Celebrating 20 years of the outstanding artistry and vision of artistic directors Blanka and Jiri Zizka.

WHEREAS, In 1979, Blanka and Jiri Zizka forged a creative relationship with the Wilma Theater as artists-in-residence and won acclaim for their bold, innovative productions, and with a dynamic, physical production style and original musical accompaniment, the Zizkas' original adaptation of George Orwell's

Animal Farm

focused a new spotlight of attention on the Wilma; and

WHEREAS, The Zizkas' assumed artistic leadership of the organization in 1981 and moved the Wilma to a theater on Sansom Street, and within 5 years, the Wilmas' audience had grown dramatically and the theater was operating at nearly 100% capacity. In 1989, as part of the theater's expansion, a new location was identified at the corner of Broad and Spruce Streets on Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, the Wilma Theater opened its new facility on the Avenue of the Arts and in its critically acclaimed first season on the Avenue, the Wilma Theater won 7 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theater and subsequently attendance has doubled to 55,000. The Wilma Theater's artistry has won admiration and attention from critics and audiences alike in Philadelphia and beyond; and

WHEREAS, During the Zizkas' tenure, the Wilma Theater has established a national reputation for producing provocative works, including new international and American plays, as well as premiering Jiri Zizka's original adaptations of classic novels; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby joins the Wilma Theater in celebrating 20 years of the outstanding artistry and vision of artistic directors Blanka and Jiri Zizka.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Wilma Theater and Blanka and Jiri Zizka as evidence of the sincere admiration of this legislative body.

End