Philadelphia's Wilma Theater kicks off return of Avenue of the Arts

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- After more than a year and a half of dark stages, the curtains will once again rise in Philadelphia.

It all starts Tuesday when the Wilma Theater on the Avenue of the Arts becomes the very first in the city to reopen with a fully-staged production.

"As everyone comes in, the main thing that everyone is going to be thinking is, 'Oh my gosh, we didn't know if we were ever going to get back here and here we are!'" says Suli Holum.

Holum is one of the stars of "Minor Character," a modern remix of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's classic work Uncle Vanya. It's Wilma's first big production during the pandemic.

"We're all just really thrilled," Holum says. "We can't wait to have audiences come and join us for the ride.

During the pandemic, while stages were dark, Holum had a chance to star in the hit HBO TV show "Mare of Easttown," alongside Kate Winslet.

Holum is from the area and hopes this inspires other production companies to bring their crews here to the Delaware Valley.

"It was exciting for the whole community because there were a lot of Philly actors in it, which was really cool," Holum says.

"We hope everyone sees that this is a place to make things, this is a place to shoot TV shows, this is a place to make movies. It's great for our whole community."

"Minor Character" runs through October 24.

Audience members must be fully vaccinated and masks are required.

The Wilma is also streaming the show as well, a pandemic pivot they decided to keep. They want people around the world to continue to view productions and make sure everyone is able to access theater at their comfort level.