Founded in 1996, Brat Productions is a theatre company that produces both contemporary material and re-envisioned classics, working with new artists, working in non-traditional venues, and working to keep ticket prices low. We have a ten-year track record as Philadelphia’s premier avant-garde theatre, and has become known for using unusual performance venues to enhance our original and noteworthy productions.
Brat Productions generates new theatre-goers by creating theatre that is unpredictable, courageous, and compelling. We value risk, innovation, and fostering the growth of artists in the greater Philadelphia region.
The vision of Brat Productions is a world in which theatre shares a place in the common cultural consciousness alongside music, film, and television; where theatre speaks to everyone.
1996. In an effort to make theatre going less intimidating, Madi Distefano founded Brat Productions by presenting A Midsummer Night's Dream in a brick and ivy covered courtyard in Queen Village. The unique atmosphere was made even more accessible with a BYOB policy and a $5 ticket price. Since then Brat has continued working on both contemporary material and re-envisioned classics, working with new artists, working in non-traditional venues, and working to keep our ticket prices low.
1997’s Eye-95, written by Distefano, was a hit at both the New York and Philadelphia Fringe Festivals and was cited as a "Perfect Example of Fringe" by a panel at Fringe NYC.
1998’s A 24-Hour The Bald Soprano--Eugene Ionesco’s absurdist masterpiece--was performed by a six-member ensemble for 24 hours straight. "There is NOW no other way of performing Ionesco’s absurd comedy," said Philadelphia’s City Paper, "An inspired choice."
September of 2000 brought the Fringe blockbuster Max in Hollywood, Baby!, our first show for families that was offered FREE to the public.
Rum and Vodka and This Lime Tree Bower, two plays by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, played in rep at Fergie’s Pub, an authentic Irish watering hole. In August of 2000 year J. Cooper Robb of the Philadelphia Weekly named Brat Theatre Company of the Year! And in May of 2001 we won a 2001 Arts/Business Partnership Award from the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia for our work with Fergie’s Pub.
Back at the Fringe in 2001, Brat paired up with Greg Giovanni for Naked Cocktail. This original tale of world domination--complete with musical numbers--reared its ugly head at the Five Spot.
Howie the Rookie, by Mark O’Rowe was a triumphant return to pub theatre.
Set in Lucy’s Hat Shop, and Drinker’s Tavern, this two-man
show brought in sell-out houses and rave reviews:
- "Nobody does the Fringe festival quite like Brat Productions"
(Theatremania.com).
-"Brat is Philadelphia’s premiere presenter of Irish Theatre"
(BackStage Magazine).
The Lazy Activist Series consisted of 4 political site-specific events, created for the 2003 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. This series was offered free to the public.
2004 proved to be another fruitful season for Brat. Our Spring Festival (HoneyPot; adolescent girls in sticky situations) featured a trio of shows exploring the complexity of school-age girls in the United States. Popsicle’s Departure, 1989 by and with Madi Distefano was Philadelphia Weekly’s Best New Play, and earned two Barrymore Nominations for Best New Play and Best Leading Actress. Moby-Dick Rehearsed by Orson Welles, featured an all-female cast, and earned James Sugg a Barrymore nomination for Best Sound Design.
Brat returned to Fergie’s Pub in January 2005 to present Eden, which garnered Madi Distefano a Barrymore Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play.
Later that season, Brat teamed up with Tapestry Theatre to present a production of the musical Grease. Samuel French ordered a cease and desist due to the all-female cast. In response, the creative team pulled a 24 hour writing session and emerged with Grease and Desist and opened it 2 days later to a packed house and a standing ovation. The production was nominated for 2 Barrymore Awards, Best Original Music, and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Sarah Doherty’s portrayal of Rosie.
Our participation in the TCG Free Night of Theatre led to a full week of free performances of previously produced pub plays, entitled Razing the Bar, Tavern Tales on Tap. We brought in over 300 new patrons to Brat Productions and gave them a free treat.
In the Spring of 2006, Brat debuted Causeway: Modern Slavery, series of short, curated pieces to raise awareness about social issues and give artists a supportive environment in which to create work that responds to social issues. The subject chosen for 2006 was Modern Slavery.
Kicking off Brat's 10th Anniversary Season in 2006 was Eye-95: Retarred, a re-writing and re-envisioning of the musical that started it all! This punk rock, crystal meth, stripper-tastic show was the hit of the Live Arts festival.
In January of 2007, Madi Distefano stepped down as Artistic Director and Michael Alltop joined Brat to lead the company into its second decade, with a whirlwind string of hits, including Three Chord Fiction (which won The Ted and Stevie Wolf Barrymore Award for New Approaches to Collaboration), the 10th Anniversary revival of A 24-Hour The Bald Soprano, and A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant.