Press Release provided by Quintessence Theatre Group.
QUINTESSENCE THEATRE PRESENTS THE AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION OF THE RETURN OF BENJAMIN LAY BY NAOMI WALLACE & MARCUS REDIKER
The one-man show is inspired by the life of radical revolutionary Benjamin Lay, an 18th-century Pennsylvanian Quaker who advocated for the abolition of slavery in the American colonies
Philadelphia, PA | On May 1, 2025, Pennsylvania history comes to life in a new play at Quintessence Theatre Group (Quintessence) (7137 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19119) titled The Return of Benjamin Lay by playwright, screenwriter and poet Naomi Wallace and University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History, Marcus Rediker. Presented as a co-production by Quintessence and New York’s Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company, the one-man play starring stage and screen actor Mark Povinelli is inspired by the true story of an 18th-century Quaker man, born a dwarf in Copford, England who emigrated to America and settled in Abington, Pennsylvania. Lay lived his life as an activist revolutionary who fought and advocated for the abolition of slavery in Colonial America. Directed by Ron Daniels, The Return of Benjamin Lay runs from May 1 to 18, with 15 performances on stage at Quintessence Theatre at the Sedgwick.
It’s 2025. In the silence of a Quaker meeting house, Benjamin Lay (Mark Povinelli) – a shepherd, sailor, radical, and the British Empire’s first abolitionist – returns from the grave almost 300 years after his death, as feisty and unpredictable as ever. The four-foot “David” confronts the “Goliath” of slavery as he demands once again to be readmitted into the Quaker community that disowned him for ideas considered dangerous and disruptive. How far will he go to share his prophetic vision knowing the cost of protest?
Sweeping across the centuries and continents, The Return of Benjamin Lay is an honest and powerful exploration of the life of a radical who became one of the earliest revolutionary abolitionists. The play was first performed at the Finborough Theatre in London in 2023, produced by Arsalan Sattari Productions. It was hailed as “an important groundbreaking play” by Closeup Culture, while Broadway World praised star Mark Povinelli for delivering a ”riveting performance” as the titular radical Quaker. The rolling U.S. premiere co-production of The Return of Benjamin Lay is currently running at Playhouse Creatures Theatre in New York from March 14 to April 6 before it comes to Quintessence in May. The production appeared at Quantum Theatre in Pittsburgh from January 31 – February 23 of this year.
“Philadelphia is a city steeped in history, and some know stories of the local little person who put on anti-slavery protest theater on the streets of colonial Philadelphia by covering himself in blood. Others have heard of the little Quaker who called out Ben Franklin for not joining the abolitionist movement,” shared Quintessence’s Producing Artistic Director Alex Burns. He added, “At a time when protest and civil disobedience fills our campus and town squares, Quintessence is honored to welcome Mark Povinelli and The Return of Benjamin Lay to share the extraordinary life of one of America’s first activists and change makers, a Philadelphian who risked all by standing in opposition to the leaders of his country and his Quaker faith to insist upon life and liberty for all.”
Prior to his performance in The Return of Benjamin Lay, Povinelli was most known for his historically acclaimed performance as Torvald Helmer in the Obie Award-winning production of Mabou Mines Dollhouse (St. Ann’s Warehouse and International Tour) as well as the premiere of Martha Clarke’s Belle Epoque (Lincoln Center) in the lead role of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. His previous stage credits include productions presented at the Shakespeare Theater, Radio City Music Hall, and UCLA Live. Povinelli has numerous film credits, with featured roles in Nightmare Alley, Water For Elephants, Mirror Mirror, The Hot Flashes, and My Dinner With Hervé. He became the first little person cast as a series regular on the network sitcom Are You There, Chelsea?, and has guest star credits on several notable TV shows, including Modern Family, Criminal Minds, Boardwalk Empire, Charmed, and Happyish. As a noted social activist, in 2017, Povinelli was elected President of Little People of America, which promotes awareness, advocacy, and medical assistance for individuals with forms of dwarfism. Mark served in that capacity and in 2020 was reelected to a 2nd 3-year term.
The two co-writers behind The Return of Benjamin Lay have both earned outstanding accolades and awards for their respective work. Naomi Wallace’s plays have been produced in the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and the Middle East, and has received numerous awards including the MacArthur Award, Obie Award, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Fellowship of Southern Writers Drama Award, Horton Foote Award, Arts and Letters Award in Literature, and the inaugural Windham Campbell Prize for Drama. She previously worked with fellow The Return of Benjamin Lay co-writer Marcus Rediker on her play The Liquid Plain.
