James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room is now Barrymore Recommended & extending (again!) due to demand! Woo-hoo, and thank you Philly!! www.quintessencetheatre.org

Word is out – Mark Povinelli as Benjamin Lay “plays the radical activist with verve and vigor!” And we’ve only got a few tickets left — most remaining shows have already sold out! Don’t sleep on this one, folks!

“[Mark] Povinelli balances Lay’s unapologetic radicalism with earnestness and levity; at times breaking the fourth wall like a stand-up comedian and prompting responses from the audience.” From your mouth to God’s ears, @inquirer.com! 📜 📸: @rebeccajmichelson.bsky.social

Take a look at this crew!! 🥰 Our friends, @broadwaybekahchica.bsky.social and @shamrockenroll on IG, joined us Friday night for another fantastic performance by @markpovinelli.bsky.social in The Return of Benjamin Lay.

Friends, could we be blushing any harder?! The Chestnut Hill Local’s Hugh Hunter wrote a stunning review of The Return of Benjamin Lay, now on stage. Read the full review now: chestnuthilllocal.com/stories/the-return-of-benjamin-lay-is-a-fiery-call-to-conscience,36682

Our actor Mark Povinelli in Benjamin Lay’s cave in Abington, PA where the radical abolitionist lived for years. Join us for our play, *The Return of Benjamin Lay*, at @quintessencephl.bsky.social through May 18. www.quintessencetheatre.org/thereturnofb...

We are here for this standing O!! 👏 Our strictly limited run of The Return of Benjamin Lay continues through Sunday, May 18 – and tickets are going fast. Don’t miss this, Philly!

Honestly, we haven’t stopped smiling since reading Alix Rosenfeld’s review of The Return of Benjamin Lay for Broad Street Review! Read Alix’s full review of Mark Povinelli’s award-winning performance now: www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/quin...

We 100% stan artist and activist @quakerpirate.bsky.social. His gorg print honoring Benjamin Lay's radical empathy can be seen IRL before or after a performance of The Return of Benjamin Lay in our companion art exhibition. Don't miss it!

We had a wildly enthusiastic opening of *The Return of Benjamin Lay* last night at the @quintessencephl.bsky.social in Philadelphia, after which the audience cheered Mark Povinelli and did not want him to leave the stage! The play runs through May 18. www.quintessencetheatre.org/thereturnofb...

I am thrilled to say that our very own Mark Povinelli has been nominated for a prestigious New York Drama Desk Award for "Outstanding Solo Performance" in *The Return of Benjamin Lay*. Congratulations, Mark! The play continues at @quintessencephl.bsky.social in Philadelphia through May 18. Join us!

First performance is HERE! Don't be left out. Check out our opening weekend schedule of shows, book signings, and free events below for The Return of Benjamin Lay: 📆 Thurs, May 1– 7pm 📆 Fri, May 2– 7:30pm 📆 Sat, May 3– 2pm 📆 Sat, May 3– 7:30pm 📆 Sun, May 4– 3pm 📸: @rebeccajmichelson.bsky.social

It is entirely appropriate that on this Mayday our play, *The Return of Benjamin Lay*, should have its first public performance at the @quintessencephl.bsky.social in Philadelphia! Here through May 18; join us! And have a happy international workers’ day! www.quintessencetheatre.org/thereturnofb...

Why not get a jump start on our semiquincentennial with The Return of Benjamin Lay!? Celebrate Philly's history with a story almost no one knows. Our strictly limited run begins TOMORROW to May 18. Secure your tickets before they run out! Tap here: quintessencetheatre.org/thereturnofbenjaminlay

Hot off the presses! @phillyvoice.com's Kristin Hunt sat down with our leading man, @markpovinelli.bsky.social, to share his take one of our very local heroes – you may have never heard of – Benjamin Lay. Read the full story: www.phillyvoice.com/return-of-be...

Philly is all about history, but The Return of Benjamin Lay isn't just for history buffs. 🙅‍♀️ We're Ben fans because he fought injustice, went up against the powers, and ignored all the doubters. Sound like Philly? 📸: @rebeccajmichelson.bsky.social

Here is another preview of our play, *The Return of Benjamin Lay*, which will be staged at the @quintessencephl.bsky.social May 1-18. Please join us and help spread the word to people in and around Philadelphia! billypenn.com/2025/04/24/s...

"Are you... willing to go to jail for conscience?" –The Return of Benjamin Lay 🎟️ Performances: May 1 to May 18 📸: Robert Boulton

The Return of Benjamin Lays stars veteran of the stage and screen, Mark Povinelli. For 70 straight minutes, Mark commands the stage as Benjamin Lay, transporting the audience to his 1700s world. 📸: Robert Boulton

Here is our first preview for the opening of *The Return of Benjamin Lay* at Quintessence Theatre (@quintessencephl.bsky.social) in Philadelphia May 1 — a play “for the moment! www.phillyvoice.com/return-of-be...

Eager to learn more about our protagonist before you see The Return of Benjamin Lay on our stage? We support local indie booksellers! 📸: @rebeccajmichelson.bsky.social

Who was Benjamin Lay, you ask? He was a 4ft “David” who confronted the “Goliath” of slavery – years before mainstream abolitionists arrived on the historic scene. 📖 📸: Robert Boulton

2025. In the silence of a Quaker meeting house, Benjamin Lay – shepherd, sailor, revolutionary, and the British Empire's first revolutionary abolitionist – returns from the grave almost 300 years after his death, as feisty and unpredictable as ever. 📜 📸: @rebeccajmichelson.bsky.social

Our journey in NYC has officially ended, but the story doesn’t stop there! 🎭 Don’t miss the next iteration of THE RETURN OF BENJAMIN LAY starring Mark Povinelli, playing @quintessencephl.bsky.social in Philadelphia, PA from May 1 to May 18. 📸: @rebeccajmichelson.bsky.social

"A brilliant testament to Quintessence Theatre’s prowess in staging Porter’s works—especially ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ with its humorously tangled romantic dynamics—is their ability to bring energy and flair to the production." 💋 @metrophilly.bsky.social @visitphilly.bsky.social