1812 Productions is thrilled to present (just in time for the Obama-Clinton-Giuliani showdown) a brand new production of This Is The Week That Is: More Political Humor for the Holidays! This Is The Week That Is will run from November 30th to January 13th at The AdrienneTheatre, 2030 Sansom Street. (The show was originally scheduled to close December 30th but has already been extended by popular demand for an additional two weeks!). Opening night is Wednesday, December 5th. Ticket prices range from $12 to $34 and can be purchased by calling 1812 Productions' box office at (215) 592-9560 or online at www.1812productions.org.

"I am so thrilled to be able to revisit this show," says the show's creator and director Jennifer Childs. "Creating work of this kind that allows us to respond so immediately and directly to what is happening in our world is really exciting." Following the critical and box office success of last season's This Is The Week That Is, the show returns from November to January with whole sections being re-written from night to nightto stay on top of the Capitol before it gets on top of us!

The cast of the original also reunites for this revival. Comedy mavens Tony Braithwaite, Scott Greer, Steven Wright, and Dave Jadico are joined by holiday show veteran Mary Carpenter in a production where the stakes are higher and the questions are bigger. With Philadelphia's new mayor soon to take office and the country on the verge of an explosive presidential race, This Is The Week That Is will scour the landscape, finding the funny in the unlikeliest of places. Employing a classic sketch/ vaudeville/ variety show format, This Is The Week That Is has as many faces as the politics it lampoons. Among the many new features, This Is The Week That Is will have a special section devoted to the history of the protest song (going all the way back to the 15th century and the end of feudalism!), and its disappearance from modern America. We will see the evolution of a presidential primary from the cheese connoisseur's point of view. We pay a visit the always clear-sighted Tom Lehrer and see what he has to say about the state of things. And our beloved South Philadelphia Queen, Patsy, played by Jennifer Childs, will go on a quest to answer the most important question in all of politics, and will be joined by a few surprise guests along the way.

"Last year we really looked to political history for inspiration," says Jennifer Childs. "We studied the work of political humorists who changed and revolutionized the form and tried to create work in those styles. This year, one of the things we're most looking forward to is exploring our own unique way of responding to the events in the world around us. Everyone involved in creating This Is The Week That Is has amazing tools at their disposal including a gift for comedy and a clear point of view. We want to discover what it is that only 1812 can say about these issues and share that with our audiences. And, of course, we also want to leave them rolling in the aisles!"

Company History
Artistic Director Jennifer Childs and Resident Artist Pete Pryor founded 1812 Productions in the spring of 1998 with a goal to entertain and educate audiences through comedy, and to support and hire local artists. 1812 Productions is a multiple Barrymore Award winner, most recently for its 2006-2007 season. Their education program, 1812 Outreach, has received five nominations and has been awarded once the Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service. On April 20, 2005, 1812 Productions received an honorary citation from the City of Philadelphia for outstanding work and commitment to the Philadelphia arts community. 1812 Productions, while continually on the search for a permanent home, continues to perform at various locations in Philadelphia.