Lantern Theater Company Announces Additional Performances and Extension of MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION

Lantern Theater Company's twenty-third season-opening production of George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession has been extended to meet audience demand and will now close on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016. The following performances have been added:

Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m.

Shaw's scathing comedy on social hypocrisy and the excesses of capitalism has played to sold out houses since its first public performance at the Lantern on September 8. In this, its first professional staging in Philadelphia in a generation, the Lantern's production of Mrs. Warren's Profession proves that Shaw's timely themes still resonate - with audiences and theater critics alike. Heralded by Philadelphia magazine's David Fox as "a play done too rarely," he writes that the Lantern's "highly enjoyable and gripping version should be seen." Writing for Talkin' Broadway, Cameron Kelsall agrees: "Shaw ably weaved his sociopolitical ideas into the tapestry of finely wrought, endlessly interesting dramatic situations. This is on perfect display in Lantern Theater Company's excellent production. It crackles with kinetic energy from the first moments onward, and still feels unabashedly contemporary. Mrs. Warren's Profession has not been seen in Philadelphia for over 25 years, and we should be glad that it's back. It feels as contemporary as if it were written yesterday." And in DC Metro Theater Arts, Tim Dunleavy wrote that the Lantern's production is "positively lively and dynamic" and "hasn't lost its power to astonish."

The cast has also been unanimously applauded for its ensemble of strong performances, including Mary Martello in the towering title role of Mrs. Kitty Warren, David Bardeen as Mr. Praed, Andrew Criss as Sir George Crofts, Daniel Fredrick as Frank Gardner, Claire Inie-Richards as Vivie Warren, and John Lopes as Reverend Samuel Gardner.

Tickets for all added performances of Mrs. Warren's Profession go on sale today for $33 - $42 and are available online at www.lanterntheater.org or by calling the Lantern Box Office at (215) 829-0395. Student tickets are $15 in advance; $10 student rush tickets are available 10 minutes before curtain with valid ID. Discounts are also available for theater professionals ($10 in advance or at the door), seniors 65 and up, groups of 10 or more, and U.S. military personnel. Five-play subscriptions and season flex packages are also available starting at $95. Lantern Theater Company is located at St. Stephen's Theater, 10th & Ludlow Sts. in Center City Philadelphia.

About Lantern Theater Company

Founded in 1994, Lantern Theater Company entered the 2016/17 season with a record number of subscribers, its largest-ever operating budget at $1.3 million, and a growing community of theater artists engaged in its productions and audience enrichment events. In 2015, the Lantern launched the Lantern Theater Artist Fair Pay Initiative, a pioneering program to increase the compensation of its contract theater artists by 50% over the prior season. The Lantern seeks to be a vibrant, contributing member of its community, exposing audiences to great theater, inviting participation in dialogue and discussion, engaging audience members on artistic and social issues, and employing theatrical language and techniques to enrich learning in the classroom. Since the inception of the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre in 1995, the Lantern has received 94 nominations and 19 awards. The Lantern's 2016/17 season continues with An Iliad, adapted from Homer by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare (November 10 - December 11, 2016), Informed Consent by Deborah Zoe Laufer (January 12 - February 12, 2017), Coriolanus by William Shakespeare (March 9 - April 16, 2016), and The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord (June 1 - July 2, 2017). More information is online at www.lanterntheater.org.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Online: www.lanterntheater.org

By Phone: (215) 829-0395

In Person: Lantern Box Office, 10th & Ludlow Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19107

TICKET PRICING:

Tickets are $33 - $42

Students: $15 in advance

Student Rush: available 10 minutes before curtain for $10

Industry tickets: $10 in advance or at the door

Discounts also available for seniors, military, and groups of 10 or more

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:

Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on September 27 and October 4 and 11

Wednesday at 2 p.m. on September 21 and 28

Wednesday at 7 p.m. on September 21 and 28, and October 5 and 12

Thursday at 7 p.m. on September 15, 22, and 29, and October 6 and 13

Friday at 8 p.m. on September 16, 23, 30, and October 7 at 14

Saturday at 2 p.m. on September 24 and October 8

Saturday at 8 p.m. on September 17 and 24, and October 1, 8, and 15

Sunday at 2 p.m. on September 18 and 25, and October 2, 9, and 16

CLOSING:

Sunday, October 16 at 2 p.m.

PERFORMANCE VENUE:

St. Stephen's Theater, 10th & Ludlow Sts., Philadelphia, PA 19107

PARKING/TRANSPORTATION:

Ample parking is available at nearby lots and garages, including The Autopark at Jefferson (10th & Ludlow Sts.) and LAZ Parking (10th & Chestnut Sts.). Metered street parking is available during posted hours. Venue is also accessible by taxi, SEPTA buses and trains, and the PATCO Highspeed line.

ACCESSIBILITY:

Open captioned performance on Friday, September 23 at 8 p.m.

PLAY SYNOPSIS:

Philadelphia legend Mary Martello plays the title role in George Bernard Shaw's scathing comedy on social hypocrisy and the excesses of capitalism. Mrs. Kitty Warren worked her way out of the London slums and now lives abroad, having provided her daughter Vivie with the education and means to grow into a smart, independent young woman of strong convictions. When Mrs. Warren returns, they discover that neither is the woman each thought she knew.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

In Conversation with Mark Blyth: George Bernard Shaw - Theater, Economics, and Social Justice - TONIGHT!

Lantern Theater Company and the Fels Institute of Government partner to host political economist Mark Blyth on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, at 6 p.m. on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Presented in conjunction with the Lantern's production of Mrs. Warren's Profession, Blyth will explore the play's economic themes in this one-hour program moderated by Lantern Artistic Director Charles McMahon; an audience Q&A will follow. Members of the press are invited to attend. Admission is free to the general public, but reservations are requested by visiting www.lanterntheater.org or by calling the Lantern Box Office at (215) 829-0395.

Shaw Primer with Dramaturg Meghan Winch - NEW!

Mrs. Warren's Profession dramaturg Meghan Winch presents an entertaining pre-show lecture about all things George Bernard Shaw at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 28

Lantern Pub Night

Lively conversation over a complimentary pub beverage immediately following 8 p.m. performances on Friday, September 23

Artists in Conversation

Post-show discussions with the artists following 2 p.m. performances on Wednesday, September 21; Sunday, September 25; and Wednesday, September 28

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