From an original idea by Dito van Reigersberg
Featuring the Music of Aimee Mann
Directed by Eva Steinmetz
Music Direction & Arrangements by Alex Bechtel
Pig Iron Theatre Company’s Poor Judge returns to the Wilma! An original work of dance-theater cabaret born from the music of alt-rock iconoclast Aimee Mann and dreamed up by Philadelphia’s beloved Dito van Reigersberg, this live music mixtape is part spy story, part woeful tale of lost loves, and part Hollywood audition—all performed by a local supergroup of actor-musicians. Through vignette and song, Poor Judge offers glimpses of an inviting, seductive Los Angeles and its shadow: the frightening underbelly of the American Success Story. Be prepared for a night of lonely California highways, movie theater breakups, and sly acoustic re-imaginings of Aimee Mann’s haunting catalog.
SHOW DETAILS
Poor Judge runs January 13-25, 2026 at The Wilma Theatre, (265 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19107).
REVIEWS
“The music takes on new shades of meaning—the dreams, the breakups, the multitudes of years. Upon relistening, the songs are not the unaffected pieces they once were, nor simply vessels for the intervening memories, but a distinct third thing. A convergence, of sorts, in the middle distance between artist and listener.” —Broad Street Review
“In a show that posited ideas about artifice and illusion in Hollywood, van Reigersberg’sperformance was so brazenly open and honest, that is tripped away all artifice and stood in direct opposition to the harsh ideas the show was exploring, to masterful effect. —Philadelphia Inquirer
Barrymore-Nominated
Our 2024 premiere of Poor Judge has been nominated for nine Barrymore Awards this October!
Huge congratulations to the performers, crews, and creative teams!
POOR JUDGE (FringeArts | The Wilma | September 2024)
- Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
- Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
- Outstanding Direction – Eva Steinmetz
- Outstanding Leading Performance in a Musical – Dito van Reigersberg
- Outstanding Music Direction – Alex Bechtel
- Outstanding New Work – Eva Steinmetz & Dito van Reigersberg
- Outstanding Lighting Design – Maria Shaplin
- Outstanding Media Design – Mike Long
- Outstanding Sound Design – Chris Sannino
