Lantern Theater Company

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Founded in 1994, Lantern Theater Company has emerged as one of the most successful professional theaters in the Philadelphia region. Since 1995, the Lantern Theater Company has received 10 awards and 40 nominations for Philadelphia's Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, including the 2006 Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service Award and, for the critically acclaimed production of Richard III, the Outstanding Overall Production of a Play and Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play (to Peter Pryor as Richard). The Lantern is committed to an authentic and intimate exploration of the human spirit in our choice of classics, modern, and original works. The Lantern creates an innovative and stimulating theatrical experience that evokes thoughtful reflection and discussion long after the play ends. The Lantern commits itself to being a vibrant, contributing member of its community—exposing audiences to great theater, inviting participation in dialogue and discussion, educating audience members about artistic and social issues, and employing the language of the theater to enrich learning in the classroom. Each season, they produce four mainstage productions, a variety of special events including a stimulating symposia and lecture series, and a far-reaching education program throughout the Greater Philadelphia area that includes outreach to underserved schools, a city-wide after-school program, and student matinee series.

Lantern Theater Company will produce William Shakespeare's Othello as the final production of the company's 2007–2008 season. One of Shakespeare's most compellingly plotted plays, Othello offers an outstanding springboard for young audiences to consider issues of race and identity—still compelling concerns 400 years after the play's first performance. Othello's themes of envy and friendship, problems still being faced in the modern-day high school, are rendered in Shakespeare's beautiful poetry. In addition to regularly scheduled performances, the Lantern will also present weekday matinee performances free of charge to 10 partner schools as part of Shakespeare for a New Generation. The Lantern's staff of experienced teachers will offer in-school residencies of five sessions each to participating schools, as well as a series of lesson plans to aid teachers in exploring the play's themes and characters with students. The Lantern's educational programming as a whole is committed to reaching the culturally underserved students of Philadelphia's public schools, and all 10 partner schools, located in the most challenging neighborhoods of Philadelphia, have a strong commitment to offering the best education possible, even with their severely limited resources.

http://www.lanterntheater.org/