InVersion Theatre excavates and liberates found and foundational texts, transforming them into raucous, unrecognizable new theatrical experiences.
An outdoor, socially distanced audio play and sound walk.
work.
about.
InVersion Theatre was founded in 2011 by Johnny Lloyd and William Steinberger in Philadelphia, PA; Rebecca LeVine joined up in 2012. (Go ahead—read all about us, and our friends!) Incubated within UPenn's iNtuitons Experimental Theatre, InVersion plays with, puts pressure on, and occasionally pummels the idea of capital-A Adaptation. Starting with an existing and often overdetermined text, we create weird, genre-bending work, that remixes the orthodox with the avant-garde.
Between 2011 and 2014, InVersion produced four full length works in Philadelphia, all directed by William Steinberger and produced by Johnny Lloyd: Dutchman by Amiri Baraka in 2011; Miss Julie by August Strindberg, and SHEPARD/BECKETT, a night of one-acts by Sam Shepard and Samuel Beckett, in 2012; and Owners by Caryl Churchill in 2013. In 2014, InVersion collaborated with Philadelphia composer Marc LeMay on Mirroring Sky: An App-Play, which took participants on a guided listening tour through the streets of Philadelphia, as part of Philadelphia FringeArts.
2015 brought big changes to InVersion: we moved our nexus of activity to New York City. In conjunction with the New York International Fringe Festival, we produced In the Woods We Return, a world premiere by our own Johnny Lloyd. In the spring of 2016, we presented Gregor, an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” written by William Steinberger and brought to life through several months of workshops and readings. In 2018, we produced the first round of We Read Books, a night of brand new short plays by different playwrights, inspired by a classic text selected by InVersion. And in 2020, we brought the world premiere of Johnny Lloyd's Or, An Astronaut Play to The Tank.
On the horizon? More We Read Books; an audacious adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, set in the venture capital scene of Silicon Valley and co-created with composer Andrew Underberg; and an all-new app-play, set amidst the enchanted wilds of Brooklyn's Prospect Park.
We’re here to challenge expectations and make great, weird work. See you at the show!
press (selected).
"Or, An Astronaut Play is a Venus-sized theatrical piece which provides Jupiter-sized pleasure."
-Joe Lombardi, BroadwayWorld
"Or, An Astronaut Play [...] raises important questions about America's ostensible meritocracy, and it does so through the compelling lens of four well-drawn individuals looking for a place in the universe. So buckle in with these four would-be cosmic travelers: the internet said so."
-John R. Ziegler and Leah Richards, Thinking Theater NYC
"Inner monologues, role changing, puppetry, and gender reversal make for a rich, layered theatrical rainbow cake [...] [William Steinberger] has orchestrated a really freakish circus sideshow, inciting compulsive viewing."
—Jacquelyn Claire, "Off-Broadway Review: 'Gregor' at Access Theater," NY Theatre Guide
"In The Woods We Return sticks with you like a memory, blurring, shifting, and reforming with each new examination."
—Emily Cordes, Theatre Is Easy
"Inspired by the poetry of Wallace Stevens and the streets of our city, the self-guided soundscape is essentially a romantic stroll for one through Philly's pathways."
—Marquesa Rotuski, "11 Things to Do This Weekend," Philadelphia Magazine
"I have to hand it, though to William Steinberger [...] who stages this Miss Julie."
—Howard Shapiro, "Miss Julie: A Strindberg Classic in a Philly Townhouse," Philadelphia Inquirer
donate.
Our work happens thanks to you.
In order to produce quality work, InVersion Theatre relies on the generous support of donors large and small. Support can come in any number of ways: donation of goods, donation of money, and donation of time. All three are crucial to our organization's survival.
If you're interested in making a financial contribution: thank you! We are incredibly grateful, and no gift is too small. Donating is easy: we have partnered with Fractured Atlas, a 501(c)3 organization that specializes in fiscal sponsorship. This means that all donations to InVersion Theatre are tax exempt. To donate online, just click the button.
If you prefer to send a check, please contact Johnny Lloyd, Producing Director, at inversion@inversiontheatre.com for mailing details. Please make the check out to Fractured Atlas, with "InVersion Theatre" in the memo line.
InVersion Theatre is a fiscally sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a nonprofit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of InVersion Theatre must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.