We have long said that the Lantern punches well above its weight class. We operate a modest 150-seat theater, down a small side street, but we have built the third largest theater audience in the City of Philadelphia. Our annual operating budget is less than half that of many of our Center City peers, but we produce more plays and employ more theater artists and technicians over more performance weeks than all but two other theater companies in Philadelphia.

Forgive us the boxing analogy, but boxing was a good fit for the Lantern this past year. Our 2022/23 season production of The Royale by Marco Ramirez – inspired by the 1908 championship fight won by Jack Johnson, making him the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion – was recently recognized with three 2023 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre: Outstanding Overall Production of a Play, Outstanding Leading Performance in a Play for Phillip Brown, and Outstanding Choreography/Movement for director Zuhairah McGill.

Gratified as we are, Barrymore Awards are not what we are most proud of. Since re-opening from Covid in late 2021, our audience has included more than 11,000 young Philadelphians – from middle school through college – equal to 35% of the Lantern's total audience of more than 30,000 over the past 18 months. Most of these young people attend our special student matinee performances on weekday mornings, and their joy in discovering live theater is a defining feature of the Lantern.

With audiences still making their way back to live theater, ticket sales remain much lower than in pre-Covid times. That means we need to raise more money – much more money – than ever. Our 30th anniversary season has inspired an important gift: a $50,000 Challenge from our Board of Directors. If you have been waiting for a moment to "add a zero" to your annual gift, or to make an extraordinary one-time contribution, now is the moment.

YOU are the key to the Lantern’s success – when you are in the audience and when you support the work on stage. We ask you to dig deep to support your theater company in honor of our 30th anniversary season.

With deepest appreciation,

Questions? Please contact our Development Team at development@lanterntheater.org. Thank you for supporting the Lantern!