For Immediate Release: August 31, 2006
Media Contact: Deborah Fleischman, for Philadelphia Theatre Company, 215.735.7356

Philadelphia Theatre Company announces an innovative new partnership with US Airways as the Premiere Season Sponsor. As part of this sponsorship, Philadelphia Theatre Company has received a $50,000 grant from US Airways. The grant is comprised of direct cash support as well as a generous travel agreement which will allow Philadelphia Theatre Company to bring the nationally-renowned playwrights and artistic talent to Philadelphia who are involved in their upcoming season. US Airways, the official airline of Philadelphia Theatre Company, will be featured on all of Philadelphia Theatre Company's print and web materials.

"With our outstanding history of cultural support and community engagement, US Airways is poised to make an important impact on the City of Philadelphia, and we extend to them our enormous appreciation for their investment in our region," said Sara Garonzik, Producing Artistic Director of Philadelphia Theatre Company. "Together with US Airways, this season we will ‘take flight' toward a season filled with premiere plays, a new holiday performance and, by next fall, an elegant new home - The Suzanne Roberts Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts."

"Like Philadelphia Theatre Company, which for thirty years has been a leader in making Philadelphia a nationally recognized home for new American theater, US Airways too has a long tradition of service to its customers and markets throughout the world, and understands the importance of supporting a rich cultural life in its community," said C.A. Howlett, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs at US Airways.

Philadelphia Theatre Company's 2006-2007 season kicks off with the East Coast premiere of Murderers by Jeffrey Hatcher on October 6-November 5. During the holidays, Philadelphia Theatre Company will present its first family production, The Frog Bride, written and performed by David Gonzalez. The new year rings in with the new musical Nerds://A Musical Software Satire about computer titans Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, followed by the Obie Award-winning In the Continuum by Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter. The season concludes with the Philadelphia premiere of Austin Pendleton's clever backstage drama Orson's Shadow.

Philadelphia Theatre Company is Philadelphia's only non-profit professional theater dedicated exclusively to producing world and regional premieres of works by contemporary American playwrights. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director, Sara Garonzik, Philadelphia Theatre Company has had ever-increasing national impact having produced 34 world premieres of new American plays and musicals in its 31 seasons. Recent world premiere productions include: Some Men by Terrence McNally; Adrift in Macao by Christopher Durang and Peter Melnick (to be produced at Primary Stages, winter 2007); Bruce Graham's According to Goldman; Jeffrey Hatcher's A Picasso; Daniel Stern's comedy Barbra's Wedding (moved to the Westside Arts Theatre in 2003); John Henry Redwood's No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs; J.T. Rogers' White People; David Ives' Lives of the Saints; three-time Tony Award-winning Master Class by Terrence McNally, starring Zoe Caldwell; Bunny Bunny by Alan Zweibel (Lucille Lortel Award, 1997); and the American premiere of Birdy by Naomi Wallace. A Picasso received its New York premiere at the Manhattan Theatre Club in April 2005. Philadelphia Theatre Company was chosen Best Theatre Company 2003 by Philadelphia Magazine, Theater Company of the Year by Philadelphia Weekly in 2005, Best Theater Company in the 2005 City Paper Readers' Choice Awards, and named Best Theater by Philadelphia Style Magazine in 2006. Since 1995, Philadelphia Theatre Company has received 99 nominations and 30 awards from Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards, most recently for Take Me Out (Outstanding Overall Production of a Play, and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play [Kraig Swartz as Mason]), Elegies: A Song Cycle (Outstanding Music Direction [Kimberly Grigsby], and Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical), The Story (Outstanding Direction of a Play [Maria Mileaf]), and Trumbo (Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play [Bill Irwin]).

Philadelphia Theatre Company has embarked on a groundbreaking Capital Campaign in support of building its new home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts, scheduled to open in Fall, 2007 when it concludes its 25-year residence at the historic Plays & Players Theater.

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