PHILADELPHIA — For the final step in its transformation from a two-week festival to a bustling year-round destination for artistic and social engagement, FringeArts will join forces with acclaimed Philadelphia chef/restaurateur Peter Woolsey on a new restaurant project that will bring together cutting-edge performance art and contemporary cuisine in a fresh, vibrant setting.

Woolsey’s brand-new waterfront brasserie, La Peg at FringeArts (140 N. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19106), is set to open in conjunction with the 18th annual Philadelphia Fringe Festival (Sept. 5-21, 2014).

Designed by architect Richard Stokes and Groundswell Design Group under David Fierabend, La Peg will feature 100 interior seats, a full bar with room for 12 and an exterior space with seating for 40. In keeping with the 111-year-old building’s history as an industrial pumping station, La Peg will retain a contemporary industrial aesthetic; a simple, unpretentious feel; and an affordable menu. “People associate ‘brasserie’ with fancy French food,” Woolsey says, “but historically the concept was much more casual: Brasseries began as German-style beer halls that served comfort food and brought people together in an informal, relaxed setting. I’m looking forward to playing off the brasserie’s original intention as a fun, social meeting place.”

“When we were looking for a restaurant partner, we knew we needed real, enticing, delicious food and a vibrant environment for people to gather together,” says Nick Stuccio, FringeArts’ president and producing artistic director, of the collaboration. “We didn’t want the restaurant to be an afterthought — we wanted a partner we could grow with and be dynamic with, and we’re ecstatic to be working with Peter. We’re two separate businesses that complement each other perfectly.”

To that end, FringeArts and La Peg will be programmatic partners as well as neighbors; plans are under way to provide theater-goers and diners alike with a variety of unique, unconventional ways to experience art and cuisine simultaneously.

The restaurant’s name is an homage to Woolsey’s French father-in-law, whose nicknames for his daughters have stuck with the chef. “He calls my wife [local artist Peggy Woolsey] ‘La Peg,’ and my sister-in-law ‘La Minette,’” Woolsey says. “Peggy’s an artist, and this is an artistic venture, so it was a perfect fit.”

FringeArts’ new 10,000-square-foot waterfront building opened to the public in October 2013, featuring a 240-seat theater, rehearsal and creation studio and administrative offices. Once construction on La Peg and its shared outdoor plaza are complete, FringeArts will announce a grand opening celebration, to be held in conjunction with the 18th annual Philadelphia Fringe Festival, taking place Sept. 5-21, 2014.

FringeArts’ performing arts season continues this summer with the multidisciplinary Sun Ra tribute A Beautiful Noise (June 6), a free series of work-in-progress performances by The Berserker Residents (June 8, 15, 22 and 29), monthly Scratch Nights (first Mondays) and much more. For tickets and information, call 215-413-9006 or visit fringearts.com.

ABOUT PETER WOOLSEY

Chef Peter Woolsey has devoted nearly his entire life to French cooking, and is driven by the desire to pay homage to the generations of chefs, French and otherwise, who have come before him. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Woolsey started cooking professionally at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, but a chance to study pastry at Le Cordon Bleu drew him to Paris. He graduated and then took a job at Lucas Carton, where he fell in love with French culture and people (including his future wife). After moving back to Philadelphia, Woolsey worked at Le Mas Perrier and Striped Bass, and then took over as executive pastry chef of Washington Square. But his devotion to French cuisine took the next step when in 2008 he opened his own ode to Gallic cuisine, Bistrot La Minette.

ABOUT NICK STUCCIO

FringeArts President and Producing Director Nick Stuccio’s career in the arts began with an intensive study of classical ballet at Skidmore College, where he also earned a degree in biology. His dedication to the form led to an apprenticeship with the Pennsylvania Ballet and eventually a position as a corps member with the company, where he danced for eight years. At the Ballet, Stuccio danced under the artistic direction of Ricky Weiss, Christopher d’Amboise and Roy Kaiser.

Stuccio retired as a dancer and began producing full-time in 1995. He co-founded the Philadelphia Fringe Festival (now FringeArts) in 1997 and that same year was named “Person of the Year” by Philadelphia Weekly. He was included in Philadelphia Magazine’s 2000 edition of “People to Watch,” as well as Philadelphia Magazine’s 2009 and 2014 “Power Issue” rankings of the city’s most influential people. His many production credits include co-founding Shut Up and Dance, the popular annual benefit that showcases work choreographed and performed by dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet and raises more than $100,000 net every year to benefit the Metropolitan Aids Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA). Stuccio was also the original curator of the Wilma Theater’s Dance Boom series, serving in that role from 2002 to 2005. Other leadership roles include producing two dance films and serving on the Philadelphia Cultural Fund board for the past six years. In 2005, Nick was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the University of the Arts. 

ABOUT FRINGEARTS

FringeArts supports artists and brings the world’s newest and most cutting-edge cultural experiences to Philadelphia, amplifying the vibrancy of the city as a renowned cultural center and an unparalleled place to live, work and visit. Founded in 1997 and formerly known as the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, the organization serves local, national and international artists of all disciplines and levels of achievement through an annual 18-day Festival along with a year-round series of high-quality contemporary dance, theater and music performances; commissioned public art installations; and a residency program that continues to expand and grow as a state-of-the-art incubator for artists. In 2013, FringeArts opened the doors to its brand-new waterfront headquarters in Old City Philadelphia.

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