PlayPenn Presents James Ijames in Philadelphia!

Presented in association with Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Wilma Theater.

Tickets: Pay What You Want & $10

Tickets & Drinks: $15 & $40

What does it take for a play to move from a blank page to a stage filled with actors, light, form, and breath?

It takes time. It takes doubt. It takes rooms where uncertainty is protected and imagination is allowed to stretch before it is judged.

On March 30, PlayPenn invites you into that journey.

Long before The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington was announced for production at Wilma Theater, it lived in development at PlayPenn.

Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright James Ijames returns to PlayPenn (where many of his early works were developed) for an evening centered around the invisible but essential process that shapes new work before the public ever sees it

James will be joined by Nancy Boykin and Kimberly S. Fairbanks, PlayPenn Board Members and cast members of Wilma Theater’s upcoming production of Miz Martha, in a conversation moderated by PlayPenn Artistic Director Che’Rae Adams.

In a remarkable season for Philadelphia theatre, Arden Theatre Company (Good Bones), Wilma Theater (Miz Martha), and Philadelphia Theatre Company (Wilderness Generation) are presenting James’s work in the same year, connected by a shared pass that invites audiences to experience his voice across three stages.

For anyone who loves theatre, makes theatre, studies theatre, or simply wants to understand how a playwright’s work comes into being, this conversation offers rare access to the creative lineage behind a historic moment in Philadelphia in anticipation of the world premiere of his new play, Wilderness Generation at Philadelphia Theatre Company.

This is not a talkback. It is an opportunity to see the architecture beneath the art.

Join us for an intimate and necessary conversation about craft, courage, and the long road from imagination to production.

Special Pre Event for $125!

5:30 PM Reception Honoring Nancy Boykin

Limited Availability! Join us at 5:30 PM for a private intimate reception celebrating PlayPenn Board President Nancy Boykin’s return to the stage and meet our 2026 Conference Playwrights. The reception will be held across the street from the Wilma Theater; the address will be provided closer to the event. Then stay for the 7:30 PM conversation with James Ijames, Nancy Boykin, and Kimberly S. Fairbanks. Your ticket includes:

• Premium reserved seating in Center Row A

• Invitation to a private pre event reception with drinks and light hors d’oeuvres

• 2 drink tickets to use during the post-show reception

• Recognition in the event program and on the event webpage

• Partially tax deductible contribution supporting PlayPenn

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The private reception is made possible by the generous donation of space by Linda and David Glickstein.

Current and Upcoming Productions by James Ijames

• James Ijames Citywide Pass

• Good Bones at Arden Theatre Company

• The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington at Wilma Theater

• Wilderness Generation at Philadelphia Theatre Company

Unable to Attend? Make a Donation to PlayPenn Today

• Support the long arc of artistic development.