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 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.

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!

From South Africa's most celebrated playwright comes 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.

The company who has brought you Philadelphia's best Shakespeare now brings you his most famous play! Nationally-acclaimed Philadelphia performer Geoff Sobelle takes on the lead role, bringing his dynamic energy to a searing production that plumbs the dark humor of Shakespeare's tragic son.

Lewis' own favorite among his works, 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. This limited engagement is not part of the 08/09 subscription series, but subscribers can purchase advance tickets at a reduced rate – before tickets go on sale to the general public in August!

This Monday evening series (7pm) offers audiences an insider's look at each show from the Lantern's artistic team, joined by some of the finest humanities scholars on the East Coast.

Beginning at 7pm, these informal pre-show chats between the production director and audience provide a first-hand look into the rehearsal process.

Focusing on the process of bringing scripts to the stage, post-show symposia give audiences the opportunity to talk about the production they've just seen with the director, performers, and designers who created it.