FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2010

Lantern Theater Company caps the 2009/10 Season with a limited three-week engagement of Anthony Lawton's adaptation of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. Opening night is scheduled for Wednesday, May 19 at 7pm and the closing performance is Sunday, June 6.

In a dark corner of Hell's bureaucracy sits mid-level demon Screwtape, scratching out letters to his nephew, Wormwood, filled with advice on how to corrupt a human soul. Gleefully, Screwtape catalogs the list of human frailties upon which Wormwood is to prey – war, lust, debauchery, decadence, and all sorts of wickedness. Anthony Lawton's rollicking adaptation turns the revered C.S. Lewis classic into a sumptuous multimedia event with music, dance, and infernal unpredictability.

Persuaded by several friends, including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) converted from staunch atheist to Christian in his mid-twenties. Following his conversion, he wrote several books which still sell millions of copies all over the world today. Most of these works were colored by his experience as a Christian, including works of Christian apologetics (Mere Christianity), satire and fiction (The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Space Trilogy, Till We Have Faces), and children's fantasy (The Chronicles of Narnia).

Anthony Lawton's adaptation uses Lewis' words as a springboard to explore the philosophical and visceral landscape of Hell, incorporating tap dancing, fire-eating, and whip-work to illustrate the seven deadly sins amidst Screwtape's poetic letters. Lawton, who also stars as Screwtape, has cultivated a long-term artistic partnership with the Lantern that has included recent biennial productions of his C.S. Lewis adaptations The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce and the 2005 world premiere of his original play The Foocy, now running at Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington.

Screwtape's dutiful secretary Toadpipe will be played by Philadelphia actress Kim Carson, seen most recently in InterAct Theatre Company's Off-Broadway-bound When We Go Upon The Sea. The creative team includes costume designer Jessica Reed, lighting designer Stephen Hungerford, sound designer Larry D. Fowler, Jr., and projection designer James Doolittle.

Tickets are $25-$35 and are available online at www.lanterntheater.org or by phone at 215.829.0395. $10 student rush tickets are available 10 minutes before curtain with valid ID; cash only. Additional discounts are available for seniors and groups of 10 or more.

WHAT
The Screwtape Letters
Adapted and Performed by Anthony Lawton
From the Novel by C.S. Lewis

WHERE
Lantern Theater Company
At St. Stephen's Theater
10th & Ludlow Streets
Philadelphia, PA

WHEN
Opening Night is Wednesday, May 19 at 7pm
Closing performance is Sunday, June 6, 2010
Full performance schedule available at www.lanterntheater.org/calendar

PRESS
Reviewing Press is invited to Opening Night on Wednesday, May 19 at 7pm. Other Press may arrange for tickets for performances during the week of May 20-23, 2010. Please contact Anne Shuff at ashuff@lanterntheater.org or 215.829.9002 x101 to reserve.

TICKETS
•  Visit www.lanterntheater.org or call 215.829.0395
•  $25-$35 with discounts for students, seniors, Lantern subscribers, and groups of 10 or more
•  $10 student rush ten minutes before curtain with valid ID; cash only

CAST
Anthony Lawton as Screwtape
Kim Carson as Toadpipe

CREATIVE TEAM
Costume Designer - Jessica Reed
Lighting Designer - Stephen Hungerford
Sound Designer - Larry D. Fowler, Jr.
Projection Designer - James Doolittle
Venue Manager - Rebecca Smith
Production Manager - Tim Martin

Lantern Theater Company thanks its 2009/10 season media partners The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com, and its 2009/10 season corporate partners Marathon Grill, La Fourno Ristorante Trattoria, and Starbucks.

Interviews are available upon request to Anne Shuff at ashuff@lanterntheater.org or 215.829.9002 x101. Production photography will be available on or about May 19.