Philadelphia- On the heels of the company’s most successful production, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Azuka Theatre is pleased to announce its 2008-2009 season showcasing the work of nationally recognized playwright Jordan Harrison and a World Premier production by Philadelphia playwright Bruce Walsh. Both shows will be performed at The Latvian Society at 7th and Spring Garden, Philadelphia’s newest and most unique performance venue. The season also features a benefit concert, new play readings and happy hour events.

Azuka Theatre’s ninth season begins with Kid Simple: a radio play in the flesh by Jordan Harrison and directed by Kevin Glaccum. Running August 27 - September 13 as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, performances are Wednesday thru Sunday at 7:00pm at The Latvian Society, 531 N. 7th Street. Tickets are $20.00 and can be purchased through the Fringe Festival Box Office by calling (215) 413-1318 or visiting www.pafringe.org.

Kid Simple tells the story of child prodigy Moll who invents a machine that can hear the unhearable, like grass growing and hearts breaking. Enter the evil Mercenary who seduces our heroine and steals the machine. Moll embarks on a quest (accompanied by the last boy virgin in the 11th grade) to rescue her machine and save the sounds of the universe! A quirky tale of innocence and experience including an original Foley sound design, a host of piquant pleasures, prodigious perils and randy woodland creatures, Kid Simple features Philadelphia favorites Amanda Schoonover, Kathryn Petersen and Keith Conallen alongside new comers Delanté G. Keys, Kevin Meehan, Joe Mallon and Zura Young.

Azuka kicks off the Holiday season in November with a special treat; Hedwig and the Angry Inch: In Concert! Featuring the original cast and band from this past springs production—Dito van Reigersberg and Kim Carson will be reprising their roles as Hedwig and Yitzhak with Angry Inch members Troy Herion, Rich Hill, Andrew Nelson and Ned Sonstein. Philadelphia Weekly recently name Hedwig and the Angry Inch Best Musical of the Year, as well as Best Actor in a Musical (Dito van Reigersberg), Best Actress in a Musical (Kim Carson) and Best Director of a Musical (Kevin Glaccum). The concert will benefit Azuka’s 2008-2009 season. More information on this must see event will be available soon.

Azuka Theatre will return to the Latvian Society and present its seventh World Premiere production, Whisky Neat, by local playwright Bruce Walsh and directed by Kevin Glaccum April 3-26, 2009. Tickets are $16-$25. In Whisky Neat, a young man claiming to be a ‘Professional Philosopher’ lands a highly sought-after position parking cars at a posh club. Armed with a fresh confidence—and clean-cut good looks—‘Handsome’ enters this world where brutality and service go hand in hand, posing a sympathetic ear to the private despair and longings of the violent young men around him. Whisky Neat was originally presented as a one-act play, Dasein, in the 2002 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Bruce Walsh’s previous works include The Guided Tour and Northern Liberty.

The Spotlight Series, Azuka Theatre’s new play reading series enters its fifth season presenting three more plays read by Philadelphia actors. “The Spotlight Series is an invaluable tool for us” says Producing Artistic Director Kevin Glaccum. “It allows us to hear work we’re considering for full production, as well as get an immediate audience response to the play. An Artist’s Workshop, The Boys and this seasons Whisky Neat, were all part of The Spotlight Series, so the program really works!” “Promoting new work is important to the entire theatre community” says Literary Manager Allison Heishman. “The Spotlight Series is a great opportunity for playwrights to hear their work read, sometimes for the very first time.” The Spotlight Series takes place October 14, 2008, January 13 and May 12, 2009 at 7:00pm on the third floor of Plays and Players Theater, 1714 Delancey Street, Philadelphia. All readings are free and open to the public.

Azuka Lounge: A Happy Hour Event is Azuka Theatre’s fundraising cocktail extravaganza! Each “themed” event brings together the artistic community and its supporters in a relaxed atmosphere featuring guest bartenders and entertainers. In August, Kid Simple will be featured, then our Evergreen Holiday Bash in December and the return of our hilarious heartbreak valentine event, dramatic readings from The City Paper’s I Love You/I Hate You column. Azuka Lounges take place from 5:00pm – 8:00pm at Woody’s Bar, 202 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia on August 12th, December 16th and February 10th. Tickets are $10.00 and only available at the door.

“This is a very exciting season for us” said Glaccum. “Hedwig was such a big hit, we’re confident the new audiences who discovered us during that show will return to see what else we have up our sleeves. As always, we’re thrilled to be working with the caliber of artists that one finds here in Philadelphia. As the reputation of the company has grown, we’re able to attract ‘the best and the brightest’ the Philadelphia theater community has to offer.”

Company History Azuka Theatre was founded in 1999 by group of artists participating in the Arden Theatre Company’s nationally recognized Professional Apprentice Program. Azuka Theatre quickly built a reputation for accessible, thought-provoking and socially minded theatre. Over the past eight seasons, Azuka Theatre has produced sixteen plays, including six world premiers, received a Lambda Award from The Philadelphia Gay News and been nominated for multiple Barrymore Awards. Azuka Theatre has been hailed as “a company to watch” and a “major player on the Philadelphia alternative theatre scene,” by the Philadelphia Weekly.

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