Lantern Theater Co Announces 2009-10 Season

Lantern Theater Company recently announced its 2009-10 Season which includes Happy Days, by Samuel Beckett (September 24 – October 18, 2009), Scapin, by Molière, adapted by Bill Irwin and Mark O’Donnell (December 3, 2009 – January 3, 2010), The Breath of Life, by David Hare (February 4-28, 2010), and Henry IV, Part 1, by William Shakespeare (April 1 – May 2, 2010).

Since the Lantern's first ever production of Beckett's Waiting for Godot in 1994, the company has built a reputation for approaching major works in new ways. Fans of the absurd, as well as those that seek out more conventional drama, won’t want to miss our Happy Days, Beckett’s groundbreaking character struggle to maintain cheerfulness in the face of ridiculous difficulties. Winnie, the optimist against all odds, fights for survival in this surprisingly funny, affecting production perfect for the Lantern’s intimate space. David O’Connor, the Barrymore-nominated director behind “Master Harold”…and the boys, The Lonesome West, and The Government Inspector, directs Happy Days which runs September 24 through October 18, 2009 with the official press opening on September 30, 2009.

The second show in the Lantern’s season will be Molière’s Scapin. Adaptors Bill Irwin (The Happiness Lecture) and Mark O’Donnell soak Molière’s sharp-edged comedy in Vaudevillian clownery! This offbeat re-imagining of the classic puts Molière’s s famous servant Scapin at the center of an inventive interaction between actors and puppets. Scapin is directed by Aaron Cromie, known as a performer, director and puppeteer from projects such as The Foocy, BFG, The Fantasticks , and The Comedy of Errors. EnJoy Serious silliness in a production stuffed with pretty young lovers, revenge plots, chase scenes, slapstick and spoofery, live music, and lots of theater magic for the entire family. Scapin will run from December 3 – January 3, 2010, with the official press opening on December 9, 2009.

The Lantern triumphantly re-introduced playwright David Hare to Philadelphia with our talked about, Barrymore Award-winning Skylight in 2008. With The Breath of Life, experience again Hare’s intimate, electrifying writing in this unexpected love triangle. Frances, a successful author, takes the late ferry to a remote island to find Madeleine, a retired curator, near-recluse…and her ex-husband’s mistress. Frances is chasing a story—the same story Madeleine might be running from. Eavesdrop on two witty, sexy women of a certain age as the night unfolds its secrets and they discover a shared past. This Philadelphia premiere will be directed by Kathryn MacMillan, Lantern’s Literary Manager and director behind The Hothouse, The School for Wives and QED, and will run from February 4 – February 28, 2010 with the official press opening on February 10, 2010.

Closing the Lantern’s season will be Henry IV, Part 1, the gripping, ripping plot from Shakespeare’s history canon. Twisted with guilt, King Henry abuses the very noblemen who helped him steal the throne, and his volatile manner ignites a powerful rebellion that threatens civil war. Leading the king’s ambitious enemies is the dazzling young Hotspur, while Henry’s own son, Prince Hal, is getting drunk with lowlifes and the fat knight Falstaff. If Hal can defeat Hotspur he’ll prove his worth to the kingdom, setting the stage for the epic battle that puts the men head-to-head and sword-to-sword. Charles McMahon, Lantern’s Artistic Director, will direct Henry IV, Part 1, which runs April 1 – May 2, 2010, with the official press opening on April 7, 2010.

For the 2009-10 Season, four-play subscription packages are available for $72-$160, with discounts for students and seniors. The Lantern continues to offer its À La Carte flexible package, four tickets to be used in any combination during the season, for $128 for adults and $120 for students and seniors. Single tickets will be available beginning August 1, 2009 for $20-$35. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased online at www.lanterntheater.org or by calling 215-829-0395. All performances are held at St. Stephen’s Theater, 10th and Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia, PA.

Founded in 1994 by Charles McMahon and Michael Brophy, Lantern Theater Company has emerged as one of the most successful professional theaters in the Philadelphia region. Lantern Theater Company is committed to an authentic and intimate exploration of the human spirit in its choice of classic, modern and original works.

The Lantern commits itself to being a vibrant, contributing member of its community. To that end, each season the Lantern produces four main stage productions, a variety of special events, and Illumination, the Barrymore nominated education program designed to engage local students and adults alike in the world of theater and nurture their own artistic expression. This program reaches the Greater Philadelphia area in four vital ways: outreach in area schools, matinee performances for students, training teaching artists for after school programs, and our In Conversation audience enrichment series of lectures, panel discussions, and artist talkbacks for each production of our season.

Lantern Theater Company has been in residence at St. Stephen's Theater at 10th & Ludlow Streets in Center City Philadelphia since 1996, managing the performance space and developing it into an affordable multi-purpose performing arts venue. Since the inception of Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre in 1995, the Lantern has received 12 awards and 54 nominations, including nominations in 2006, 2007 and 2008 for the Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service Award. Philadelphia Weekly named the Lantern Best Theatre Company for the 2007-08 Season, calling the company’s selection of plays “impressively diverse in genre and style”.

The 2009-10 season at Lantern Theater Company marks the company’s 16th year of creating high-quality professional theater in Philadelphia.

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