The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia is pleased to present the fourth annual Spark Festival featuring several of Philadelphia's freshest and most innovative small theatre companies presenting classic and original work. The Spark Festival will have a limited engagement run from July 16th to the 20th at Plays and Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Street in Center City. Tickets range from $10-$25 and can be purchased by contacting the Theatre Alliance directly at (215) 413-7150 or online at www.theatrealliance.org.

Going Against the Flow is the call of the 2008 Spark Festival and producing companies have responded with work ranging from comedies of love in the age of convenience, the curse of gender in the money making game, the concept that Natural is Radical, and even the epic tale of a mime pushed too far. Each production has been created by Philadelphia artists and performers and all will be presented back to back during each performance of the 2008 Spark Festival.

Created in 2005, Spark is an ever-growing component of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. With a mission to assist smaller Philadelphia theatre companies in all areas of operation – from development to marketing, management to fundraising, Spark is representative of the fortitude of the Philadelphia performing arts community. Since its inception, membership in Spark has grown to almost 90 member companies, nine of which will create work for the 2008 Spark Festival.

The number of small theatre companies in Philadelphia has grown exponentially in the past four seasons, a fantastic indicator of the breadth and quality of the work happening in Philadelphia. "Spark is an amazing program and one of which I am extremely proud," says Karen DiLossi, Director of Programs & Services for the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. "I continually hear from other Theatre Alliances around the country who admire our program and try to emulate its work. Through the diligence and creativity of these small theatre leaders, Spark is fast becoming a blueprint for how smaller theatres find their voice and how they contribute to the larger theatre community." A key feature of Spark's mission is to bring representation to these smaller companies and to ensure their place along side larger established companies in the Philadelphia theatre community.

With a limited engagement run of only 6 performances, the 2008 Spark Festival showcases some of the most dynamic, up and coming voices in Philadelphia today. Deborah Block, Philadelphia theatre artist, professor, and guest curator for the 2008 Spark Festival, says of this year's theme, "Going against the flow is what artists do best. We redefine, stir up, challenge, provoke, inspire, undermine, dare and, my favorite, subvert. The challenge, and reward, of being a Spark member is making truly hands-on theatre through collaboration, determination and the desire to engage and challenge the audience. How wonderful it is that the Theatre Alliance chooses to honor the spirit of this kind of process by creating infrastructure whereby artists have the freedom to explore and forge genuine connection with their audiences."

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia is a member-based leadership and service organization composed of non-profit professional theatres, individual theatre artists, and affiliated organizations within the Greater Philadelphia region. The Theatre Alliance strengthens and leads the region's richly diverse theatre community by promoting positive awareness and serving as a resource for information, professional development and advocacy. We value coordination and collaboration over competition. We endeavor to find common ground for the majority of our members. We seek diversity and equality. We encourage each Alliance member to share their advice, knowledge and experience. We believe that peer support, mentoring and networking are crucial to the health of the entire theatre community. Spark is an auxiliary program that serves to ignite dialogue and opportunities for small and developing theatre companies, the Spark program includes monthly meetings (January-June) on important topics such as marketing, development, and infrastructure, as well as social gatherings to encourage networking among the small theatre community. The Theatre Alliance also produces the annual Spark Festival, an evening of short plays highlighting the work of Spark companies.

Location:
Plays and Players Theatre
1714 Delancey Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Dates:
*6 Performances Only!*
Wednesday, July 16th at 8pm
Thursday, July 17th at 8pm
Friday, July 18th at 8pm
Saturday, July 19th at 2pm
Saturday, July 19th at 8pm
Sunday, July 20th at 2pm

Tickets:
$10-$25

Tickets and Information:
Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia
1616 Walnut Street, Suite 1800
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 413-7150
www.theatrealliance.org

Spark Festival Featured Companies

Black Star Collective
Lunch Break
By Bryan S. Clark

EgoPo Productions
Naked Fish
By Nathan Wright

Flashpoint Theatre Company
Division III
By Wendy MacLeod

Madhouse Theater Company
The Last Straw
By John Stanton

Philadelphia Dramatists Center
American Dream
By Walt Vail

Secret Room Theatre
She Licks His Face in the End
By Alex Dremann

Simpatico Theatre Project
The Middle Kingdom
By Howard Korder

Temple Theaters
Das Urteil
By Ryder Thornton