Arden Theatre Company is dedicated to bringing to life the greatest stories by the greatest storytellers of all time. We draw from any source that is inherently dramatic and theatrical – fiction, nonfiction, poetry, music and drama. The Arden presents programs for the diverse greater Philadelphia community that arouse, provoke, challenge, illuminate and inspire.

Founded in 1988 by Terrence J. Nolen, Amy Murphy and Aaron Posner, Arden Theatre Company began producing at the 70-seat Walnut Street Theatre Studio and was immediately hailed as a welcome addition to the Philadelphia theatre community. After our second season, we co-founded the St. Stephen's Performing Arts Center to provide us with a larger theatre (150 seats) and a unified location for classes, education programs, administrative offices and production shops. Our five seasons at St. Stephen's were marked with continued growth.

In 1995, Arden Theatre Company purchased a 50,000-square-foot building in Philadelphia's historic Old City neighborhood. The building has been renovated to contain a 360-seat mainstage theatre (F. Otto Haas Stage); the 175-seat studio theatre (Arcadia Stage); the Independence Foundation Studio; a bi-level lobby with box office, elevator and restrooms; rehearsal and classroom space; and administrative and production offices. Our move to our new home sparked even more growth for the Arden, and played a significant role in the economic revitalization of Old City.

Arden Theatre Company performs at Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's 2007 Inaugural Ball. (l-r) Brian Hissong, Kristine Fraelich, Keara Hailey, Gov. Ed Rendell, Jarrod Lentz, Jeffrey Coon and Tony Braithwaite. Photo: Top Guns Photography.

Today, Arden Theatre Company is a full-service professional regional theatre, offering the highest quality theatrical and educational productions and programs to the artists, audiences and students of the greater Philadelphia region. We are a dynamic and successful theatre company with strong ties to the community and a reputation for artistic excellence, educational innovation, and fiscal responsibility.

Our location in Old City has helped to fuel the economic growth of this vital and historic neighborhood. Over 35 restaurants have opened since we moved here in 1995. Former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell (currently Governor of Pennsylvania) said, "When I think of nonprofit organizations that are having a major economic impact on their neighborhoods, none comes to mind sooner than the Arden."