It was supposed to be a nice, civilized dinner party for a happy couple after having their first child. What could possibly go wrong?
Pier Players Theatre Company is putting a lot on its plate in serving up a new comedy called “Big Babies” that takes the stage at the Bob & Selma Horan Studio Theatre inside the Arden Theatre Company’s Hamilton Family Arts Center in Old City.
Pier Players Theatre Company was established in 2022 and involves several South Philly residents at its core. It’s coming off a successful April run of I think We’re Lost at South Philly’s Theatre Exile. Now, they are tackling a stretch of performances from Oct. 2-11. The show is written by Kate Brennan and David Lee White and directed by Deborah Lynn Meier.
At the center of the chaos are Janus and Troy, a seemingly happy couple hosting their first adults-only dinner party since becoming parents. They are hoping for a sophisticated evening with grown-up conversation, good food and, presumably, nobody needing a diaper change.
Instead, the evening takes a startling turn. The adults begin to unravel, eventually devolving into the “Big Babies” they apparently were all along.
“I am thrilled to be back with Pier Players directing Big Babies,” Meier said. “What drew me to the piece is how it balances humor with the struggle of finding your identity after becoming a parent. David and Kate have written this play and these characters in a hilarious way that, at the same time, feels incredibly real.”
White is no stranger to Pier Players. He was the book writer and co-creator of The Angry Grammarian, which performed at Theatre Exile and earned the company its first Barrymore Recommendation in 2024. His comedy Etiquette earned the company a second Barrymore Recommendation in 2025.
Pier Players Artistic Director Chelsea Cylinder, who also plays Janus Hendricks, said the show has plenty of the ridiculous behavior audiences expect from a farce, but there is more going on underneath all the yelling, one-liners and general mayhem.
“This show has everything you’d want in a riotous romp, and it also does something unique,” Cylinder said. “While being a fast-paced comedy, Big Babies also manages to give a thoughtful and insightful look into parenthood and what it means to start a family in today’s world. But it does so through constant laughs and extremely clever dialogue. The script is filled with nonstop great one-liners and absurd hijinks. We loved it from the minute we read it, and we can’t wait to share it with our audiences.”
The cast includes Jeffrey Barg as Troy Sutton, with Vanessa Torres, Nico Montalvo, AJ Ruger, Angie Scholl and Nina Vitek also appearing. Pier Players considers Big Babies its ninth theatrical production.
Performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3, 2 p.m. Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, 8 p.m. Oct. 9 and 10, and 2 p.m. Oct. 11.
Tickets are $15-$30. The Bob & Selma Horan Studio Theatre is at 62 N. 2nd St. ••
