We look forward to welcoming you and your students to the Lantern! Student audiences bring a unique energy and curiosity to live performances, and we know that attending great performances can powerfully shape students' relationship to curricular material and dramatic literature. Your reservation includes discounted tickets, lesson plans, study guides, and post-show talkbacks with the cast. For booking and other information, please contact Talia Speak, Education & Artistic Associate, at tspeak@lanterntheater.org or 215.829.9002 x106.

Two couples – Esther and Schmuli, Abe and Sophie – seem destined for each other, but are torn apart by their conflicting sense of obligation and independence. From the writer of Lantern hits Photograph 51 and The Last Match comes this moving exploration of estrangement and the great human yearning for connection, told with keen humor and deep empathy for these flawed and fascinating characters.

Weekday Morning Matinee – at 10AM
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Best Enjoyed By
9th Grade and up

Relevant Class Subjects
Drama, English Language Arts, Theater Arts

Expected Running Time
1 hour and 40 minutes (no intermission)

Performance Venue
St. Stephen's Theater, 923 Ludlow Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Venue Accessibility
We regret that access to both the performance space and restrooms at St. Stephen's Theater requires navigating a flight of stairs. Unfortunately, no elevator service is available. If your student group includes individuals with special needs or who would benefit from early seating, please let us know when you inquire about making a reservation so that we may plan on appropriate accommodations.

An actor auditions for the title role in Othello. From this simple scenario springs a rich and penetrating exploration of Shakespeare in a story told with wit, passion, and linguistic brilliance. The conflicting views of the actor and the director shine a revealing light on race and art in modern America, and bring a refreshing new perspective on the enduring power of Shakespeare's work.

Weekday Morning Matinee – at 10AM
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Friday, December 6, 2024
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Friday, December 13, 2024
Best Enjoyed By
11th Grade and up

Relevant Class Subjects
African American Studies, Classics, Drama, English Language Arts, Theater Arts

Expected Running Time
90 minutes (no intermission)

Performance Venue
St. Stephen's Theater, 923 Ludlow Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Venue Accessibility
We regret that access to both the performance space and restrooms at St. Stephen's Theater requires navigating a flight of stairs. Unfortunately, no elevator service is available. If your student group includes individuals with special needs or who would benefit from early seating, please let us know when you inquire about making a reservation so that we may plan on appropriate accommodations.

Beatrice and Benedick hardly seem like a couple to be placed at the center of a classic romantic comedy. Well past the age of youthful infatuation, they would rather duel with wits and mock the coup de foudre of the young lovers Claudio and Hero. But Venus will not be denied. Through a dizzying web of misdirection and deceits both malign and benign, Beatrice's and Benedick's steadfast refusal to love is put to the acid test. Will they go on with their merry single lives or fall in love despite themselves?

Weekday Morning Matinee – at 10AM
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Best Enjoyed By
9th Grade and up

Relevant Class Subjects
Classics, Comedy, English Language Arts, Theater Arts

Expected Running Time
2 hours and 30 minutes, including one brief intermission

Performance Venue
St. Stephen's Theater, 923 Ludlow Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Venue Accessibility
We regret that access to both the performance space and restrooms at St. Stephen's Theater requires navigating a flight of stairs. Unfortunately, no elevator service is available. If your student group includes individuals with special needs or who would benefit from early seating, please let us know when you inquire about making a reservation so that we may plan on appropriate accommodations.

A spy thriller or a rollicking comedy? Why not both! We travel from London to the Scottish Highlands and back again in this absurdist play about a social dandy trying to thwart the theft of state military secrets. Winner of the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and a 2008 Tony Award nominee for Best Play, this riotous adaptation of The 39 Steps was inspired by John Buchan's 1915 adventure novel and Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film and continues to delight audiences today.

Weekday Morning Matinee – at 10AM
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Best Enjoyed By
9th Grade and up

Relevant Class Subjects
Comedy, English Language Arts, Theater Arts

Expected Running Time
2 hours, including one brief intermission

Performance Venue
St. Stephen's Theater, 923 Ludlow Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Venue Accessibility
We regret that access to both the performance space and restrooms at St. Stephen's Theater requires navigating a flight of stairs. Unfortunately, no elevator service is available. If your student group includes individuals with special needs or who would benefit from early seating, please let us know when you inquire about making a reservation so that we may plan on appropriate accommodations.

Pricing
Student tickets for weekday morning matinees are $18 each. One free teacher/chaperone ticket is provided for every 10 student tickets purchased.

Study Guides
Lantern study guides enable you to bring the show into your classroom. Our guides include information about the play and the playwright, thought-provoking questions, and fun classroom activities. Lesson plans meet national and state standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Language Arts, and Theater Arts.

Q&A with the Cast
Learn about the making of each play! We hold a talkback following every student matinee performance to give students the opportunity to ask questions of the members of the cast.

Venues & Accessibility
Our student matinee performances are presented at multiple Center City Philadelphia venues with different levels of accessibility. Please email us with any questions or concerns.

Health and Safety Policy
Face masks are welcome, but not required.

Join us for any regularly-scheduled mainstage performance and pay just $20 per ticket. This group discount is available for all middle school, high school, and university groups of 10 or more students. To inquire about group tickets, please contact Talia Speak, Education & Artistic Associate, at tspeak@lanterntheater.org or 215.829.9002 x106.