Arden Theatre Company

"See a play in Old City Philadelphia"

The Arden is a small theatre in the round that offers a lovely family series (2009-10 offerings are Peter Pan and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie). With high-quality performances, it's a great place to introduce children to live theater. We saw the musical Frog and Toad there and were not disappointed (despite high expectations that came with our love for the original cast recording).

Some of the family performances include what the company calls "salons" where the actors and stage manager stay after the performance to answer question, display the scenery, and show the tricks behind the special effects.

The Arden also runs a drama school and has a number of one-day workshops including "Play in a Day" where kids work together to write, rehearse, and then perform a play. If you've got a budding thespian in your traveling group, this might be a great activity for them while you go out and explore other aspects of the city.