SUPPORT
Individual Giving
20 Reasons to Support the Arden
![]() Joilet F. Harris in Caroline, or Change (2007) ![]() Douglas Rees in Opus (2006) ![]() Jeffrey Coon and Ben Dibble in A Year with Frog and Toad (2005)
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In celebration of our 20th anniversary, we give you twenty reasons to support the Arden!
1. We've told 111 great stories by great storytellers since 1988!
2. Our innovative in-school arts education program Arden in Class and On Stage brings curriculum-enhancing, arts-based programming to 1,400 kids in Philadelphia, Camden, and Ridley Park.
3. We've won 38 Barrymore Awards since the first ceremony in 1995.
4. Our deep commitment to hiring local artists means outstanding actors, playwrights, directors, and designers can live and work in our great city.
5. Over 30 Philadelphia artists are on our Arden Family Tree, and have done 10 or more shows with us, including Jennifer Childs, Jeff Coon, Ben Dibble, Grace Gonglewski, Scott Greer, Mary Martello, Tom McCarthy, Ian Merrill Peakes and Greg Wood.
6. In 1995, we purchased an abandoned building in the up and coming Old City neighborhood. Our presence has helped Old City emerge as one of the region's most popular destinations; our economic impact has revitalized the neighborhood.
7. Named Philadelphia Magazine's 2007 Best of Philly: Theatre for Kids, our world-class Arden Children's Theatre turns 10 this year!
8. Tickets for Arden Children's Theatre start at $14 so that more families may enjoy theatre together. 240,000 people have seen our Children's Theatre in the past nine years.
9. We are hot house for new play development! This season's Wittenberg, by David Davalos, marked our 28th world premiere. World-class playwrights Michael Hollinger and Bruce Graham call the Arden their artistic home.
10. This season, we will workshop four new plays, including one new work for kids.
11. This summer, Michael Hollinger's Opus moved off-Broadway to Primary Stages after receiving its world premiere at the Arden in 2006. Broadway producers are currently working to continue Opus' New York life.
12. Arden for All, our ticket access program will provide 5,000 free tickets to students in the Greater Philadelphia region this year.
13. Our Reading Takes Center Stage literacy program will give each of those 5,000 students a free book.
14. The Arden Professional Apprentice program is celebrating its 15th year of training future theatre leaders. 69 apprentices have graduated from the program since 1994, and continue to make vital contributions to the Philadelphia cultural community and the American theatre at large.
15. We sold out all three sessions of Arden Summer Camp last summer. In response, we will offer six sessions this year.
16. This winter we launched the Arden Drama School, which offers classes for middle school and high school students.
17. Pay What You Can performances raise thousands of dollars for fellow non-profit organizations each season, including Philadelphia Cares, MANNA, and Operation Understanding.
18. We are dedicated to musicals that push boundaries. Last Spring, Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori saw our production of their musical Caroline, or Change, prompting Kushner to say, "We spent five years giving to Caroline. Tonight, Caroline gave back."
19. 1.2 million people have enjoyed a production at the Arden, including 28 literary adaptations, 23 contemporary musicals, 28 new plays, 16 classic plays and 15 Children's Theatre productions.
20. 40% of our annual budget comes from contributions! We couldn't do what we do without your support, even if we sold out every single performance.
1. We've told 111 great stories by great storytellers since 1988!
2. Our innovative in-school arts education program Arden in Class and On Stage brings curriculum-enhancing, arts-based programming to 1,400 kids in Philadelphia, Camden, and Ridley Park.
3. We've won 38 Barrymore Awards since the first ceremony in 1995.
4. Our deep commitment to hiring local artists means outstanding actors, playwrights, directors, and designers can live and work in our great city.
5. Over 30 Philadelphia artists are on our Arden Family Tree, and have done 10 or more shows with us, including Jennifer Childs, Jeff Coon, Ben Dibble, Grace Gonglewski, Scott Greer, Mary Martello, Tom McCarthy, Ian Merrill Peakes and Greg Wood.
6. In 1995, we purchased an abandoned building in the up and coming Old City neighborhood. Our presence has helped Old City emerge as one of the region's most popular destinations; our economic impact has revitalized the neighborhood.
7. Named Philadelphia Magazine's 2007 Best of Philly: Theatre for Kids, our world-class Arden Children's Theatre turns 10 this year!
8. Tickets for Arden Children's Theatre start at $14 so that more families may enjoy theatre together. 240,000 people have seen our Children's Theatre in the past nine years.
9. We are hot house for new play development! This season's Wittenberg, by David Davalos, marked our 28th world premiere. World-class playwrights Michael Hollinger and Bruce Graham call the Arden their artistic home.
10. This season, we will workshop four new plays, including one new work for kids.
11. This summer, Michael Hollinger's Opus moved off-Broadway to Primary Stages after receiving its world premiere at the Arden in 2006. Broadway producers are currently working to continue Opus' New York life.
12. Arden for All, our ticket access program will provide 5,000 free tickets to students in the Greater Philadelphia region this year.
13. Our Reading Takes Center Stage literacy program will give each of those 5,000 students a free book.
14. The Arden Professional Apprentice program is celebrating its 15th year of training future theatre leaders. 69 apprentices have graduated from the program since 1994, and continue to make vital contributions to the Philadelphia cultural community and the American theatre at large.
15. We sold out all three sessions of Arden Summer Camp last summer. In response, we will offer six sessions this year.
16. This winter we launched the Arden Drama School, which offers classes for middle school and high school students.
17. Pay What You Can performances raise thousands of dollars for fellow non-profit organizations each season, including Philadelphia Cares, MANNA, and Operation Understanding.
18. We are dedicated to musicals that push boundaries. Last Spring, Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori saw our production of their musical Caroline, or Change, prompting Kushner to say, "We spent five years giving to Caroline. Tonight, Caroline gave back."
19. 1.2 million people have enjoyed a production at the Arden, including 28 literary adaptations, 23 contemporary musicals, 28 new plays, 16 classic plays and 15 Children's Theatre productions.
20. 40% of our annual budget comes from contributions! We couldn't do what we do without your support, even if we sold out every single performance.
For More Information
Please contact Angela DuRoss, Manager of Individual Giving, at 215.922.8900 x25 or aduross@ardentheatre.org.





