It’s no secret that Philly has an explosive arts scene. But it can be difficult to get your turn in the spotlight. So new production company is helping to give playwrights a chance for their works to come to life.
Lemonade Stand is taking a do-it-yourself approach to its rough-around-the-edges production style.
“It's no frills, just show up and get the kind of thing that you need – in and out, quick and enjoyable,” said Lemonade Stand founder A.J. Bloomfield said. “And so it's low stakes. It's punchy, it's vibrant, it's just lemonade. It’s homemade.”
Bloomfield graduated just last spring from Drexel University with a degree in entertainment production and design. While it may seem ambitious to start a production company straight out of college, Bloomfield is no stranger to taking a leap of faith. Having originally studied mechanical and electrical engineering, Bloomfield took a step back and asked himself: “Well, what do I really want to focus on?”
Turns out it was stage production. Lemonade Stand’s origins are in a senior capstone project in which students had to produce a full-length play, taking it from page to stage with readings, workshops, and a weeklong run at Plays & Players Theatre near Rittenhouse Square.
“It made me realize just how many incredibly talented people are in Philly post-graduation, in this weird middle ground between collegiate theater and training for their actual careers,” Bloomfield said.
Bloomfield was inspired to help place talent in Philly’s arts community. He joked that it used to be that everyone graduated from the University of the Arts and then started their own theater company – but then the pandemic interrupted that trajectory and the University of the Arts closed. This upheaval underscored the need for a space like Lemonade stand.
“Being able to create that community and create opportunities for early career artists especially — and while you're doing that create some new work and say some new things and see some shows that no one's ever seen before — is definitely a privilege,” Bloomfield said.
So what kind of productions can you expect from Lemonade Stand? “It's not going to be as polished a finished product as you're going to get at these regional theaters, but you're going to get the new kids on the block coming and serving up something that they think is really cool and interesting,” he said.
“Welp.” was the first production in Lemonade Stand’s debut season. (Courtesy of Izidor Peterson)
Lemonade Stand is now nearing completion of its debut season, which had three main productions.
“Welp.: An Accident in Three Parts” took to the stage for four nights this past March at Horan Studio Theatre. The one-act play by Liv Hershey is a dramedy following the lives of four friends as life throws obstacles in their paths. In May, two nights were dedicated to showcasing three short plays in progress, with selections and excerpts from local upcoming playwrights.
The last production to close out the season is “Girlfails," which represents a full circle moment for Bloomfield since that was the play he produced as part of his senior capstone project. Written by Liv Shoup, the play follows two West Philly roommates navigating life’s failures. It’s inspired by the team’s own experiences of transitioning into life post-college and getting through “these really stupid wrenches that are thrown at you,” from grad school and job searches to relationships.
“[It’s] all these very simple problems that everyone goes through, but it's fun to dramatize and make fun of it,” Bloomfield said. “The catalyst was making something that was about this period of life and accepting failure and finding your kind of family through that. It's very much made in a way that you're supposed to see yourself on stage, and that's really comforting.”
Lemonade Stand is already committed to four productions for the next season.
“I don't want the Lemonade Stand to become the next regional theater in Philly; I'm not trying to make it into something that is not,” Bloomfield said. “Our personal goal with the Lemonade Stand is to create a home for this community of new work and of new artists, and eventually ... find some successors and find a home that it can live in more permanently, and let it continue to grow past us.”
If you’re interested in showcasing your work, reach out to Lemonade Stand here.
Tickets to Lemonade Stand’s productions are $20 for the general public, and $15 for students and industry professionals. “Girlfails” will run at Theater Exile from July 10 to 19. Tickets can be purchased online here.
