Independent Arts News Reporting A Citywide Celebration of James Ijames Productions Expands to Include Two-Show Options
Reported on Monday, February 16, 2026
Pictured Above: City Wide Pass GOOD BONES. Photo credit: Ashly Smith, Wide Eyed Studios.
NEWSROOM POST: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Three Theaters, one Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, one pass. Pass includes productions at Arden Theatre Company, Wilma Theater, and Philadelphia Theatre Company
Philadelphia, PA – Due to popular demand, The Citywide James Ijames Pass, a multi-theater pass celebrating the work of Philadelphia-based Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-nominated playwright James Ijames, has been expanded to include a two-show option for $90. The new option offers patrons the same benefits as the original pass while bundling tickets for the latter two productions at the Wilma Theater and Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC). The three-show pass is also available for $130 through the end of the Arden Theatre Company’s regional premiere presentation of Good Bones, which recently extended its run through March 22.
Since its launch last October, the Independence Visitor Center has sold over 200 passes and grossed nearly $30,000 in revenue for the theaters. The pass marks the first time three leading Philadelphia theaters launched a multi-theater pass dedicated to a single contemporary playwright. Patrons can purchase the Citywide James Ijames Pass online and in person exclusively at the TKTS Philadelphia ticket booth located at the Independence Visitor Center (599 Market Street, Philadelphia, 19106).
This groundbreaking collaboration offers theatergoers three distinct opportunities to experience Ijames’ artistry across the city. The season began at the Arden with Good Bones, a powerful reflection on community, change, and the soul of our cities. At the Wilma Theater, The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington delivers biting satire and theatrical daring. The season concludes at Philadelphia Theatre Company with the world premiere of Wilderness Generation, a sharp, funny, heartfelt new play about legacy, secrets, and the ties that bind.
Pictured Above: CityWide Pass_L to R – Jonathan Silver, Kishia Nixon, and Akeem Davis. Photo Credit: Contributed.
James Ijames is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated playwright, director, and educator based in Philadelphia. His acclaimed play Fat Ham won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama and was nominated for the 2023 Tony Award for Best Play. Ijames began his career as an actor working in Philadelphia’s rich theater scene, where he later became co-artistic director of the Tony Award-winning Wilma Theater. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Artist, multiple Barrymore Awards, the Whiting Award, two Steinberg Prizes, and the Terrence McNally New Play Award.
Ijames’ works have been produced at leading theaters nationwide and internationally, including Broadway’s American Airlines Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, The Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Exile, Wilma Theater, and even the UK’s Royal Shakespeare Company. According to American Theatre, Fat Ham has been one of the top 10 most-produced shows across the country over the last three years.
“I’m really moved to have my work featured at three theaters in my artistic home of Philadelphia,” says Ijames. “It’s rare that audiences can look at a writer’s canon over time. All three of these plays were written in Philly, and having each play produced by theaters that have had such a massive impact on my career and practice makes this moment very special for me. I’m so honored.”
With an intentionally accessible price of $90 for two shows and $130 for three, The Citywide James Ijames Pass gives theater lovers the chance to follow one of Philadelphia’s most acclaimed playwrights across three iconic stages in a single season. In addition to substantial savings, pass holders will enjoy preferred seating, flexible exchanges, member benefits at all three theaters, parking discounts, and a James Ijames-inspired yellow beanie as an exclusive piece of Philly swag. The two- and three-show Citywide James Ijames Pass are on sale now online or in person, and the beanies can be retrieved at the Independence Visitor Center with proof of purchase.
“Philadelphia’s theater scene is one of the best in the country: bold, original, and deeply rooted in community,” says Maita Soukup, Vice President, Experience and Engagement, Philadelphia Visitor Center. “This exclusive pass is a powerful way to experience it, spotlighting the work of Pulitzer Prize-winner James Ijames across three premier stages. The Visitor Center is proud to offer this unique opportunity for visitors and locals alike to dive into his storytelling and feel the creative energy that makes our city a true arts destination.”
Pictured Above: The Wilma. Photo Credit: Contributed.
The 2025/26 James Ijames Philly Season
Good Bones (Philadelphia Premiere)
Arden Theatre Company (40 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106)
Extended through March 22!
A new sports stadium is being built in the middle of a neighborhood. Aisha returns to her hometown to help the developers revitalize the place she grew up in and starts working with a local contractor with a different vision for its future. This Philadelphia premiere by James Ijames, Pulitzer Prize winner for Fat Ham, is a powerful reflection on community, change, and the soul of our cities.
“How great to be celebrating James Ijames and his extraordinary work with these three productions,” says Terrence J. Nolen, Producing Artistic Director of the Arden. “James is a writer with an international reputation, with deep roots here in this community. Philly audiences love Philly artists, and there is so much pride for James’ success. I hope audiences will come to see all three plays by this hometown hero.”
