"This play about a strange family in some kind of post-apocalyptic bunker does hit a bit different in America in 2026, and some of the lines take on even sharper meaning. Even if you struggle with Beckett, there are plenty of arresting flares of language and character to enjoy in this play, plus dark laughs."
"Endgame was a fantastic depiction of the human condition. John Zak and David Bardeen struck the perfect blend of humor and devastation. Their characterizations were rich and powerful. Truly a relevant play for our times."
"IRC's Endgame fearlessly leans into the hilarity and grotesqueness of the end of life, allowing us to laugh at the absurdity of human existence and reflect on what we owe to one another as human beings. Tina Ann Brock clearly has a great sense of this play's timelessness, and allows it to shine without attempting to unnecessarily "update" it for a contemporary audience."
"The performances and direction of this classic Beckett play created a powerful and timely piece of theatre."
"Humanity on the brink of extinction. No, not today’s news but Beckett’s Endgame is handled with top notch directing and a brilliant cast."
"…shines in showing how fragile and even surreal our family roles can be..."
"As Fannie, Brock gives a deceptively layered performance."
"John Zak is fully embodied as the genius poet and loving father slipping in and out of his own mind."
"Kirsten Quinn’s Mags is full of yearning and grace. Her need for approval is grounded, never shrill or petulant."
"...brilliant, unflinching performances that tie us to their real-life counterparts as I’ve never seen before."
"I'm willing to venture that this material has never seemed so lucid, or emerged with such sweet poetry, as it does here."
"...leave it to Tina Brock and her mighty little Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium to choose to bring The Two Character Play to absurd life once more, and to make us feel all the crazy, despairing desperation it contains."
"The actors, consummate veterans, are ridiculously sublime... top of the line designers—sound, scene, lighting, costume, who know what they’re doing..."
Watching THE TWO-CHARACTER PLAY (OUT-CRY) by Tennessee Williams
“The Eccentricities of a Nightingale is a brilliant cabinet of curiosities.”
“…outrageous mayhem, incorrect and hilarious…” “Sex! Violence! More sex! More violence! IRC’s hilarious production of Christopher Durang’s Betty’s Summer Vacation is a total hoot.”
“...this powerful reappraisal of Come Back, Little Sheba will live on in your memory long after the lights go up. Think you know William Inge? Think again.”
“It's not that way, it's over here...a wonderfully immersive experience...increasingly ridiculous and heightening stakes are a masterclass in comedic scene work...”
“…tragic…hilarious…political…psychological…absurd…People laughed. People cried. Mostly we just sat wide-eyed and amazed.”
“...a sublime trip through the ridiculous... zany, intrepid company…”
“...daring little company…”
Many thanks to everyone who came out to see Endgame during the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, making it one of the most successful productions in our history!
Up Next: Full Moon Rallye 81 Scavenger Hunt
Sunday, October 25th
Part scavenger hunt, part walking tour of the city: feed your curiosity and help raise funds for the IRC!
TICKETS ON SALE SOON
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Celebrate 20 Years of The IRC!
As we celebrate the IRC’s 20th anniversary in 2026, all of us at the Consortium want to extend our heartfelt thanks. For two decades, your enthusiasm for adventurous, seldom seen theatrical work has made it possible for us to bring absurdist and unconventional stories to life here in Philadelphia. We would not be here without your generous support and good humor.
This year we were delighted to share Painting Churches by Tina Howe with you. This production reminded us why we began the Consortium 20 years ago: to celebrate the quest for understanding life and its challenges. None of us expected a time in which the word “absurdism” would become part of daily conversation, yet here we are. It has been our pleasure to explore these bold voices and the complex human truths they illuminate, and to offer audiences experiences that are joyfully strange and rare. Your continued, spirited response has reaffirmed our commitment to this mission.
As we look ahead to 2026, we are planning to celebrate works that honor the IRC’s history while also exploring what “absurd” means in today’s world. To make this possible, we are asking you to consider making a gift in support of our upcoming anniversary season. Your contribution, at any level, helps us secure the resources needed for artist compensation, production design, rehearsal space, and all the elements that allow our unique brand of theatre to thrive.
If our work has inspired, challenged, or entertained you over the years, we hope you’ll consider a donation. Together we can continue bringing rare and remarkable theater to Philadelphia audiences.
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