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With a name like “Swim Pony,” one can only expect fun and eccentricity. And that’s just what Swim Pony Performing Arts offers when it comes to theater.
A finalist for the 2012 Knight Arts Challenge, Swim Pony presents original and experimental drama pieces in some of Philadelphia’s most intriguing spots.
“We had an idea for the live theater experience that speaks to all people,” its Artistic Director Adrienne Mackey said. “People, especially young people, have notions about drama that simply aren’t true. Drama isn’t boring. When young people go to a rock concert or a theme, it’s all about being loud and not knowing what to expect. So we figured we could make our drama like that — more active, and interactive.”
With hopeful funding from the Knight Arts Challenge, Swim Pony will continue performing three of its hits, each one in a different location.
Mackey, a resident of Fifth and Mifflin streets, has overseen the successful completion of Swim Pony’s Philly Fringe hits, including 2006’s “The Ballad of Joe Hill,” “The Giant Squid” in ’08 and “SURVIVE!” in ’10. The plays merge science with drama, exploring humanity and its journeys and relationships with the universe.
“SURVIVE!” invited audiences to explore science, human life and the universe in a quirky way. Working with video game programmers to learn how to engage audiences with unique and interactive content, Mackey and her team created a theatrical experience like none other. Audience members wandered through 20,000 square feet of Center City’s The Wolf Building to discover questions and answers to science, choosing their own adventures as they moved through different live exhibits.
“The Ballad of Joe Hill,” an eerie tale of legendary union leader and inmate Joe Hill, was presented in an entire Eastern State Penitentiary cell block.
“Traditional theater space limits the way people interact with the performance,” Mackey said. “People think that theater happens in two or three parts of the city and that it’s only for certain people. The spaces we use for performances give audiences more options to appreciate drama.”
Philly’s dedication to the arts attracts talents interested in doing funky works, Mackey, a graduate of Swarthmore College, said.
“Swim Pony wants to open the door for an adventurous approach to art in general,” she said.
Other finalists:
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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