The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington
Wilma Theater (265 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107)
March 17 – April 5, 2026
Behold the feverish Martha Washington, our first First Lady, on her deathbed, surrounded by the enslaved people poised to claim freedom the moment she dies. In her final hours, she is confronted by a hallucinatory “trial” where she must face her past and the legacy of slavery in the United States. Directed by Wilma HotHouse Company member Brett Ashley Robinson, this spicy satire combines high-stakes clowning, striking imagery, and biting truth.
“James Ijames’ plays are integral to Philly’s theater community and to the Wilma,” says Morgan Green, Lindsay Smiling, and Yury Urnov, Wilma Theatre Co-Artistic Directors. “Our collaboration with the Arden and Philadelphia Theatre Company on this pass is a historic move towards establishing Philly as a top theater town. At the Wilma Theater, we aim to ask questions, to innovate, and to challenge our artists and audiences. These three plays do the same. This pass is a game changer for audience members and a match made in Philly theater heaven.”
Wilderness Generation (World Premiere)
Philadelphia Theatre Company (480 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146)
April 10 – May 3, 2026
Five cousins reunite at their family home in the Tidewater South, where laughter, memories, and long-held secrets collide. In this world premiere, Ijames delivers a sharp, funny, and heartfelt play about legacy, healing, and the ties that bind, whether we like it or not. Wilderness Generation is directed by Philadelphia Theatre Company Co-Artistic Director Taibi Magar.
“We are thrilled to include James’ latest world premiere, Wilderness Generation, as part of The Citywide James Ijames Pass,” said Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky, Philadelphia Theatre Company Co-Artistic Directors. “It’s a tribute not just to Philly’s own Pulitzer Prize winner, but also a way to link together the extraordinary Philadelphia theater community that continues to nurture and inspire him.”
Tickets and Info:
The Citywide James Ijames Pass offers two- and three-show options for $90 and $130, respectively. Purchase online at https://www.phlvisitorcenter.com/james or in person at the TKTS Philadelphia ticket booth at the Independence Visitor Center (599 Market Street, Philadelphia 19106).
About Arden Theatre Company
Arden Theatre Company (40 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106), founded in 1988, is a professional theatre company in Old City, dedicated to bringing to life great stories by great storytellers on the stage, in the classroom, and in the community. To date, the Arden has produced 46 World Premieres. The Arden has developed four distinct educational programs: Arden for All, our in-school arts education program for elementary level students; Arden Drama School, our on-site, tuition-based theatre classes for pre-K through 12th-grade students; Teen Arden, our theatre enrichment program for high school students; and the Arden Professional Apprentice program, a rigorous training program for young theatre professionals. Learn more at https://ardentheatre.org.
About Philadelphia Theatre Company
Founded in 1974, Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) (480 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146) is a vital civic institution creating extraordinary theatrical experiences that reflect the essential issues and ideas of our time. Led by Co-Artistic Directors Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky and Managing Director Margo Moskowitz, PTC performs at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts and has premiered more than 30 new works, while championing countless others through initiatives like the biennial Terrence McNally Award for early-career Philadelphia playwrights. These efforts have helped cement Philadelphia’s reputation as a national hub for new play development. Beyond the stage, PTC engages the community through dynamic education programs and civic partnerships. PTC is a proud member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the national association of the country’s leading professional theatres. Learn more at www.philatheatreco.org.
About the Wilma Theater:
Established in 1979, the Wilma Theater (265 South Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19107), recipient of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre, is a non-profit theater company creating living, adventurous art engaging artists and audiences in imaginative reflections on the complexities of contemporary life. The theater presents bold, original productions representing a range of voices, viewpoints, and styles in order to develop the form and push existing conventions. Many of the roles in the Wilma’s productions are cast from its acclaimed, award-winning resident artists, the HotHouse Company, who meet weekly to train, read plays, and develop their artistry. The organization is currently led by a creative cohort of three co-artistic directors, Morgan Green, Lindsay Smiling, and Yury Urnov, and Managing Director Leigh Goldenberg. In 2024, the Wilma became the first Pennsylvania theater company to receive The Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre. Learn more at www.wilmatheater.org.
About the Philadelphia Visitor Center:
The Philadelphia Visitor Center connects visitors to memorable, authentic, and fun Philly experiences at our four visitor center locations: 6th and Market, City Hall, Love Park, and the Parkway. It facilitates the operation of the Independence Visitor Center, the primary point of orientation for Independence National Historical Park and the official visitor center of the Philadelphia region, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. PVC also operates the Philly PHLASH seasonal public transit service, and The Liberty View, a private event space at The Independence Visitor Center overlooking the Liberty Bell and Independence Mall. For more information, please visit www.phlvisitorcenter.com.
