(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- South Philadelphia-based theater company Theatre Exile has announced the launch of single ticket sales for its upcoming season, in which Theatre Exile brings bold new stories to Philadelphia audiences with two Philadelphia premieres and the return of Philly GRIT.
The season kicks off with JOB, Max Wolf Friedlich’s taut and unsettling psychological thriller that transforms the ordinary setting of a therapy session into an arena of power, trauma, and survival. Over the course of one electrifying encounter between seasoned therapist Loyd, played by Theatre Exile favorite Scott Greer, and 20-something content moderator and client Jane, the familiar trappings of a therapist’s office give way to a high-stakes confrontation where humor, vulnerability, and menace intertwine. What Vulture called “a slick, cleverly crafted drop-tower ride,” JOB shatters expectations of the therapeutic space, crafting a play that leaves audiences questioning what is true and how far people will go when their most private selves are laid bare.
In 2026, The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar) comes to the Theatre Exile stage, receiving critical acclaim following its 2024 world premiere at Theatre 503 in London, followed by a run at Soho Rep in New York City. Nia Akilah Robinson's haunting and powerful production explores the theft and commodification of Black bodies for medical research in early 19th-century Pennsylvania and its lingering impact across generations.
Set against two timelines, one during a cholera outbreak in the early 1800s, the other at a modern-day summer camp built on the same grounds, the play traces a mother and daughter in each era as they confront unsettling truths and reckon with histories that refuse to stay buried. Based on the truth of history, The Great Privation resurrects one of Philadelphia’s darkest and least-discussed legacies: the widespread practice of grave robbing in the early 1800s.
During outbreaks of disease, the bodies of the city’s most vulnerable, particularly Black Philadelphians, were stolen from burial grounds and commodified for medical research, denied dignity even in death. The Great Privation unfolds at the original Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, just blocks away from Theatre Exile and the nation’s oldest parcel of land continuously owned by African Americans. This sacred site is the backdrop for a story of loss, exploitation, and resilience. With moments of humor and tenderness amid its unflinching themes, Robinson asks audiences to consider how close we remain to the struggles of our ancestors.
“These shows are classic Theatre Exile, where we dig deep into the frayed edges of the psyche and sit so close to someone’s journey that we’re never quite sure what’s true and what’s not,” says Deborah Block, Producing Artistic Director at Theatre Exile. “That’s the thrill of these plays: they’re raw, unsettling, and deeply human. Both JOB and The Great Privation center on women trying to protect others in the face of impossible choices. For the main character Jane in JOB, morality slips away in the desperation to do right, and in The Great Privation, joy is wrestled from histories we cannot change. Nothing stays buried, whether it’s trauma, truth, or love, and these plays remind us of the cost and the beauty in confronting it.”
The season is rounded out with the return of Philly Grit, a series of fresh, limited-run productions by Philadelphia-based performers featuring unfiltered storytelling. This year’s Philly Grit features two one- person shows. It also includes the return of the popular Camp Cookie, a speakeasy cabaret featuring Cookie D’iorio, a Philadelphia-based drag performer, classically trained vocalist, songwriter, activist, and lover of all things sparkly.
Theatre Exile 2025/26 Season
JOB by Max Wolf Friedlich (October 30 – November 16, 2025) Philadelphia Premiere. Directed by Deborah Block; Honorary Producers: Linda and David Glickstein Associate Producers: Gayle and David Smith. Jane, an employee at a big tech company, has been placed on leave after becoming the subject of a viral video. Determined to be reinstated to the job that gives her life meaning, she seeks the counsel of Loyd, a crisis therapist. Featuring Scott Greer (most recently seen at Theatre Exile in Red by John Logan) and Arianna Gayle (understudy from the Broadway production), JOB is a taut psychological thriller. The play zooms in on two careerists of different generations, genders, and political paradigms to explore what it means to be a citizen of the internet, and our obligation to help the people who need it most. The New Yorker called JOB, “Engrossing, disturbing and frequently funny.”
Philly GRIT (March 18–29, 2026). Philly GRIT, a daring series of shows by Philadelphia performers who push beyond traditional theater, returns with two new productions alongside the ever-popular Camp Cookie. Each work reflects Theatre Exile’s mission of expressing the human journey through an unfiltered lens, shining an “embarrassingly bright light on our world, like fluorescents in an airport bathroom.”
Headlining this season’s series is Camp Cookie, a speakeasy cabaret featuring Cookie D’iorio, a Philadelphia-based drag performer, classically trained vocalist, songwriter, activist, and lover of all things sparkly. Known for her powerful voice and infectious energy, Cookie brings music, laughter, drinks, and, of course, cookies to the stage.
The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar) by Nia Akilah Robinson (May 28 – June 14, 2026) Philadelphia Premiere. Directed by Ontaria Kim Wilson; Honorary Producers: Susan and Ed Hoffman Associate Producers: Gayle and David Smith. In 1832, a mother and daughter keep vigil at a grave by the African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Philadelphia. Today, on the same grounds, a new, yet not entirely different, mother and daughter sing camp songs at a summer camp and fight to keep from expulsion. As the mothers in each generation try to protect their families, timelines collide and secrets surface.
Described by Talkin’ Broadway as “Joyous. A lesson for our times” and praised by The New York Times as “Robust, questing, enlivening,” The Great Privation is a darkly comic play about our nation’s long practice of harming Black bodies in the name of scientific progress, our responsibility to truth, and the role joy plays in living with a history we cannot change.
Tickets & Subscriptions: Audiences can choose from various ticketing options designed for flexibility and accessibility. Theatre Exile’s popular Flex Pass includes four tickets redeemable across the 2025–26 season, 20% off additional single tickets, easy exchanges, and early access to reserve a complimentary seat for Camp Cookie. Subscription packages range from the Preview Plan ($45) for any preview performance to the Weekday Plan ($83) and Weekend Plan ($95), each offering no-cost upgrades to earlier performances.
Single tickets for Theatre Exile’s upcoming productions are available for purchase starting at $10 per ticket, with special Young Exiles Nights for theatergoers 35 and under, featuring exclusive pre-show happy hours and community connections. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Theatre Exile box office at 215-218-4022.
Theatre Exile is a non-profit theater company dedicated to enhancing the cultural experiences of Philadelphians through the staging of works that engage the imagination since it was founded in 1996. Theatre Exile strives to reach new audiences throughout the community by presenting both new works as well as established plays that are often reinterpreted in original ways. These productions emphasize freedom of expression formulated through innovation, exploration, and provocation. At the same time, Theatre Exile provides a safe and creative environment where local artists can grow, experiment, and find their voice.
