FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2009

Lantern Theater Company, a non-profit professional theater company, proudly announces their ninth annual benefit event with Spring Soiree: Celebrating 15 Years to be held Friday, March 6, 2009 from 7 to 11pm at The Down Town Club, 6th and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia.

New this year, the annual benefit will be an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate long-time supporters of the company with the First Annual Luminary Awards. Receiving this honor for artistic contributions to the theater will be Dugald MacArthur (Elkins Park, PA), nationally-acclaimed director, former head of Temple University's acting program (25 years), and frequent collaborator on the Lantern's stage. To be celebrated for ongoing leadership and service to the theater will be Jay L. Goldberg, Esq. (Bala Cynwyd, PA), a founding board member of the Lantern, a lawyer at Wolf Block, and board member of the Hassel Foundation, the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania Ballet.

Charles McMahon, founding Artistic Director of the company shares: "The Lantern operates in downtown Philadelphia, on the site where Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment; ushering in a new era that literally lit up the world. The Lantern has always sought to do something similar in the world of ideas: we spark discussions in the ageless ritual of story telling. We are proud to play a role in this extraordinary community. With the help of our generous, talented committee co-chairs Moira Mulroney (Bella Vista, Philadelphia), Gretchen Roede (Society Hill, PA), Nina Rosenthal (Villanova, PA), and Sarah Weinstein (Ardmore, PA), we hope to bring great theater and educational programs to this wonderful city for another 15 years and beyond."

In addition to the program honoring Lantern supporters, the evening will offer a variety of silent auction items from theater tickets to exclusive vacation packages. Geoff Sobelle, the local actor playing Hamlet at the Lantern this spring, will host the evening, challenging attendees with trivia questions in exchange for prizes, as well as announce the company's 2009/10 season of plays. As the Lantern celebrates its 15th anniversary season of bringing professional theater to Center City, the event projects a capacity of 200 guests and a fundraising goal of $25,000 to support the theater's programming, community outreach and education initiatives.

Press may make reservations for Spring Soiree: Celebrating 15 Seasons by calling 215.829.9002 x106. Reservations are due by Monday, March 2, 2009 at 5pm. Tickets for the event start at $100 and can be purchased by calling Theodora W. Ashmead, Development Director, at 215.829.9002 x102.

About The Lantern's 2008/09 Season:
Lantern Theater Company's 15th Anniversary season continues with Sizwe Bansi is Dead by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona (January 30-March 1) and concludes with Hamlet by William Shakespeare (April 3-May 10, 2009). Earlier in the season, the Lantern presented the Philadelphia Premiere of Harold Pinter's The Hothouse, an all-new adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector by Armina LaManna and David O'Connor, and a limited engagement of C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce, adapted and performed by Anthony Lawton.

Spring Soiree: Celebrating 15 Years

Benefit Co-Chairs
Moira Mulroney
Gretchen Roede
Nina Rosenthal
Sarah Weinstein *

Benefit Committee
Charlene Aikman
Bob Aretz
Eileen Baird
Jacob Belkin
Lisa Bien
Louis Bluver
Michael K. Brophy *
Lee and Susan Cassanelli
Joan L. Coale
Mary Jo Coll *
David S. Conway, Esq. *
Angela H. D'Amato, Esq. *
Frank A. Dante, Esq. *
Cristian David *
Stacy M. Dutton *
Jennifer and Allan Espiritu
Deborah J. Francesco
Marvin Garfinkel
Kay and Jim Gately
Maxine and Jay L. Goldberg, Esq. *
'Dolph Ward Goldenburg
Christopher R. Good
Philip Hawkins *
John R. Heard
Laurie and Robert Jacobs
Paul and Susan Jaffe
Kathleen and Michael Kinslow
Cristin Kist
Joan and Marc S. Lapayowker
Lucille Larkin * and Paul Macdonald
Toby Lerner and John Buckley
Willing Madeira
Florence Marcus
Laura Matour
Helen J. McMahon
Joan Mechlin, MSNCS, MA
Sara Merriman
Deb Miller and Ray Costello
Amanda Mott
Ellen and Michael Mulroney
David and Eileen Murphy
Michael L. Norris
Patricia O'Halloran
PNC Bank - Don Paterson and Sal Patti
Elizabeth Perri
Gail and Bob Richardson
Michael H. Rosenthal, Esq. *
Stephen P. Rush *
Dr. Nathan and Dolly Beechman-Schnall
Anne Shuff * and Mike Creech
Dr. Roberta Sloan
Gayle R. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Suplee
Dr. R. J. Wallner
Julia Ward

*Denotes Current Lantern Board Member

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.

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 12 awards and 54 nominations, including nominations from 2006 to 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 2008/09 season at Lantern Theater Company marks the company's 15th year of creating high-quality professional theater in Philadelphia.