In conjunction with the East Coast Premiere of Scorched, The Wilma Theater has launched a video series, which is now available online and on interactive touch-screen kiosks around Philadelphia. The series gives audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the Wilma's production through rehearsal footage and interviews with director Blanka Zizka, composer Amir ElSaffar, set designer Ola Maslik, lighting designer Thom Weaver, and members of the Scorched cast.

Interviews are available online at www.wilmatheater.org and on Vimeo and YouTube , and are accessible at kiosks located on the Avenue of the Arts at the Kimmel Center and the DoubleTree Hotel Philadelphia, as well as on Drexel University's campus in the lobby of Mandell Theater.

The segments were filmed and edited by Matt Trigaux, a local student studying Multimedia at The University of the Arts. Trigaux was recently honored by Philadelphia Ad Club's Rising Stars series, which recognizes outstanding Communication students. He has worked on a variety of film and design projects, including work for Sobe, Bear Naked Granola, Superfly Productions/Bonnaroo, and Bonfire Snowboard Apparel. He also currently designs for Philadelphia based TrickGo Clothing.

The kiosks were created by Educated Guess Work (www.egwrk.com), a company that produces web sites, interactive media walls, exterior video projection systems, and motion graphics. They have created work for the Annenberg Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, World Cafe Live, Syracuse University and W Hotels around the country.

Scorched is written by highly acclaimed Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad and translated by Linda Gaboriau. In the play, twins Janine and Simon receive a surprising request in their late mother's will: to deliver letters to a father they thought was dead and a brother they never knew existed. These tasks lead them on a suspenseful journey to the heart of their mother's war-torn Middle Eastern homeland. Unraveling the mystery, they learn about her concealed history as a political activist and prisoner of war and uncover shocking secrets about their own origins.

An international tour de force, Scorched arrives in the U.S. having received more than 100 productions worldwide. It has been translated into a dozen languages and is currently being adapted into a feature film. The Wilma's production - only the second U.S. production of the play - runs through March 29, 2009. It has been hailed by Philadelphia Weekly as "astonishing! A work of raw power, Scorched is delicately lyrical and unforgettable." The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "The Wilma Theater's production of Scorched under Blanka Zizka's superb direction is a searing play...strong performances, a fine, supple cast...excellent set design!"

Tickets start at $39 and are available at the Wilma Box Office by calling (215) 546-7824, visiting 265 S. Broad Street, or online at www.wilmatheater.org.

This project has been funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative with additional support from the Marketing Innovation Program.

Scorched is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Wilma Theater's 30th Anniversary Sponsor is Rohm and Haas. Sporting Club at the Bellevue is a Season Sponsor. McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant is Artistic Lead Sponsor, and PECO is the Building the Audiences of Tomorrow Sponsor. Additional support is given by the Charlotte Cushman Foundation.