Draft:Theatre Ariel

• Comment: Reviews of their productions won't make the theatre notable, because notability is WP:NOTINHERITED. DoubleGrazing (talk) 11:54, 4 August 2026 (UTC)

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Theatre Ariel Theatre Ariel is a professional theatre company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that produces work exploring Jewish culture, history, and identity. Its programming includes mainstage plays, staged readings, and salon-style performances held in homes and other non-traditional venues.

History Theatre Ariel was founded in 1990 by Deborah Baer Mozes, a theatre director and dramaturg, in response to a lack of Jewish-themed programming among Philadelphia theatre companies. Under Baer Mozes, the company commissioned and produced numerous works and established Salon Ariel, a recurring series of staged readings performed in homes, galleries, and other intimate settings.

In April 2007, the company returned to mainstage production with Back to the Boulevard, a play developed from a two-year oral history project about Jewish life in Northeast Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Inquirer covered the production in connection with the neighborhood's demographic and cultural changes. Baer Mozes retired as artistic director in 2022 after more than three decades leading the company. She was succeeded by Jesse Bernstein, an actor and director, under whom Theatre Ariel resumed fully staged mainstage productions and expanded its public programming.

Mission and activities Theatre Ariel produces dramas, comedies, solo performances, and staged readings centered on Jewish experience, generally paired with post-show discussions and community events. [2] According to the company, it has presented more than 2,500 performances to over 350,000 audience members since its founding, commissioned more than 90 new works from more than 90 playwrights, and toured productions to public schools in the region.

Recent productions and reception Marsha Blovotnick and the Marvelous Magical Chicken Soup (2026) In March 2026, Theatre Ariel presented the world premiere of Marsha Blovotnick and the Marvelous Magical Chicken Soup, a comedy by Philadelphia playwright Dan Kitrosser, at The Drake's Bluver Theatre. The play combines family drama with elements of magical realism and continues the company's focus on contemporary work addressing Jewish cultural themes. Local reviews of the production were largely positive.

Amsterdam (2024) In November 2024, Theatre Ariel presented the Philadelphia premiere of Amsterdam, a play by Israeli playwright Maya Arad Yasur and the company's first fully staged mainstage production in 15 years.

The Philadelphia Inquirer called the production “fresh, powerful, and inherently theatrical,” and noted it as the company's first large-scale staging since 2009. Broad Street Review described the production as “beguiling and ambitious,” praising the ensemble cast and Bernstein's direction while noting some difficulty in balancing the play's historical and contemporary storylines.

Awards and recognition Theatre Ariel was nominated for a 2024 Reader's Choice Award by the Jewish Exponent.