October 28, 2025
Provided Image/Robert Hakalski for Theatre Exile
Scott Greer and Arianna Gayle star in Theatre Exile's 'JOB,' a play about a woman who seeks therapy when she's put on leave by her employer after going viral.
Philadelphia theaters are heading back in time, with classic productions and retellings of modern history gracing the spotlight in November.
The Arden Theatre starts the month with "The Mountaintop," a reimagined story of Martin Luther King Jr.'s last night before his assassination in 1968. Plus, Passage Theatre Co. is combining two works from 1960s playwright LeRoi Jones, then known as Amiri Baraka, that both explore the dynamics in interracial relationships during times of political strife.
Going back even further, Lantern Theater and the Wilma are hosting performance of William Shakespeare's 1623 tragedy "Macbeth" and a staged version of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," first written in 1844. The Drama Group of Germantown is also putting on a queer retelling of the 1890s play "Spring Awakening."
Here are 10 shows to catch over the next few weeks.
Oct. 30-Nov. 16 | Theatre Exile | 1340 S. 13th St.
When a video of Jane goes viral, she's put on leave from her job at a big tech company. To figure out how to be reinstated, she starts seeing a crisis therapist, Loyd. Over the course of the show, the pair discuss gender politics, generational differences and how the internet impacts daily life. Tickets start at $40.
Oct. 30-Dec. 7 | Lantern Theater Co. | 923 Ludlow St.
In William Shakespeare's spooky classic, a general is told by three witches that he will become the next king of Scotland. In his attempt for political power, he kills the current king, which sets off a spree of further slayings and constant paranoia. Tickets start at $31.
Oct. 30-Dec. 14 | Arden Theatre Co. | 40 N. 2nd St.
When Martin Luther King Jr. heads to a nearby motel after making his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech in April 1968, he meets a mysterious maid. The show reimagines their conversation on what will turn out to be King's last night of life. Tickets start at $55.
Oct. 31-Nov. 23 | InterAct Theatre Co. | 302 S. Hicks St.
After a yearlong mission to go to the moon, NASA botanist Cassie goes to a remote cabin in the woods that belongs to her estranged twin sister, Stella, a former architect for NASA. The sisters attempt to reconnect while also debating the Earth's future, wondering if the planet is worth saving or if humanity will have to move to another one. Tickets start at $40.
Oct. 31-Nov. 16 | Passage Theatre Co. | Trenton
This production combines two shows from playwright LeRoi Jones, also known as Amiri Baraka. Act 1 will be Bakara's show "Dutchman," the story of a white woman and a Black man who meet in a subway car. Act 2 will be a performance of "The Slave," also by Bakara, which tells the story of a Black man who visits his white ex-wife and her new husband, a white man. Tickets are $35.
Nov. 5-23 | Theatre Horizon | Norristown, Montgomery County
After Amanda Newtown's adoptive father dies, she helps her mother pack up her childhood home. She finds her father's memories preserved by a tech company and uses them to explore her sense of self. The comedic musical, co-created with Theatre Horizon cofounder Matthew Decker, is based on the story of co-writer Amanda Morton's real life as an adopted Korean American woman. Tickets start at $35.
Weekends, Nov. 7-23 | Old Academy Players | 3540–44 Indian Queen Ln.
During the opening night afterparty for a new Broadway play, cast and crew endure a blizzard as they await reviews. As the hours go by, large personalities clash and old rivalries return in this comedic show. Tickets are $25.
Nov. 7-23 | Drama Group of Germantown | 6001 Germantown Ave.
A group of teenagers in 18th century Germany struggle with puberty and their newfound sexuality, but eventually suffer consequences when their parents don't share necessary info about what's happening in their bodies. The Drama Group of Germantown will do a queer reading of the original show from 1891, which later became a hit Broadway musical. Tickets are $15.
Nov. 14-15 | Yellow Bicycle Theater | 1435 Arch St.
Writer and performer Jesse Bradley-Amore acts in a solo show about the true story of a 40-year-old man from Florida who gets his driver's license, overcoming a lifelong fear, in the hopes of saving his marriage. The show is described as a funnier, more anxious version of "Fast & Furious." Tickets are $20.
Nov. 11-23 | Wilma Theater | 265 S. Broad St.
In this staged version of Hans Christian Andersen's story of the same name, a young girl named Gerda goes on an adventure to save her brother from being trapped in the palace of the Snow Queen. Andersen's original tale was the inspiration for Disney's "Frozen." Tickets start at $56.
