Anvil of the World: A Halloween Phantasmagoria in Two Acts

Back for an extended run after a sold out performance in 2025, ANVIL OF THE WORLD is an original coming-of-age horror story about industrialization and masculinity in nineteenth century Philadelphia, written and performed by Jeff Joseph Katz and directed by Michael A. Stahler.

Katz reads from the “newly-discovered” letters of Asa Lawler, a young blacksmith’s apprentice living in post-Civil War Elfreth’s Alley. Asa finds himself terrorized by a strange disease — but not his own. And why does he keep finding mysterious pieces of metal under his pillow? In the Gothic tradition of Shirley Jackson and Guillermo del Toro, Katz weaves an eerie tale of men and their machines, accompanied by over eighty original hand-drawn animations.

This show contains some adult language and themes.

Jeff Joseph Katz is a white queer writer, artist, and performer based in Philadelphia, PA. He works across mediums to discover the secret passages between thinking and feeling. www.jeffjosephkatz.com

Michael A. Stahler is a director, writer, actor, dialect coach, and tour guide of Philadelphia history. His directing work has included projects for Cannonball Festival, Wings of Paper Theatre Company, People’s Light, and Drexel University. www.michaelstahler.com