SUMMER, 1976 to Open Lantern Theater Company's Season in Philadelphia
Grace Gonglewski and McKenna Kerrigan star in the drama at St. Stephen's Theater in Center City Philadelphia.
Lantern Theater Company opens its 2026/27 season with Summer, 1976 by David Auburn, the award-winning author of Proof. Led by guest director Kate Galvin, the production features Grace Gonglewski in her Lantern debut and McKenna Kerrigan returning to the Lantern stage.
Summer, 1976 runs Thursday, September 10 through Sunday, October 11, 2026, at St. Stephen's Theater in Center City Philadelphia; a complete schedule of performances and audience enrichment events is included in the fact sheet below. Theater critics and members of the press planning coverage are invited to request press tickets for opening night on Wednesday, September 16 at 7 p.m. by contacting Emily Wilson at ewilson@lanterntheater.org.
Set against the backdrop of America's Bicentennial summer in Ohio, Summer, 1976 follows the unexpected friendship between Alice, a free-spirited academic wife, and Diana, a driven and self-critical artist. When their paths cross through their young daughters, an arrangement of shared childcare gradually deepens into a transformative friendship. Despite coming from different worlds, Alice and Diana find in each other a rare kind of recognition that offers escape from isolation, routine, and the societal expectations of motherhood. Yet beneath their growing bond, questions of marriage, ambition, and personal fulfillment begin to surface, testing the limits of their trust. David Auburn's poignant and humorous drama captures a fleeting but defining encounter between two women whose lives are altered long after the summer fades.
'David Auburn's beautiful and subtle play encourages us to lean into the shades of grey that we find in ourselves and each other,' said director Kate Galvin. 'Alice and Diana are unlikely friends who leave an indelible impression upon one another, and I'm thrilled to be working with Grace Gonglewski and McKenna Kerrigan to bring these rich characters to life.'
Lantern Theater Company will explore the world of Summer, 1976 on its Lantern Searchlight on Medium, available online at lanterntheater.org/searchlight. Articles will be published throughout the production's run, including background on the play, its themes, and behind-the-scenes conversations with the artists.
Tickets for Summer, 1976 are $31 – $49 and are available online at www.lanterntheater.org or by calling the Lantern Box Office at (215) 829-0395. Discounts are available for students, theatergoers under age 30, seniors 65 and up, U.S. military personnel, and groups of 10 or more. All performances will take place at St. Stephen's Theater, located at 923 Ludlow Street in Center City Philadelphia.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
David Auburn is a Tony Award– and Pulitzer Prize–winning American playwright, screenwriter, and director best known for his play Proof, which he also adapted for the screen. His other plays include The Adventures of Augie March (Court Theatre, Chicago, 2019), Lost Lake (Manhattan Theatre Club, 2014), and The Columnist (Broadway, 2011). His film credits include The Girl in the Park, which he also directed, as well as Georgetown and The Lake House. A graduate of the University of Chicago and Juilliard's playwriting program, where he studied with Marsha Norman and Christopher Durang, Auburn is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. His work is recognized for its intellectual depth, strong characterization, and exploration of complex human relationships.
ABOUT THE LANTERN ARTISTS
Summer, 1976 will mark Kate Galvin's Lantern directorial debut. She is a Barrymore Award-winning director with regional directing credits that include 11th Hour Theatre Company, Fulton Theater, Pittsburgh CLO, Portland Stage, Walnut Street Theatre, Weston Theater Company, and others. Galvin previously served as the Artistic Director of Cardinal Stage and Constellation Stage & Screen in Bloomington, Indiana, and she currently serves as the Casting Director for Constellation Stage & Screen. She is a graduate of NYU (Vocal Performance, Musical Theater) and Goldsmiths, University of London (Producing for Musical Theater).
Summer, 1976's cast includes Grace Gonglewski as Alice (Lantern debut; theater credits include 1812 Productions, Arden Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Folger Theatre, Fulton Theatre, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon, Walnut Street Theatre) and McKenna Kerrigan as Diana (Hapgood).
The creative team for Summer, 1976 includes scenic designer Chris Haig (Lantern debut; theater credits include Arden Theatre Company, EgoPo Classic Theater, Inis Nua Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, People's Light, Theatre Horizon, Theatre Exile), Costume Designer Natalia de la Torre (An Iliad, Informed Consent), lighting designer J. Dominic Chacon (Lantern debut; theater credits include Azuka Theatre Company, EgoPo Classic Theater, Walnut Street Theatre), and sound designer Elizabeth Atkinson (Blues for an Alabama Sky, Faith Healer). Lantern Artistic & Education Associate Talia Speak will serve as assistant director, alongside Stage Manager Maya Nguyen-Haberneski.
ABOUT LANTERN THEATER COMPANY
Founded in 1994 and now in its 33rd season, Lantern Theater Company's mission is to produce plays that investigate and illuminate what is essential in the human spirit and the spirit of the times. The Lantern serves the Greater Philadelphia region with award-winning productions and education programming, notably partnering with middle schools and high schools in the Philadelphia School District to provide in-classroom residencies in support of curricular learning. The Lantern became a national leader in streaming theater during the Covid health crisis, producing ten fully designed plays that were created and filmed in the company's resident home at St. Stephen's Theater, garnering coverage in national media including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and reaching more than 30,000 people in 15 countries and all 50 states.
Following Summer, 1976, Lantern Theater Company's 2026/27 season continues with The Weir, Conor McPherson's masterful and haunting exploration of storytelling, directed by Matt Pfeiffer (Press Opening: Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 7 p.m.); Hamlet, William Shakespeare's timeless tragedy of revenge, morality, and madness, directed by Lantern Artistic Director Charles McMahon (Press Opening: Wednesday, February 10, 2027, at 7 p.m.); and the Philadelphia premiere of Wild With Happy by Colman Domingo, a vibrant and deeply moving journey through grief and self-discovery (Press Opening: Wednesday, May 12, 2027, at 7 p.m.). More information is available online at www.lanterntheater.org.
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