Philadelphia Theatre Company Launches Citywide Campaign to Support Sanitation Workers

Philadelphia Theatre Company is celebrating essential workers and literally talking trash throughout the run of their Co-World Premiere of Lindsay Joelle’s The Garbologists. PTC is supporting the unsung heroes of the pandemic with a free performance special for sanitation workers and their families on Thursday, November 11th at 2:30. Starting the same day, PTC will launch a citywide campaign to encourage residents to support their sanitation workers through the distribution of 10,000 #supportsantiationworkers stickers for recycling and garbage bins. These will be available through local civic associations, at special events, and at the PTC box office. The sticker used exclusive artwork from noted local artist Alloyius Mcilwaine, who is also creating and debuting five original art pieces using Philadelphia city recycling bins as a canvas. The pieces will be on display in the PTC lobby and auctioned off during the run of the show. The artwork will be available for viewing in the front windows of the Suzanne Roberts Theatre lobby starting on opening night. The company is also partnering with Terrill “Ya Fav Trashman” Haigler and supporting several organizations around the city who are hosting trash related events. Ya Fav Trashman will be part of a special talkback on Sunday, November 14th, after the 3:00 pm performance. Admission to the talk-back is free with the purchase of a show ticket. The Garbologists runs from November 11th to December 5th, with opening night set for November 17th. All performances will be held at PTC’s home at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA.

“What's important about The Garbologists is that it dramatizes the story of not only the essential workers we didn't realize were so, well, essential to our lives and comfort, but also that it reveals the stories that our refuse tells about us,” said PTC Producing Artistic Director Paige Price. “It's more than ‘one man's trash…’ It's that we have become a throwaway society in too many ways. As countries gather to talk about our climate crisis, it's hard not to look at the masses of garbage we create. It's not the main theme of the play, but you can't help but think about it.”

PTC will be working closely with Terrill "Ya Fav Trashman" Haigler to revive and promote the hashtag #supportsantiationworkers from summer 2020, which Haiger started himself and scaled amidst all of the issues around proper PPE for sanitation workers in Philly etc. The hashtag will be on “bin stickers'' distributed throughout the community and are intended to be a visual show of appreciation and support (starting Wednesday, November 17th). Haigler is also speaking at a post-show conversation on November 14th. Anyone with a ticket to any performance of The Garbologists can attend the 4:30 discussion. Haigler has a theatre background. He studied acting and dance at Freedom Theatre, and graduated from Creative and Performing Arts High (CAPA) in 2007 as a dance major. He has danced with Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble and formerly taught dance for the Philadelphia School District.

“The reason I'm so excited for this play is that it magnifies the human side of sanitation workers,” said Haigler. “It makes you realize sanitation workers can be cool too. The Philadelphia Theatre Company has done an absolutely wonderful job of displaying real life scenarios that sanitation workers deal with. My hope is that this play touches Philadelphia the way it touched me.”

PTC is using artwork by Philadelphia native Alloyius McIlwaine who has contributed to over 100 murals in the Philadelphia region for its season. His artwork can be found here: /www.alloyiusmcilwaineart.com. For this show, McIllwaine will create original art on five Philadelphia City recycling bins. They will be promoted on Instagram and displayed in the lobby of the theatre beginning on Opening Night (Wednesday, November 17). The bins will be auctioned off throughout the run of the show.

PTC will be creating and circulating a #supportsantiationworkers sticker to civic associations as well as to community partners such as FABSCRAP and the Neon Museum of Philadelphia, which just opened an exhibition on The Art of Crafting from Trash. The general public can also stop by the PTC Box Office at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre during box office hours (12-6pm Monday through Friday and Saturday and Sundays through December 5th, for a free trash and recycle bin sticker starting on Opening Night and through the rest of the run.

Additionally, Haigler is helping PTC create a Resources/ How Can I Help? page on the PTC website that gives context to the hashtag, as well as tips on how to best support sanitation workers. Content will be continually updated and includes everything from: places to support and donate, a how-to on tipping workers, tips on how to properly dispose of hazardous items to make it more safe for the workers. There will also be a PTC staff volunteer cleanup day in conjunction with Haigler’s organization (@Trash2Treasure on Instagram).

For a full list of PTC and other related events, see below.

Philadelphia Theatre Company Events:
Special Performance for Sanitation Workers
Thursday, November 11th, 2:00pm
Philadelphia Theatre Company has a free invited performance of The Garbologists for Philadelphia Sanitation workers and their families.

Talkback With Terrill “Ya Fav Trashman” Haigler
Sunday, November 14th, Post 3:00pm performance of The Garbologists
Philadelphia Sanitation Superstar Terrill "Ya Fav Trashman" Haigler will join PTC Producing Artistic Director and City Theatre’s new Co-Artistic Director Clare Drobot on stage after the show to talk about his job and his organization Trash2Treasure.

