Plays and Players Theatre

Established in 1911, the Plays and Players Theatre is one of the oldest theater companies in the country. It is housed in small theater built in 1912 that first operated as a dramatic school called the Playhouse but did not last long and soon Broadway theater companies used it to try out new plays. Plays and Players later bought it in 1922. Designed by Amos W. Barnes, the theater features a decorative band of bas relief figures and colored tile, a pair of small circular windows, and a rectangular window with a brick surround above the main entrance doors. Actor Kevin Bacon performed here as a child in 1974 and the theater hosted the world premier of famed play "Stalag 17" in 1949.

Plays and Players began as a private theater social club and was originally called the "Little Theatre of Philadelphia." It was founded by Beulah and Edward Jay to produce "American plays of ideas," which were uncommon at the time. Its first president was Maud Durbin Skinner, who was the wife of famous Otis Skinner. A number of famous actors performed here including John Drew, Maude Adams, and Otis Skinner. During the first season of the theater, Plays and Players produced An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde and The Learned Ladies by Moliere. The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1913. It dropped its members-only policy in the 1960s and now offers workshops, classes and other activities aimed at engaging the community.

"About." Plays and Players. Accessed December 22, 2022. https://playsandplayers.org/about.

Parker, Joseph P. "Plays and Players." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. March 14, 1973. https://gis.penndot.gov/CRGISAttachments/SiteResource/H001447_01H.pdf.