People's Light Presents HATCHETMAN, 6/15-7/17

People's Light & Theatre presents Hatchetman, by David Wiltse. It runs June 15 - July 17, 2011 on the Steinbright Stage. Steve Umberger directs. People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org. Hatchetman is supported by Customers Bank.

Hatchetman is a six-character, four door-slamming comedy set in the offices of Putts, a golf magazine headed for corporate takeover. The exceedingly incompetent editorial staff, fearful of change and, most of all, of the dreaded "hatchetman," descends into near hysteria, and office politics shift into high gear.

"Directing at People's Light is more fun than bowling," says Guest Director Steve Umberger. "Really, this will be my third time directing at PLTC, and it's like taking a kind of wonderful working vacation.  It's a real team.  The clarity of mission and purpose is strong and consistent throughout the operation, which makes the rehearsal process productive and fun.  And the presence of a resident company, with its shared history, helps enormously.  You don't have to waste time getting used to each other; you can just do the work, so you can get further along faster than you might otherwise."

A theatre veteran, Umberger has been working on plays for the last thirty years. Previously at People's Light, he directed Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily in 2008 and King Lear in 2010. Both were large-scale, more serious productions on the Main Stage. Hatchetman, a comedy set in the intimate Steinbright Stage, will be a departure from Umberger's previous directing experiences at People's Light.

He says, "It's a chance to work on a contemporary farce, which is a genre that doesn't come along all that often.  Everything is heightened, to the point of silliness, but it's because the characters are reaching for extraordinary things that they desperately want.  It still has to be believable.  You have to buy into it on some realistic level that will make the audience want to take the trip with you.  So the hopes and dreams of the characters have to be very clear and very grounded. It's a challenge." 

"What I like about the play is that under the frantic, funny surface, it's about people who are passionate but are stuck in a less than passionate life," he continues. "They want to do a good job, want to belong to a team, to feel useful, to be better, to love and be loved.  But unlike some, these people take desperate measures to try to make all those things happen."

TICKET INFORMATION
Hatchetman previews on Wednesday, June 15th and Thursday, June 16th at 7:30pm. The play opens on Friday, June 17th at 8pm and runs through Sunday, July 17th. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists after each Thursday evening performance for a conversation about the production.

Single tickets range in price from $25 - $45. For tickets, call the box office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.  For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x134 or email HYPERLINK "mailto:charles@peopleslight.org" charles@peopleslight.org.  Actors, prices, performances dates and times are subject to change.  Additional service charges may apply. Contact the box office for more details. 

9th ANNUAL PEOPLE'S LIGHT CLASSIC
The 9th Annual People's Light Classic, presented by Customers Bank, will take place at the world?class ACE Club located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 27th, 2011. Customers Bank is the event's Title Sponsor this year, as well as the Production Sponsor for Hatchetman. For more information or to register, visit PeoplesLight.org.

THE SCOOP
With this production People's Light continues its program called The Scoop: History, Context, and Gossip, a lively discussion before every performance. Artistic Associate Mary Elizabeth Scallen, who plays the character of Sam, will discuss the world of the play, how and why it was chosen, as well as how it was cast, designed, and rehearsed. Refreshments will be available in the lobby before The Scoop begins and before the performance. The program will start one hour before curtain time and will take place in the theatre. No reservations are necessary.

ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIGHT
People's Light, a professional, not-for-profit theatre in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community.  We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration. Founded in 1974, we produce seven to nine plays each season, in two black box theatres with 350 and 170 seats respectively, mixing world premieres, contemporary plays, and fresh approaches to classic texts for our 6-Play and Discovery Series.