Topdog/Underdog opens at Arden Theatre Company on Wednesday, November 4, at 7 p.m., and runs through December 13 at 40 N. 2nd Street in Old City. Suzan-Lori Parks won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play, and Amina Robinson directs this co-production with People’s Light.

The run officially begins October 29, a night after the pay-what-you-choose final dress rehearsal, and the Arden has scheduled two talkbacks, two themed nights and two accessible performances across the weeks that follow.

Topdog/Underdog: Two Brothers, Two Actors

The play centers on two brothers, Lincoln and Booth, and it has no other characters. Akeem Davis plays Lincoln and George McGriff plays Booth. Davis is a People’s Light Company Artist and a familiar face at the Arden, where his credits include The Mountaintop, King Hedley II and A Doll’s House, which earned him a Barrymore Award.

McGriff makes his Arden debut. According to his Arden bio, he studied acting at Temple University and has worked at the Wilma Theater and EgoPo Theater, among other Philadelphia companies. Lincoln and Booth share every scene, so the pairing is the production.

Robinson has won three Barrymore Awards for directing and is a Professor of Acting and Musical Theater at Temple University. This production marks her directing debut at People’s Light, and her Arden bio says she is returning to the Arden for it. With a cast of two, she has now staged the same pairing for two different audiences.

^{(L to R) Akeem Davis and George McGriff}

Parks’ Arden bio notes that in 2002 she became the first African American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, for this play. She is also a MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient, and her work on Porgy and Bess was honored with a 2012 Tony Award. She serves as Master Writer Chair at the Public Theater.

The Arden lists a design team that includes David P. Gordon on scenic design, who lists 49 Arden productions in his bio, Leigh Ivory Clark Paradise on costumes, J. Dominic Chacon on lighting and Caroline Eng on sound. Gina Pisasale is the dramaturg, Eli Lynn is the fight director and Matthew Ryan Melchior is the stage manager.

Topdog/Underdog Moves From People’s Light to the Arden

Topdog/Underdog opened the 2026/27 season at People’s Light in Malvern. Performances there run September 16 through October 18 at the Steinbright Theater, with opening night on September 20 and tickets starting at $35. The production then moves to Philadelphia for the Arden run.

Terrence J. Nolen, the Arden’s Producing Artistic Director, and Zak Berkman, People’s Light’s Producing Artistic Director, both commented on the partnership. Nolen said the two theaters worked together on co-productions in the Arden’s early years, so this one picks up an older habit.

Philadelphia theatergoers can make a season of it. The Arden’s current show, Girl from the North Country, plays through October 25, and Topdog/Underdog follows it into the same theater. Both shows come from the Arden’s 2026/27 lineup.

The two productions could hardly look more different. Our look at Girl from the North Country describes a cast of 13 who play their own instruments onstage, while Topdog/Underdog gives the stage to two actors and one story about two brothers. Seeing both is a study in how much a theater can do with very different casts.

Topdog/Underdog: Talkbacks, Special Nights and Accessible Performances

The Arden has built several dates around Topdog/Underdog. A final dress rehearsal on October 28 at 7 p.m. is pay-what-you-choose, with the proceeds benefiting the Urban Affairs Coalition. A student matinee is set for November 24 at 10:30 a.m.

Two post-show talkbacks give audiences a chance to stay and discuss the play, one on Sunday, November 15, at 2 p.m. and one on Thursday, December 10, at 7 p.m. One falls on a Sunday matinee and the other on a Thursday evening, so both weekend and weeknight audiences have a choice.

Young Friends Night, for professionals 40 and under, is November 19 at 7 p.m., and Teen Night is November 21 at 7 p.m. with $15 tickets.

The Arden is also offering open-captioned and audio-described performances on Friday, November 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, November 21, at 2 p.m. Caption Glasses can be reserved for performances starting November 10.

Tickets and subscription information are on the Arden production page, and the box office takes calls at 215-922-1122. Check the page or call for running time and content details before you book, especially if you are planning Teen Night or bringing younger guests.

The run is six weeks, and the special nights spread across it, so there is room to choose the evening that fits. Bring a friend, make it a date or take a teenager who has never seen a Pulitzer winner onstage. Topdog/Underdog is a good reason to come downtown this fall, and the Arden would like to see you there.

About Post Author

Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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