', which h ...

Directed by: Lane Savadove Ran from March 3–20, 2016 The Latvian Society Theater, 531 N. 7th St. Philadelphia, PA

Machinal ''Machinal'' is a 1928 play by American playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell, inspired by the real-life case of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder. Its Broadway premiere, directed by Arthur Hopkins, is considered one of the highp ...

Sophie Treadwell Sophie Anita Treadwell (October 3, 1885 – February 20, 1970) was an American playwright and journalist of the first half of the 20th century. She is best known for her play ''Machinal'' which is often included in drama anthologies as an exampl ...

Directed by: Brenna Geffers Ran from April 20-May 8, 2016 The Latvian Society Theater, 531 N. 7th St. Philadelphia, PA

Trifles ''Trifles'' is a one-act play by Susan Glaspell. It was first performed by the Provincetown Players at the Wharf Theatre in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on August 8, 1916. In the original performance, Glaspell played the role of Mrs. Hale. The pl ...

Susan Glaspell Susan Keating Glaspell (July 1, 1876 – July 28, 1948) was an American playwright, novelist, journalist and actress. With her husband George Cram Cook, she founded the Provincetown Players, the first modern American theatre company. First known ...

: A powerful American short play Directed by: Dan Kern A special event, this private showing was open to EgoPo Bronze subscribers and up. 2014-2015 Production Calendar, The American Giants Festival

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montag ...

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

Directed by: Lane Savadove Ran from October 22-November 9, 2014 The Latvian Society, Theater 531 N. 7th St. Philadelphia, PA

Stairs to the Roof ''Stairs to the Roof'' is a play by Tennessee Williams, the last of his apprentice plays. It was completed in December 1941, and premiered (as a full-scale production) at the Pasadena Playhouse on February 26, 1947. The play is based on earlier s ...

Directed by: Lane Savadove Ran from February 11-March 1, 2015 The Latvian Society Theater, 531 N. 7th St. Philadelphia, PA

The Hairy Ape ''The Hairy Ape'' is a 1922 expressionist play by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. It is about a beastly, unthinking laborer known as Yank, the protagonist of the play, as he searches for a sense of belonging in a world controlled by the rich ...

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...

Directed by: Lane Savadove Ran from April 8–26, 2015 The Latvian Society Theater, 531 N. 7th St. Philadelphia, PA 2013-2014 Production Calendar, The

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

Festival

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having bee ...

: A one-woman adaptation created by Brenna Geffers Directed by: Brenna Geffers September 4–22, 2013, ran for 14 performances Playground Space at The Adrienne Theater, 2030 Sansom St. Philadelphia, PA

The Lady from the Sea ''The Lady from the Sea'' ( no, Fruen fra havet, link=no) is a play written in 1888 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen inspired by the ballad '' Agnete og Havmanden''. The drama introduces the character of Hilde Wangel who is again portrayed i ...

: sponsored by the Jacob Burns Foundation Directed by: Brenna Geffers February 19-March 2, 2014, runs for 12 performance Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 North American St. Philadelphia, PA Tickets available a
EgoPo's website.
GINT: Romulus Linney's adaptation of

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed ''Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on wh ...

Directed by: Lane Savadove April 30-May 11, 2014, runs for 12 performances Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 North American St. Philadelphia, PA Tickets available a
EgoPo's website.
2012-2013 Production Calendar, American

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

Festival The Assassination of

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained stro ...

: created by Brenna Geffers Directed by: Brenna Geffers Oct 3-Oct 21 2012, ran for 18 performances Plays and Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Pl. Philadelphia, PA The Life (and Death) of

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...

: created by Brenna Geffers Directed by: Brenna Geffers March 27-April 7, 2013, ran for 15 performances Plays and Players Theater, 1714 Delancey Pl. Philadelphia, PA

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U. ...

:An Unfortunate History: adapted by Lane Savadove and Glenn Odom Directed by: Lane Savadove Choreographed by: Paule Turner May 29-June 9, 2013, ran for 13 performances. Plays and Players Theater, 1714 Delancey Pl. Philadelphia, PA 2011-2012 Production Calendar, Festival of Jewish Theater The Diary of

Anne Frank Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – )Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new light on Anne Fra ...

: by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett Adapted by: Wendy Kesselman Directed by: Lane Savadove Oct 20- Nov 6 2011, ran for 14 performances The

Prince Music Theater The Prince Theater is a non-profit theatrical producing organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and specializing in music theatre, including opera, music drama, musical comedy and experimental forms. Founded in 1984 as the American Mu ...

, 1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia The

Golem A golem ( ; he, , gōlem) is an animated, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century ...

: A World Premiere Ensemble Creation Directed by: Brenna Geffers March 29-April 15, 2012, ran for 14 performances The

, 1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia A

: translated from S. Ansky by Joachim Neugroschel Adapted by: Tony Kushner Directed by: Lane Savadove May 31- June 17, 2012, runs for 14 performances The

, 1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia 2010-2011 Production Calendar, Theater of Cruelty Festival Marat Sade: by Peter Weiss Directed by Brenna Geffers Sept. 3-Sept. 18 2010, ran for 13 performances The Sanctuary at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia Artaud Unbound: by

Antonin Artaud Antoine Marie Joseph Paul Artaud, better known as Antonin Artaud (; 4 September 1896 – 4 March 1948), was a French writer, poet, dramatist, visual artist, essayist, actor and theatre director. He is widely recognized as a major figure of the E ...