Sanitation Sticker Kick-Off
Wednesday, November 17th, 12:00pm-6:00pm

Philadelphia Theatre Company will begin distribution of the stickers at the box office and throughout the city on this day, starting at the box office from 12:00pm-6:00pm
Photos of the Cast at RAIR Philly on Display in Lobby and Facing Broad Street

Wednesday, November 17th
Exterior/ Interior vinyl photos of the cast of The Garbologists at RAIR Philly will be on display inside and outside of the theatre. RAIR Philly (RAIRphilly.org) seeks to create awareness about sustainability through art & design.

Trash, Recycling and Upcycling Events Across Philadelphia:
Neon Museum of Philadelphia
Now Through December 19th
Alchemy Illuminated: “The Art of Crafting from Trash” - a show by artists of Philadelphia’s Dumpster Dive Collective
www.neonmuseumofphiladelphia.com/news/alchemy-illuminated

A very special group show from Philadelphia’s Dumpster Diver art collective, Alchemy Illuminated is part of Philly’s annual CraftMONTH, in which CraftNOW showcases the city’s craft and making scene through a series of events surrounding the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show. Formed 29 years ago, the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers are a found object art collective. The #SUPPORTSANITATIONWORKERS stickers will be available here.

RAIR Philly Trash Bash
Wednesday, November 10th
www.rairphilly.org/trash-bash-2021
RAIR Philly’s Annual Fundraiser & Art Auction the Trash Bash returns to in-person the day before The Garbologists kicks off previews

FABSCRAP Opening at Bok
Monday, November 15th
https://fabscrap.org/philadelphia
This Brooklyn based textile reuse and recycling resource for creators opens to the public at Bok.

Individual show tickets are now on sale for The Garbologists starting at $35. Subscriptions to the Philadelphia Theatre Company 2021-2022 season are also on sale now. The three-show subscription package runs $72-114 per person. PTC also continues its 10Tix program with the support of PNC Arts Alive, and this year those who identify as essential workers, including sanitation workers, first responders, healthcare heroes, and front line workers will receive special advance access to a reserved set of 10Tix for each performance as thanks for their bravery and perseverance during the pandemic.

Tickets, subscriptions and more information can be found online at www.philatheatreco.org or by phone at 215-985-0420. Connect on social with Philadelphia Theatre Company at @philatheatreco on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT THE GARBOLOGISTS

Honoring our essential workers, Philadelphia Theatre Company welcomes audiences back to the Suzanne Roberts Theatre for in-person theatre with a hopeful story about finding common ground in the most uncommon places. PTC is thrilled to kick-off its 2021-2022 season with the Co-World Premiere of Lindsay Joelle’s The Garbologists, from November 11 to December 5, 2021, with opening night on Wednesday, November 17th. This timely and relevant Co-World Premiere with Pittsburgh’s City Theatre, features a white, conservative, proud union member and a Black, liberal, ivy-educated newbie who just joined the sanitation route. When they find something on the curb too valuable to throw away, they’re forced to re-evaluate each other and accept each other on their own terms. Directed by Brooklyn-based Estefanía Fadul, The Garbologists stars Bensalem native Ngozi Anyanwu, making their Philadelphia region debut, joined by Philadelphia favorite Steven Rishard.

In the story, Danny is a white, blue-collar mansplainer hiding a heart of gold. Marlowe is a Black, Ivy League-educated newbie who just joined his route. When these two polar opposites are thrown together on Marlowe’s first day at the city sanitation department, they’re forced to find a steady rhythm, despite their differences. This odd couple starts their 6:00am shift trading barbs, one-upping each other and practicing the secret art of mongo: hunting for treasure in the trash. Somewhere along the route Danny slowly earns Marlowe’s trust by sharing hard-earned tricks of the trade. As Marlowe and Danny’s lives become increasingly entwined, their initial bickering gives way to a reluctant bond over the broken, beautiful things people discard in the trash.

For research for the production, the playwright went into the actual streets and back alleys of America with sanitation workers from around the county. The Garbologists garnered several accolades ahead of its World Premiere, including an Ensemble Studio Theatre/Sloan Science and Technology Commission, 2020 Kilroys List, 2019 Kilroys List Honorable Mention, and a Susan Smith Blackburn Nomination

ABOUT PHILADELPHIA THEATRE COMPANY

Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) is a leading regional theater company that produces, develops, and presents entertaining and imaginative contemporary theater focused on the American experience.

Founded in 1974, Philadelphia Theatre Company has presented 201 world and Philadelphia premieres. More than 50 percent of PTC’s world premieres have moved on to New York and other major cities, helping to earn Philadelphia a national reputation as a hub for new play development. In 2007, PTC was instrumental in expanding Philadelphia’s thriving cultural corridor by opening the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts.