Lantern Theater Opens Philadelphia Premiere Of Hare’s THE BREATH OF LIFE

Lantern Theater Company continues its 2009/10 season with the Philadelphia Premiere of The Breath of Life, a gripping story about intimacy and betrayal penned by influential British playwright David Hare. 

Frances, a successful author, takes the late ferry to a remote cottage on the Isle of Wight 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.

With The Breath of Life, the Lantern returns to the work of David Hare, author of the Lantern's 2008 Barrymore Award-winning production of Skylight. While Hare is often celebrated for his sprawling political plays, The Breath of Life reflects his recent interest in taut, personal plays that focus on character and storytelling. In the Lantern's small theater where actors and audience share the same intimate space, The Breath of Life becomes a voyeuristic pleasure as conflicts erupt and secrets are revealed.

Previews begin Thursday, February 4, Industry Opening is Friday, February 12 at 8pm, and the closing performance is February 28, 2010. Tickets are $20-$35 and are available online at www.lanterntheater.org  or by phone at 215.829.0395. $10 student rush tickets are available ten minutes before curtain with valid ID; cash only. Date Night Flex Packages are also available through February 15 for Valentine's Day gift-giving, and include four flex passes, dining discounts at over 40 local restaurants, ticket exchange privileges, and more.

The cast features two strong local actresses in Ceal Phelan as Madeleine Palmer (three-time Barrymore nominee for Six Characters in Search of an Author, Have It Your Way, and My Mother Never Said I Should at People's Light, where she has served as a Company Member since 1980) and Cheryl Williams as Frances Beale (theater faculty member at Temple University making her Lantern debut; regional credits include Act II Playhouse, Mauckingbird Theatre Company, and Temple Theaters).

The creative team includes a team of accomplished local designers: set designer Dirk Durossette (2008 Barrymore nomination for Skylight at the Lantern; other Lantern credits include Hamlet and QED), costume designer Mark Mariani (Lantern credits include The Hothouse and the upcoming Henry IV, Part I; recently named "designer of the season" by The Berkshire Eagle; 2006 and 2003 Barrymore nominations for Dreamgirls and Pal Joey, respectively, at the Prince), lighting designer Thom Weaver (Lantern debut; 2009 Barrymore nominations for Scorched at The Wilma Theater and American Buffalo at Theatre Exile), and sound designer Christopher Colucci (2009 Barrymore nomination for The Hothouse at the Lantern; other Lantern credits include Sizwe Bansi Is Dead, The School for Wives, and The Hothouse; 2008 Barrymore Award for Suburban Love Songs at 1812 Productions).

Founded in 1994 by Charles McMahon and Michael Brophy, Lantern Theater Company has emerged as one of the most successful nonprofit regional theaters in the Philadelphia region. The Lantern Theater Company is committed to an authentic and intimate exploration of the human spirit in our choice of classics, modern, and original works. We create an innovative and stimulating theatrical experience that evokes thoughtful reflection and discussion long after the play ends.

The Lantern commits itself to being a vibrant, contributing member of its community. To that end, each season the Lantern produces four mainstage productions, a variety of special events, and Illumination, the Barrymore Award-winning 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 audience enrichment series of lectures, discussions, and symposia. Philadelphia Weekly named the Lantern "Best Theatre Company" in 2008, describing the Theater's selection of plays as "impressively diverse in genre and style." Since the inception of the Barrymore Awards in 1995, the Lantern has received 59 nominations and 13 awards, including the 2009 Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service.

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