Thirty Two: conceived and directed by Lane Savadove The Butcher's Revolution: conceived and directed by Brenna Geffers To Have Done with the Judgment of God: conceived and directed by Mat Wright Manifestos and the Spurt of Blood: conceived and directed by Michael Alltop Feb 16-Feb 20 2011, ran for 6 performances The Latvian Society 531 N 7th Street, Philadelphia Hell: based on the novel written by

Henri Barbusse Henri Barbusse (; 17 May 1873 – 30 August 1935) was a French novelist and a member of the French Communist Party. He was a lifelong friend of Albert Einstein. Life The son of a French father and an English mother, Barbusse was born in Asnièr ...

Directed by Lane Savadove April 27- May 15, 2011, ran for 15 performances The German Society, 611 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia. 2009-2010 Production Calendar,

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

Festival ''Company'' (see

), by Samuel Beckett, in a new adaptation by EgoPo. Directed by Lane Savadove Sept. 4-Sept 26th, 2009, ran for 24 performances Filmtech, 2019 S. Juniper Street, Philadelphia ''

'', by Samuel Beckett Directed by Lane Savadove Oct. 30-Nov. 15th, 2009, ran for 14 performances St. Stephen's Theater, 10th and Ludlow, Philadelphia '' Waiting for Godot'', by Samuel Beckett, directed by Brenna Geffers, The Latvian Society, 531 N. 7th Street, Philadelphia. Jacob Burns and Herb and Rosalie Goldberg Foundation SIdeshow Series, featuring one-night-only full stagings of Beckett Short plays, at the Painted Bride, 230 Vine Street, Philadelphia
''REWIND'': ''Krapp’s Last Tape'' directed by Ryder Thorton and ''Ohio Impromptu'' directed by Brenna Geffers, Jan 11th, 2009
''STAGES'': ''Cascando'' and Words and Music directed by Mat Wright, Catastrophe directed by Joe Canuso, ''What Where'' directed by Ryder Thornton, Not I directed by Brenna Geffers, April 12, 2009.
''REMEMBERING WOMEN'': ''Rockaby'' directed by Allison Heishman, ''Footfalls and Play'', directed by Lane Savadove, Come and Go directed by Charlie DelMarcelle., May 10, 2009. 2008-2009 Production Calendar, The

Expressionist theater Expressionism was a movement in drama and theatre that principally developed in Germany in the early decades of the 20th century. It was then popularized in the United States, Spain, China, the U.K., and all around the world. Similar to the broader ...

Festival ''

'' by

Georg Buchner Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker See also * George (disambiguation) George may refer to: People * George (given name) * G ...

, translated by Nicholas Rudall Directed by Brenna Geffers, September 11–26, 2008, ran for 16 performances Pennsylvania German Society, 611 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia PA 19123 '' Spring Awakening'' by

, translated by Douglas Langworthy Directed by Lane Savadove December 13, 2008, ran for 1 performance Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia PA 19104 ''Bluebird'', by

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in ...

, in a new adaptation by EgoPo Productions, featuring live orchestration by Orchestra 2001 Directed by Lane Savadove April 25- May 10, 2009, ran for 12 performances Mandell Theater at Drexel University, 33rd and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia PA 19104 Jacob Burns Foundation Classic Reading Series, featuring one-night-only staged readings of expressionist plays, at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia ''Zastrozzi: Master of Discipline'', by George Walker, directed by the Lantern Theater, October 20, 2008 ''The Ghost Sonata'', by August Strindberg, directed by the Wilma Theater, November 3, 2008 ''Anna Christie'', by Eugene O’Neill, directed by Kaibutsu, December 1, 2008 ''Baal'', by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Wandering Rom, January 5, 2009 ''Gint'', by Romulus Linney, adapted from Ibsen's Peer Gynt, directed by EgoPo Productions, February 2, 2009 ''Great God Brown'', by Eugene O’Neill, directed by EgoPo Productions, March 9, 2009 ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'', by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Flashpoint Theatre, April 6, 2009 ''Machinal'', by Sophie Treadwell, directed by Azuka Theatre, May 4, 2009 ''The Hairy Ape'', by Eugene O’Neill, directed by Theatre Exile, June 1, 2009 2007-2008 Production Calendar, The

Festival ''

Vieux Carré The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old Squ ...

'' by Tennessee Williams Directed by Lane Savadove, featuring original music by the Daniel T. Peterson Jazz Ensemble December 5–22, 2007, ran for 14 performances Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American Street, Philadelphia PA 19106 ''

Something Cloudy, Something Clear ''Something Cloudy, Something Clear'' is an autobiographical play by Tennessee Williams that was originally written in 1941 as a short play titled '' The Parade, or Approaching the End of a Summer'', which was produced posthumously in Provincetow ...

'' by Tennessee Williams Directed by Brenna Geffers March 1–22, 2008, ran for 16 performances Adrienne Theater Mainstage, 2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia PA 19103 Jacob Burns Foundation Classic Reading Series, featuring one-night only staged readings of Tennessee Williams’ plays at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', directed by Azuka Theatre, December 10, 2007 ''Suddenly Last Summer'', directed by Lantern Theater, January 7, 2008 ''The Red Devil Battery Sign'', directed by Brat Productions, February 4, 2008 ''A Streetcar Named Desire'', directed by Theatre Exile, March 3, 2008 ''The Night of the Iguana'', directed by BlackStarr Collaborative, April 7, 2008 ''Pink Bedroom'' and ''27 Wagons Full of Cotton'', directed by Flashpoint Theatre, April 14, 2008 ''Not About Nightingales'', directed by Wilma Theater, May 5, 2008 ''Stairs to the Roof'', directed by EgoPo Productions, June 2, 2008 ''The Glass Menagerie'', directed by Temple University, June 20, 2008

References

{{Reflist

External links

EgoPo Classic Theater Official WebsiteEgoPo Classic Theatre on AboutTheArtists.com
Theatre companies in Philadelphia