Jasper Deeter formed the Hedgerow Theatre company in 1923. Though seemingly self-isolated in the small and intense community of theater workers he had gathered, his work as a director,  actor, visionary and longtime acting teacher had a profound affect on shaping Philadelphia's - and America's - theater for years to come.

In this show we interview theater historian Barry Witham about his 2013 book A Sustainable Theatre: Jasper Deeter at the Hedgerow, and then bring listeners along on a guided tour of Hedgerow Theatre campus in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania.

Check out this blog post with historical images of Jasper Deeter, plus photos from our visit to the Hedgerow in August 2022, on our website!
https://www.aithpodcast.com/blog/photos-of-the-hedgerow/

The Hedgerow Theatre's website can be found here: https://www.hedgerowtheatre.org/

On Sunday, June 29th, the author and podcaster Peter Schmitz will be appearing at the Brookline Books stall at the 2025 American Library Association annual conference and exhibition at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

If you’re a librarian - or a fan of libraries - and are coming to the ALA in Philly this year, please be sure to stop by and say hello!

Support the show

"Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia" the BOOK can be ordered from independent bookstores and at all online book retailers now!

To order our book via Bookshop.org - GO HERE

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© Podcast text copyright, Peter Schmitz. All rights reserved.

℗ All original voice recordings copyright Peter Schmitz.

℗ All original music copyright Christopher Mark Colucci. Used by permission.