FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2008

Lantern Theater Company furthers its mission to evoke thoughtful reflection and discussion long after the play ends with an extended audience enrichment series for the company's production of Othello. Audience members will have an opportunity to gain insight into the production process, context and themes through the Lantern's variety of discussions, lectures and a symposium during the run. This special events series begins Monday, March 24 before Othello begins previews on Friday, March 28. All events are held at St. Stephen's Theater in Center City Philadelphia.

LECTURE SERIES

Shakespeare in Discussion: Othello
This four-part panel discussion series brings audiences together with the Northeast region's top scholars across several disciplines to discuss the themes, contexts, and world of Shakespeare's Othello. Events will be held Monday evenings at 7pm. Funded in part by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.

March 24, 2008
Othello: Psychology of the Outsider
This discussion explores Othello's relationship to the Venetian state and the psychological qualities that make the general vulnerable to Iago's plot. With John-Paul Spiro, specialist in the cultural impact of Shakespeare's work, and George James, clinical psychologist.

March 31, 2008
Iago: Psychology of the Sociopath
This discussion dissects Iago's behavior from both a literary and clinical perspective. With Michael Bridges, Director of the Emotion and Psychotherapy Research Center at Penn's Council for Relationships, and Kristen Poole, author of Figures of Nonconformity from Shakespeare to Milton. Also featuring actor Peter Pryor (Iago).

April 7, 2008
Venus & Mars: The Myth of the Perfect Match
This discussion, featuring Othello scholars and married couple Ron Levao and Susan Wolfson, examines the forces that drive Othello and Desdemona, and ultimately drive them apart. Also featuring actress Mary McCool (Desdemona).

April 14, 2008
The Narcissism of Empire: Othello's Venice, Elizabeth's England, Our America
This discussion addresses the political issues that make Othello such a powerful and relevant tragedy, not only for the audience of Shakespeare's time, but for our own. With Darlene Farabee, scholar of Renaissance drama and criticism, and Charles McMahon, director of Othello.

Admission is $10 per lecture for single ticket buyers or $25 for the whole series. Subscribers and Students can attend each lecture for just $5. Tickets can be ordered online at www.lanterntheater.org or by calling the Box Office at 215.829.0395.

MEET THE ARTISTS
Thursday, April 3, following the 7pm performance
Wednesday, April 9, following the 2pm performance

New for the 2007/08 season, this post-show event features members of the Othello cast and creative team onstage in dialogue with the audience. This event is free to all Othello ticket holders.

DIRECTOR'S DISCUSSION
Friday, April 9 at 7pm

A pre-show conversation with Othello director Charles McMahon and the Lantern's Literary Manager Kathryn MacMillan. Free for all ticket holders for the production, this event includes complimentary refreshments from Whole Foods Market. This event is free to all Othello ticket holders.

SYMPOSIUM - Directing Shakespeare: Lovers, Tempests, and Kings
Saturday, April 19, following the 2pm performance

Join Artistic Director Charles McMahon for a journey through the process of bringing Shakespeare's greatest characters to life, from imagination to opening night! Hear the stories behind productions such as Othello, Richard III, and The Comedy of Errors, and get the inside scoop on our 2008/09 season finale! This event is free to all Othello ticket holders, with a suggested donation of $5 to all other patrons.

Press are invited to attend any audience enrichment event by calling 215.829.9002 x106 to reserve seats.

Othello begins previews on Friday, March 28, 2008 with an opening on Wednesday, April 2. The closing performance is scheduled for Sunday, May 4, 2008. Tickets are $15-$35, with discounts for students, seniors, and groups of 12 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at www.lanterntheater.org or by calling the Box Office at 215.829.0395. All performances are held at St. Stephen's Theater, 10th and Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia, PA.

About the 2007/08 Season
The 2007/08 Season at the Lantern has seen the highest attendance in company history. The mainstage season featured Martin McDonagh's The Lonesome West, Moliere's The School for Wives and David Hare's Skylight, all of which were extended due to critical and popular demand. The Lantern also presented The Screwtape Letters, based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, adapted by and starring Anthony Lawton, for a sold-out, limited engagement run. For tickets and information, please contact the Lantern Theater Company Box Office at 215.829.0395 or visit us online at www.lanterntheater.org.

About the Lantern
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 audience enrichment series of lectures, discussions, and symposia 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 10 awards and 46 nominations, including nominations in 2006 and 2007 for the Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service Award.

The 2007/08 season at Lantern Theater Company marks the company's 14th year of creating high-quality professional theater in Philadelphia.