A writer and historian, Rediker is the Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh. His “histories from below,” including The Slave Ship: A Human History, have won several awards, including the George Washington Book Prize, and have been translated into 18 languages worldwide. He is the author of The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist (with David Lester and Paul Buhle) and Prophet Against Slavery: Benjamin Lay, A Graphic Novel. Rediker was also the producer for the prize-winning documentary film Ghosts of Amistad, directed by Tony Tuba.
The co-production is directed by Ron Daniels, who was named Honorary Associate Director after 15 years of directing many productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has directed productions at numerous theatre companies across the U.S., including the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge (where he formerly served as the Associate Artistic Director), the Public Theatre in New York City, and the Old Globe in San Diego.
Daniels leads a creative team featuring Scenic Designers Patrick Blanchard and Riccardo Hernandez, Costume and Props Designer Isobel Nicolson, Movement Director Bill Irwin, Lighting Designer Yichen Zhou, and Sound Designer John Leonard.
TICKETING INFORMATION | Follow This Link to Purchase Tickets
The Return of Benjamin Lay runs from May 1 to 18, and opens on Saturday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. All performances take place at the historic Sedgwick Theater (7137 Germantown Avenue), a flexible black box theater. The play has a 70-minute runtime with no intermission and is recommended for audiences ages 10 or older.
General Admission tickets start at $50, with Premium seats available starting at $60. Multiple discounts, Group Sales, event details, and information are available at QTGREP.ORG or by calling the Box Office at 215-987-4450.
Public and street parking is available throughout the Mt. Airy neighborhood.
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
Quintessence is hosting a variety of special programming and performances to further engage audiences around The Return of Benjamin Lay, including:
Two Post-Show Convos: Thursday, May 1, after the 7 p.m. performance and Sunday, May 4, after the 3 p.m. performance – The Return of Benjamin Lay co-playwright and award-winning historian Marcus Rediker and actor Mark Povinelli join the audience for a post-show conversation.
Opening Night and Book Signing: Saturday, May 3, at 7:30 p.m. – Co-playwright and author Marcus Rediker will be present to sign copies of his book The Fearless Benjamin Lay – The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist; ($22) and the graphic novel, Prophet Against Slavery, illustrated by David Lester with Marcus Rediker and Paul Buhle ($16). Quintessence supports independent booksellers and is in partnership with 50 Watts Bookstore of Chestnut Hill.
Meet-the-Artist: Thursday, May 8, at 7 p.m. – Stay after the performance for a discussion with the star of The Return of Benjamin Lay, and enjoy the conversation and Q&A moderated by Quintessence Director of Education, Adam Pelta-Pauls.
Pay-as-Led Night: Thursday, May 15, at 7 p.m. – In Friends tradition, Pay-as-Led is a way of acknowledging that wealth is not distributed evenly among Quakers. You may determine your own ticket price for this performance.
LPA Meet-the-Artist: Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m. – Stay after to meet the star of the show, Mark Povinelli. This evening celebrates Mark and Little People of America (LPA). Everyone is welcome!
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About Quintessence Theatre Group:
Founded in 2010, the award-winning Quintessence Theatre is dedicated to bringing epic works of classic drama and literature to the contemporary stage. As Philadelphia’s text-based, actor-focused repertory theatre, Quintessence re-envisions the classics to inspire our community to consider what is essential in theatre and in human nature. Quintessence is now in its 15th season at the Sedgwick Theater in Philadelphia’s Northwest neighborhood of Mt. Airy, and is led by Producing Artistic Director Alex Burns and Executive Director Erica Ezold. The company has recently purchased the historic Sedgwick Theater with ongoing plans to preserve and renovate it.
Quintessence at The Sedgwick Theater
7137 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19119
BoxOffice@QTGrep.org
215-987-4450
About Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company:
Since 2009, PCTC has produced eighteen Main Stage productions, seven new works series, forty-five staged readings (including John Guare’s original work, More Stars There Are In Heaven, Griswold in NYC w/ Annette Bening and in London w/ Martha Plimpton), four Tennessee Williams festivals, a World Premiere of a Tennessee Williams play, and several NYC premieres. PCTC has won and been nominated for twenty-two theatre awards. Playhousecreatures.org, @playcreatures
About Arsalan Sattari Productions:
Since 2012, Arsalan Sattari Productions has commissioned, developed, licensed, and produced shows by world-class artists, to critical acclaim and commercial success, within the London fringe, West End, and festivals. They are interested in new writing, UK and European premieres, historical plays, and characters rarely portrayed on stage. They are proud to have built a reputation of producing top acclaimed American playwrights in the UK. Arsalan is an Honorary Associate Producer at the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre, London, and Creative Director and CEO of StageBlock, working with some of the most renowned talents and global institutions to bring performing arts into the wider art market.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is not affiliated with the production but is sharing this information with the PYM community for awareness.
