FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2008

Lantern Theater Company is proud to announce its 2008/09 Season, offering a versatile selection of modern and classic works, Philadelphia premieres and original adaptations. Founded in 1994 by Charles McMahon and Michael Brophy, Lantern Theater Company is committed to the intimate exploration of the human spirit by creating an innovative and thought provoking theatrical experience. The upcoming season marks Lantern Theater Company's 15th year of bringing high-quality theater to Philadelphia.

The 2008/09 Season begins with the Philadelphia premiere of Harold Pinter's The Hothouse. Sinister and scathingly funny, this dark comedy unlocks the secrets of a state-run "rest home" where the staff is even more disturbed than the inmates. An early, prescient play from recent Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter, one of the world's greatest living dramatists, The Hothouse combines the razor-sharp dialogue of The Birthday Party – a hit for the Lantern in 2002 – with the agile comedy of Monty Python. Kathryn MacMillan, Lantern Theater Company's Literary Manager and director behind the 2007 hit The School for Wives, directs The Hothouse which runs September 12 through October 12, 2008 with an official press opening on September 17, 2008.

The second show in Lantern Theater Company's season will be the Philadelphia premiere of Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector. When a small town full of bumbling, loony officials hear that a government inspector is paying a visit, they are thrown into a panic! Since its first performance in 1836, this bustling satire from the pen of Russian comedian Nikolai Gogol has resonated with audiences all over the world. This all-new adaptation is an imaginative, madcap theatrical event perfect for ages eight to ninety-eight! David O'Connor, Barrymore nominated director behind "Master Harold"...and the boys and The Lonesome West, directs The Government Inspector which will run from November 21, 2008 to January 4, 2009. The official press opening will be November 25 and the final two weeks of the run will be programmed exclusively with family matinees to reach younger audiences.

From Athol Fugard, South Africa's most celebrated playwright, comes Sizwe Bansi is Dead, a drama as powerful today as in its first performance 35 years ago. Styles, an enterprising photographer, has a small storefront in a Port Elizabeth township. When Sizwe, a migrant worker, comes in to have his picture taken, the two explore issues of image and identity under South Africa's oppressive regime. Both soaring and personal, the play's attack on the dehumanizing laws of the apartheid era resonates with surprising humor and uplifting faith in the human spirit. This Philadelphia premiere will be the third play in Lantern Theater Company's 2007/08 Season and will run from January 30 to March 1, 2009 with an official press opening on February 4. The director and cast for this two-person show will be announced shortly.

Closing the Lantern's 15th Anniversary Season will be Hamlet, Shakespeare's most famous play. Nationally-acclaimed Philadelphia performer Geoff Sobelle (part of the Barrymore-nominated ensemble from The Comedy of Errors at the Lantern, member of Pig Iron Theatre Company, and creator of All Wear Bowlers) takes on the lead role, bringing his dynamic energy to a searing production that plumbs the dark humor of Shakespeare's tragic son. Charles McMahon, Lantern's Artistic Director, will direct Hamlet which runs from April 3 to May 10, 2009 with an official press opening on April 7, 2009.

Lantern Theater Company will also welcome back Anthony Lawton's one-man adaptation of The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis for a limited engagement run. Back by popular demand, The Great Divorce is the story of Clive, a hapless professor, and the motley band of malcontents who join him on a very curious bus ride. Journeying between Hell and Heaven, Clive crosses a surprising, wildly inventive landscape drawn by Lewis' philosophical imagination. Satirical and comic, The Great Divorce is a wondrous ride filled with dazzling insight and language which will run from December 21, 2008 to January 4, 2009. This production is not part of the Lantern's subscription series, but subscribers will have the opportunity to purchase tickets at a reduced rate before the general public.

In 2008/09, Lantern Theater Company continues to provide a forum for dialogue through extensive audience enrichment programming. The Lantern Lecture Series offers audiences an insider's look at each show of the season from the Lantern's artistic team, joined by some of the finest humanities scholars on the east coast. In the 15th Anniversary season, lectures will be expanded to a dynamic panel discussion format that brings together scholars from different backgrounds and disciplines. To introduce the Lantern to a wide variety of audiences, the Lecture Series will have pay-what-you-can admission. The Lantern Lecture Series occurs at St. Stephen's Theater at 7pm on the following Monday evenings: September 15, 2008; November 24, 2008; February 2, 2009; April 6, 2009.

Lantern Theater Company will also reprise the Director's Discussion, an informal chat between the production director and audience, giving a first hand look into the rehearsal process. The Director's Discussion will be free to all ticket holders and held at 7pm prior to the performance on the following Friday evenings: September 19, 2008; November 28, 2008; February 6, 2009; April 10, 2009.

Lantern Theater Company's Symposia Series focuses on the process of bringing scripts to the stage. Symposia will give audiences the opportunity to talk about the production they've just seen with the director, performers, and designers who created it. The Symposia Series is free to all ticket holders and occurs after the Saturday matinee performances on the following dates: October 4, 2008; December 13, 2008; February 21, 2009; April 25, 2009.

In addition to this special event programming, Lantern Theater Company has renovated its basement rehearsal space to be viable performance space, as well. Called The Lantern Lab, this new space has hosted small productions from other theater companies and will continue to develop this rental venue and a second stage for the Lantern's work.

For the 2008/09 Season, four-play subscription packages are available for $72-$160, with discounts for students and seniors. Lantern Theater Company continues to offer its A 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, 2008 for $20-$50. 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.

ABOUT LANTERN THEATER COMPANY
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.

Lantern Theater Company 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 2008/09 season at Lantern Theater Company marks the company's 15th year of creating high-quality professional theater in Philadelphia.